AASHE Blog: A New Era for Green Procurement
“Sustainable procurement work has never been more exciting. New data, science and processes are coming together with years of on-the-ground experience to create a new paradigm,” writes AASHE’s Sam Hummel. In this article, Hummel discusses a new higher education pilot project that is laying the groundwork for a sustainable procurement leadership recognition program, modeled on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.
‘Greening the Bottom Line 2012’ Report: Green Revolving Funds
A report by the Sustainable Endowments Institute shows strong growth of green revolving funds (GRFs) within the higher education sector. The 2012 report shows that 36 new GRFs have been created since 2010 with a median reported return on investment of 28 percent. Since 2010, GRFs have been launched in 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
New Report: ‘Our Common Ground: Campus Food Sustainability’
Real Food Real Jobs has released a new report, ‘Our Common Ground: Food Workers, Sustainable Food Advocates, and Institutions of Higher Education,’ which outlines the opportunities for college and university communities to create a model of campus food sustainability that will serve as an example for other large institutions across the country.
AASHE 2012 on Storify
This compilation of Tweets, Facebook posts and images provides an overview of the AASHE 2012 experience through the lens of attendees and AASHE staff.
New Issue of Sustainability: Journal of Record
The latest issue of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.'s Sustainability: The Journal of Record features “Laura’s Lean Beef and Beyond: A Sustainable Ag Journey,” an editorial by Laura Freeman; “On the Record” with Jam Attari, general manager of AMSOLAR; and a program profile: “Sheridan College: Building Foundations for Sustainability through Creativity and Innovation,” among other articles.
AASHE Fall 2012 STARS Quarterly Review
“The Role of Institutional Diversity” explores how the diversity of STARS institutions has changed over time and how participation in STARS according to institution type compares to U.S. demographics. Findings in this review suggest that the institutional characteristics that make higher education institutions distinct also play a role in how campuses are advancing sustainability. With six institutions highlighted, this issue covers data from reports submitted through Sept. 1, 2012.
Renewable Choice Energy Debuts Free GHG Inventory Software
Renewable Choice Energy has unveiled the data import feature for its web-based Mosaic carbon accounting software. The program provides users with an automated carbon accounting process, complete with an interface and decision-making dashboard. The software supports campuses with effective, transparent, and ongoing management of energy and carbon emission data, allowing schools to integrate the information and activities required to easily analyze, optimize, and mitigate their energy consumption and carbon emissions across facilities
Student Guide: How Oil, Gas & Coal Money Influences U.S. Policy
National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program has announced the release of a new report, “A Student’s Guide to How Corporate Oil, Gas and Coal Money Influences U.S. Energy Policy.” The guide is designed to help students understand the influence that the corporate fossil fuel industry has on U.S. energy policy and public decision-making.
Updated Version: ‘Choices for Sustainable Living’
(U.S.): The 2012 edition of this book provides updated information and resources on topics including ecological principles, food, community, consumption and the economy, along with a new session on transportation. Also new in this edition is the Iceberg, a systems thinking exercise that can be used to dive more deeply into the issues. In seven sessions, "Choices for Sustainable Living" helps participants explore the meaning and vision of sustainability from individual, societal and global perspectives.
New Book: ‘Occupy Education: Living and Learning Sustainability’
Motivated by the sustainability crisis and energized by the drive for social justice that inspired the Occupy Movement, this book by AASHE Advisory Council member Tina Evans draws on scholarship in critical theory, economics for sustainability and resilience, deep ecology and ecopsychology.
New Report: ‘How the Sports Industry is Saving the Environment’
Written by the Natural Resources Defense Council and published in partnership with the Green Sports Alliance, this report provides a collection of successful sports industry greening initiatives across North America. The case studies highlight what teams, venues and league jewel events are doing to protect the planet and educate fans.
AASHE Guest Blog: Submitting a STARS Report 2 Years in a Row
This latest AASHE guest blog features Dallase Scott and Lea Lupkin, sustainability program managers for GreenerU at Babson College. They share their experience of how completing a STARS report two years in a row has been an effective community building tool toward campus sustainability.
A Reader’s Guide to 'The Nature of College'
The guide for each chapter of "The Nature of College: How a New Understanding of Campus Life Can Change the World" includes a "Coming to Terms" section with concepts and ideas in the book, and a set of "Questions for Consideration" to help readers connect the book to their own lives, college culture and cultural patterns. A companion website includes The Ecologician’s Dictionary, related essays and discussions.
