College Sustainability Report Card - “A” is for “Green”

Most of us were in school for years, performing our studies, (maybe) doing our homework, and being graded, day in and day out. It was a constant process, and all of us were perpetually judged. (I recently wrapped it all up after 17 years.) Now it’s time to turn the tables and judge the schools, all in the name of the little blue planet we love.

The Sustainable Endowment Institute is dedicated to making universities greener and more eco-friendly, and over the last few years they’ve been conducting a process that literally yields a “report card” for each school. The College Sustainability Report Card 2009 is swiftly approaching, and colleges better be on their best, earth-friendly behavior. After all, the judging is tough and the requirements to achieve a high score are pretty far up there. In fact, no college has yet scored a straight-up A on the report card up until this year. Ivy League institutions have come the closest however, with Harvard, Dartmouth and Stanford all raking in very respectable A- rankings for 2007. Harvard and Stanford both unfortunately fell off that top podium in 2008, with only Darthmouth making a repeat appearance – kudos for consistency, Dartmouth! Carleton and Williams also boasted A- scores in 2008.

2009’s report card  is where YOU come in, dear reader. This is a democratic nation, after all, and we all have a say in what universities should be honored for their ecological efforts. If you think a school has shown great strides in this area, you may nominate it for the Sustainability Report Card 2009. The only stipulation is that the suggested school must have been involved with a public community “green project” in some shape, fashion or form. Aside from that, a nifty four question application is all it takes to garner your institution the acknowledgment and acclaim it deserves for looking out for Mother Earth.

Once submitted for review, the school is judged on any of a number of considerations, such as whether they are actively purchasing renewable energy, promoting new recycling programs, reducing carbon emissions, or utilizing hybrid cars, just to name a few criteria. If your university is doing their job on any of these fronts, they should be in line to make the grade.

Act now to support your school! The September 12th deadline is swiftly approaching. Click here for more.

Source: treehugger