Eco Friendly Campus

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Eco Friendly Campus
by \| 04-08-2015 18:23 0
With summer coming to an end, it means going back to school for young people around the world. For those going into college it means campus tours and settling into their new college homes. These millions of young adults have a lot to take into account before choosing their school for the next three to five years (or longer) of their adult lives. But when prospective students check out college campuses, about 60 percent of them say they also evaluate the environmental commitments. Campus sustainability efforts range from LEED-certified buildings and massive recycling programs to organic farms and clean power. Because studying in a eco friendly campus would be a wonderful experience and give rise to the environmentalist of tomorrow . So here are the top 10 Eco Friendly campus American University – Washington, D.C. The Washington, D.C., campus has big goals: planning to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020 and eliminate campus greenhouse gas emissions. Working with George Washington University and its hospital, American University recently entered into an agreement to source half of the school?s electricity from renewable power. This is the largest non-utility solar photovoltaic (PV) power purchase agreement in the United States. Half of AU?s electricity will be direct, grid-delivered solar power. Using direct solar power for half of the campus electricity needs will eliminate 15,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year — equal to taking 3,000 cars off the road. The school also has a Green Teaching Certification Program to reward faculty members for incorporating sustainability content into their classrooms. University of Colorado, Boulder UC-Boulder topped Sierra Club?s greenest colleges list in 2009. The school partnered with the National Renewable Energy Labs to create wind turbines at the Wind Research Park, south of Boulder, to feed energy into a grid benefiting all of Colorado. California State University, Chico Packed with local and sustainable food in its cafeterias and restaurants, this California school has been praised for having one of the greenest college food systems in the country. Student-run organizations manage nearly 2,000 recycling bins on campus and collect more than 600,000 pounds of recyclables each year. In 2014, a campus program diverted 17 tons of trash from landfills when students moved out of residence halls. The items were recycled or donated to local charities. That?s a new record for the program, which has been in existence for 14 years. The campus has more than 200 sustainability-related courses, a new interdisciplinary minor in sustainability, and more than 15 sustainability-focused student groups. The university is also committed to seeking LEED certification on all new building projects. Ithaca College Ithaca?s Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center School for Business and Sustainable Enterprise opened in 2008. Featuring a vegetated roof that reuses storm water runoff, it is the first undergraduate business school in the world to earn the LEED Platinum certification. Columbia University In the heart of New York City just steps from Central Park, Columbia offers 24 environmental degrees, as well as a sustainable development major and a sustainability master?s program. A $25,000 Green Fund offers support to student-led projects that focus on improving sustainability throughout the campus. The school has an award-winning laboratory waste solvent recycling program as well as annual reuse events that allow items to be collected to be recycled, re-used or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. Pilots groups are working to develop innovative solutions for paper reduction throughout campus. Ten campus buildings are LEED-certified. Sustainability continues through graduation as all undergraduate and masters graduates wear ?green gowns,? each made from 23 recycled plastic bottles. Cornell University The No. 1 ranked Ivy League school in Sierra Club?s ?Coolest School? rankings, Cornell plans to be carbon neutral by 2035 with carbon emissions down 30 percent since 2008. One-quarter of dining hall meals are sourced locally and sustainably, and more than 64 percent of waste on campus is recycled or composted, including 550 tons of food from the dining halls. Students at the Ithaca, New York, school can choose from more than 400 courses and 28 majors to study sustainability in every college, and 20 percent of faculty are involved in sustainability research. The Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future unites three aspects of sustainability — energy, the environment and economic development — under one roof. In addition, there are more than 40 active green clubs on campus. University of Bradford The University of Bradford, located in Yorkshire, U.K., includes green student housing equipped with solar panel water heating systems, recycling facilities and areas to grow vegetables. Tel Aviv University In 2011, the university announced its launch of the EcoBuilding, the campus?s newest green project that includes a water recycling system and natural ventilation. University of Ottawa Ottawa?s campus has several action groups for going green, including a focus on events like ?Green Week? and sustainable development. University of California, Merced The newest University of California, this campus includes a ?Water Battle? challenge for dorms to conserve water and a stairs campaign for students to encourage using less electricity.

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