AASHE 2011 Annual Report
During 2011, AASHE launched a new website, expanded and enhanced its resources to include a campus solar PV database, created new publications including its first e-book, and expanded the STARS program to offer data displays. The hiring of an education manager expanded activities addressing education for sustainability and professional development opportunities. At the end of 2011, AASHE's 1,103 institutional members were advancing sustainability in all 50 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, and 18 other countries.
E-Book Version of AASHE '2011 Higher Ed Sustainability Review'
AASHE's "2011 Higher Education Sustainability Review" is now available from Amazon Kindle to members and non-members at $1.99. Looking through the lens of AASHE Bulletin stories in 2011, this review reveals an increased focus on higher education access, affordability and success; more green building efforts than ever; and growing campus community engagement with food security initiatives, among many other achievements. Contributors include Lumina Foundation's James Applegate, Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center's Todd Cohen, Ball State University Council on the Environment's Robert J. Koester, and the University of Vermont's Mieko A. Ozeki. The review also takes a look at "what's next," profiling four innovative campus-community partnerships toward resilient, secure, sustainable communities - initiatives to keep an eye on in the coming years.
New Book: Higher Education for Sustainability
Edited by Lucas F. Johnston with contributions from many higher education sustainability leaders including a forward by AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland, this book provides a glimpse at the ways colleges and universities have integrated sustainability across the curriculum. The research-based chapters provide empirical studies of both traditional and innovative degree programs, as well as case studies from institutions.
AASHE Guest Blog: 9 Rules for a Successful Green Revolving Fund
This new blog from Joe Indvik, a consultant for ICF International's Climate Change and Sustainability Division, presents nine rules for students to live by when designing and pitching a green revolving fund (GRF) on campus. In addition to his work for ICF International, Indvik's rules are informed by his experience co-leading a student team that successfully established a $1 million GRF at Dartmouth College.
The Sustainable University: Goals, Challenges for HE Leaders
Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press, this book includes 19 chapters authored by leading higher education sustainability experts. The book identifies four challenges to establishing sustainable policies and programs facing higher education chief executive officers and leadership teams. Editors/authors James Martin and James E. Samels also look at solutions to the challenges including: effectively institutionalizing sustainability thinking; developing an efficient, flexible system of sustainability benchmarks; implementing an accountable university budget model; and engaging boards of trustees in the campus sustainability agenda.
Beyond Rio+20: What It Means for Global Higher Education
Originally found on the Chronicle of Higher Education's WorldWise blog, this guest post by Pamela Chasek, professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program at Manhattan College in New York, argues that higher education plays a key role in building more sustainable societies and creating new paradigms. In addition to educating and training future decision makers, "we need to be more involved at the local, national and global levels," says Chasek.
New APPA Energy and Sustainability Assessment Tool
Debuting this fall, the new tool is part of APPA’s Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI), which assesses and benchmarks areas related to the construction, operation and maintenance of institutional facilities. The new features will expand the annual FPI report with a "solutions snapshot" aimed at helping building owners know where they stand in terms of achieving their sustainability goals including strengths and areas for improvement. The Energy and Sustainability Assessment Tool will also provide a portfolio report that shows campus-wide performance as well as performance of individual buildings.
New Issue of Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
Educating engineers for sustainability is the main focus of Emerald Group Publishing's latest issue of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. Content includes "How to Educate Engineers For/In Sustainable Development: Ten years of discussion, remaining challenges," "Teaching Engineering Ethics with Sustainability as Context" and "Embedding of ESD in Engineering Education: Experiences from Chalmers University of Technology."
New Paper: Sustainability Challenge for U.K. Universities
"Looking through the 'Greenwashing Glass Cage' of the Green League Table towards the Sustainability Challenge for UK Universities," a new paper in Emerald Group Publishing's Journal of Organizational Change Management, aims to critically focus on the UK's People & Planet's "green league table" in order to explore to what extent such league tables contribute to the transitional and transdisciplinary challenge of ecological sustainability for universities.
AASHE Summer 2012 STARS Quarterly Review
"Innovations in Campus Sustainability" explores new and ground-breaking practices within the Innovation (IN) category of AASHE's STARS program, focusing on the unique solutions within higher education that positively impact current and future generations. With 11 institutions highlighted, this issue covers data from STARS reports submitted through June 1, 2012.
