College Crunch

Other than the economy, going green is one of the hottest topics on the planet. It should be because it is all about making this earth a better place to live. Over the years, we have poured so many toxins into the environment that something has to be done to counter and slow down the damage that we have inflicted out our planet. The movement has gotten so big that even sports teams are getting into it by having “Green Teams” go out in the stadium during games to collect recyclables to ensure they are taken care of properly. The natural progression was that our universities and colleges would eventually implement measures and programs to reflect the green movement that our society as a whole is trying to participate in. Here are some of the top green schools today.

Middlebury College, Vermont

This school sets the standard for green schools. They have gained national recognition with a project of recycling goods from a demolished building and they have no intention of being happy with their past achievements. This school actually has a wind turbine that is currently suppling 25% of the power for recycling facilities located on campus. They also boast a 60% recycling rate for their waste. This is a school that is taking recycling very serious.

University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado

The school is taking car pooling to a new level. Included in every students tuition are public transportation passes and loaner bikes. They have even taken the on campus transportation green as their campus shuttles run on biodiesel. This school does have some things to work on though as they are currently only supplying 7% of their energy through renewables with over 85% coming from natural resources such as gas and coal, but they have been stepping in the right direction.

University of Vermont, Vermont

This University is setting the mark for any other school that wishes to be considered one of the top green schools in the country. They are using about 60% of their energy through renewable energy and have composts more that 20 tons of waste each month. They even take it one step further as they buy about 35% of their food supplies from local farmers.

Warren Wilson College, North Carolina

Talk about a school that demands that its students get involved! This student body works 15 hours a week aiding ecofriendly projects and working the organic fields that are owned by the college. This school also offsets 100% of its electricity by purchasing renewable energy credits. They have a ways to go but they are definitely making huge strides.

Evergreen State College, Washington

If you remember, this is the same school that did away with majors and grades in the early 70’s. How could they not become one of the top green schools in the country! This establishment demands that every new construction project meet silver level LEED standards. This is another college that included public transportation passes with its tuition. If you attend this school expect to be involved with the community as they have nine on campus organizations (that number is expected to grow) that are extremely involved with environmental and social issues.

Arizona State University, Arizona

This school probably has the chance to make the most impact. They boast the nations second largest student population with over 51,000 students. A small change on this campus is like a major overhaul at Middlebury. Last fall saw the inauguration of the School of Sustainability which teaches the ultimate goal of minimizing the harm to the environment. Two of the major areas that they directly affect the environment is that they do not water their grounds until the evening hours and use paper supplies that are at least 30% recycled.

University of Florida, Florida

This school has gained a lot of attention with its sports programs, but it is also one of the top green schools in the country. Around 90 percent of the campus water supply is via a reclaimed water facility and has a goal of 100% recycling and reusing of all its waste by 2015. This is a school of over 50,000 that can make a major impact and is doing everything it can to make its students aware of the environment.

Oberlin College, Ohio

A small college of only 2,200 students but they are steering them along the right path. This campus gets 50% of its power from renewables. Their students actually participated in the Ecolympics. That is a great sign that they actually get it.

These are but a few of the programs in the country that are doing a wonderful job in making today’s student body aware of the environment and ways to make it better. Without these schools, we would be a far cry from where we are today. We are making things better and have a lot of recovery to do and these institutions are making it happen. Support the top green schools and hope that the other universities and colleges in our country take notice and make changes.