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Tricky Question

The college I went to was pretty green. The administration paid to remove invasive English ivy from the lake on campus, there were recycling bins in all the dorms, and the cafeteria even offered a vegan option at each meal. But do those things qualify it as one of the greenest?

Recently, there’s been a commotion in academia surrounding the US News and World Reports college rankings – and I think any green rankings that come out could be similarly controversial. How do you decide what counts for more “points”: invasive species removal or a recycling program?

The brave ones at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education are gonna have a go at answering that question. And I'm so glad I'm not them right now.

-Toshio...off to relish never having to take another biology final again...
Posted by: tmeronek on 08/23/2007
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Camilla Field  on August 23, 2007 at 02:05 AM 1
Biters should also know about Revolution Foods (www.revfoods.com), an San Francisco Bay Area-based company (Alameda) that delivers tasty and healthy meals and nutrition education to schools and programs across the San Francisco Bay Area. Every child’s education should include healthy eating and learning about nutritious food.
Danielle  on August 23, 2007 at 09:09 AM 2
Even better than choosing a green school?: converting an "un"green school to more environmentally sound practices. Join the student council or other student "action" groups. Use the links ideal bite provided for greening ideas.
Wayne  on August 23, 2007 at 09:48 AM 3
This is kind of a nonsense tip. If you're going for a fairly generic degree then you can go to any school. However if your going for a more specific degree then schools are built around different schools and you can't just switch. If you're restricted to your state system because of costs then you're even more restricted. U.C. Berkeley is probably not one of the best places to study Pre-Medicine or Veterinary Sciences. Getting students to work on "greening" up their current schools would be better advace than giving them transfer tips.
Phoebe  on August 23, 2007 at 10:11 AM 4
Yale is taking sustainability very seriously, with a commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by the year 2020. Academically, it also has Yale Center of Environmental Law and Policy, as well as a program that combines its School of Architecture with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Jodie  on August 24, 2007 at 06:43 PM 5
College students can join a network of thousands of other youth working to green their campus by joining the Campus Climate Challenge. This campaign is a youth-led initiative, supported by the Energy Action Coalition, a network of over 37 organizations working on environmental and climate justice issues. Hundreds of campuses are signed on, and it's really the most exciting massive youth movement out there to stop climate change. They also have a cool blog (http://itsgettinghotinhere.org). Check it out!
Miriam Weinstein  on September 05, 2007 at 05:45 PM 6
I suggest Making A Difference Colleges, now in it's 10th edition from SageWorks Press. Focuses on colleges with long time commitments to the environment, peace and social justice. Colleges that have been walking their talk - where students who care passionately about the environment are in the mainstream of the student body, and have supportive faculty and administration. (http//:www.making-a-difference.com)

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