Campus Sustainability
The term campus sustainability is generally used to refer to sustainability of college & university campuses, but the concept and most of the multiple elements of campus sustainability are equally applicable to other campus-type environments, including hospitals, elementary & secondary schools, and businesses.
See:
- An Open Letter to College & University Presidents
- Campus Sustainability Internships
- Climate Action | Climate Action internship
- Campus Food – Is it sustainable & Healthy?
We also invite you to join the climateaction email group – this group is open to facilitate discussion of campus sustainability, GHG-reduction, and climate action.
Also see our Focus On… sections on:
Social Research | Social Justice Conference
A unique and excellent addition to the Lehigh Valley’s offerings, the Social Research Social Justice Conference began in 2003 as a collaboration between faculty and students in the Department of Media and Communication at Muhlenberg College, with the goal to … more
Commit to Leadership in Sustainability
The benefits of making a clear commitment can be dramatic, especially over the long term. When students, faculty, staff, and alumni know that the college or university is making a broad and comprehensive commitment to sustainability, they are more likely … more
Endowment Investments with High Return & Ultra-Low Risk
This is another no-brainer. Recently, colleges and universities have been earning an average 6–8% return on their endowment funds. Most facilities projects to reduce energy & greenhouse gas emissions [GHG] have a 5–7 year payback — a 14%–20% return—which means … more
‘Green Revolving Funds’
A ‘Green Revolving Fund’ provides funds for small projects such as the one described above, projects that will make the college or university more sustainable and, in most cases, pay for itself by reducing expenses for energy. Any project that … more
Open Letter to College Presidents & Trustees
Many colleges have made real progress towards campus sustainability, but in my opinion we can and should do more — and you should make sure your people realize that investing in sustainability make a dramatic improvement in your budget! The … more
Sustainability Questions for Students & Educators
To make good decisions about sustainability, people need to know the facts. Here are some questions that have arisen and might be suitable for class projects or independent study: What steps can local & county government take to produce immediate reductions in … more
Campus Food in the Lehigh Valley
[This page was originally created by intern Julia Ward from Lafayette College.] The Dining Services offered at local colleges and universities have taken some measures to becoming more environmentally sustainable. Specifically, Lafayette serves some produce from the student organic garden; … more
Sustainable Campus Dining Resources
Sept 6 2012 – Added AASHE Resources section The Alliance has had a strong interest in food issues since its formation in 2004, and food is a major concern in our initiatives on campus sustainability and the strong connections of … more
Ideas for Saving Energy in Building Operations
The following comes from Healthcare Design (July 2012). Written for hospitals and healthcare facility managers, it is equally applicable to college & university campus facilities and to many businesses. Healthcare Design – July 24, 2012 Top 5 Things That Save … more
Farm-To-School
Bearing Fruit An overview of the Farm To School movement Among a multitude of grassroots responses to the problems of our modern industrialized food system is the Farm to School (FTS) movement — a national effort to reorganize the school … more