AASHE 'Higher Education Sustainability in Pittsburgh' Highlights
Supported by the Heinz Endowments, this new AASHE publication profiles the sustainability innovations of the Pittsburgh institutions that hosted campus tours during the AASHE 2011 conference. Profiled innovations include green building design, waste elimination, alternative transportation options, climate positive goals and community partnerships toward sustainability. Compiled from tour materials, surveys and follow-up interviews, this report also captures the knowledge gained and lessons learned by the tour participants.
Arbor Day Tree Campus USA Toolkit
The Arbor Day Foundation has released a new Tree Campus USA Toolkit to help institutions earn national recognition for their work to promote sustainable tree planting and management on campus.
AASHE Blog: What's Going on at Rio+20
AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland outlines commitments including the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative and the People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education, and the activities associated with the United Nations Rio+20 Conference, taking place this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AASHE will be posting updates from Dr. Kim Smith of Portland Community College, who is representing AASHE at a consortium of higher education sustainability associations that are presenting the side event, Aiming Higher, Unlocking Tertiary Education's Potential to Accelerate Sustainable Development and the Transition to a Fair and Green Economy.
New Issue of Sustainability: Journal of Record
The latest issue of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.'s Sustainability: The Journal of Record features "The Road to Rio+20," an editorial by Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio; "On the Record" with Karl-Henrik Robèrt, founder of The Natural Step; and a profile of the campus garden living laboratory at the University of Utah.
Science, Innovation and Partnerships for Sustainability Solutions
Materials including session power point presentations and videos are now available from the National Academies' "Science, Innovation, and Partnerships for Sustainability Solutions Symposium," held May 16-18, 2012. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the symposium featured experts like Oberlin College's David Orr, who examined academic and nonprofit efforts to link sustainability science and technology to action. Participants including AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland also identified opportunities and key priorities to enhance the link between science and decision-making.
AASCU Innovations Exchange: Open Access for All
Originally only available to American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) members, this online resource is now open and available to all. The AASCU Innovations Exchange offers a repository of applied innovations on a range of topics at the campus and system level including resource management, student success, research and regional stewardship, program design and delivery, and institutional change processes.
Chemistry Education Research and Practice: Sustainability Issue
Featuring articles including "Sustainable Development and Green Chemistry in Chemistry Education" and "Green Chemistry Teaching in Higher Education: a review of effective practices," the latest issue of the Chemistry Education Research and Practice journal explores a variety of ways to incorporate sustainability in chemistry curriculum.
Interactive EcoMotion Campus Greening Presentation
"Sustainable Horizons: Solutions for Campus Greening," produced by sustainability advising company EcoMotion, is a two-hour, customized presentation designed to raise awareness of sustainability issues on campus and get the ball rolling toward solutions. The workshop aims to equip audiences with a new understanding of the root problems driving today's environmental and human crises, and to feel empowered to take action on campus.
NCSE Environmental Internship Clearinghouse Portal
The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) has created an environmental internship clearinghouse that enables university students to search for internships in the environmental field, and provides a forum for internship providers to tap into a community of qualified applicants.
New Blog: Branding AASHE - It's Roundup Time Out West
" I see you work for AASHE; what’s that? For the past few years, I have been asked this question by a wide variety of people. Although I’ve got my own 'elevator speech' for an answer, I’ve often wondered if that speech represented a shared understanding of AASHE’s identity," writes AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland in a new blog about AASHE's upcoming launch of a new visual identity and brand messaging. He explains the impetus and process behind the introduction of new logos and messaging, and encourages the higher education community to think about how AASHE's new identity phrases might help explain AASHE to others. Stay tuned for the new logo and other visual identity elements in AASHE Bulletin in the near future.
AASHE '2011 Higher Education Sustainability Review'
AASHE's latest review quantifies successes in the higher education sustainability movement while looking at the challenges ahead. Through the lens of AASHE Bulletin stories in 2011, this review reveals an increased focus on higher education access, affordability and success; more green building efforts than ever; and growing campus community engagement with food security initiatives, among many other achievements. Contributors include Lumina Foundation's James Applegate, Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center's Todd Cohen, Ball State University Council on the Environment's Robert J. Koester, and the University of Vermont's Mieko A. Ozeki. The review also takes a look at "what's next," profiling four innovative campus-community partnerships toward resilient, secure, sustainable communities to keep an eye on in the coming years. Stay tuned for an e-book version that will be able available to both members and non-members soon.
SEI Investment Primer on Green Revolving Funds
As part of its Billion Dollar Green Challenge initiative, the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) has released an Investment Primer on green revolving funds. The free resource is designed for senior financial officers, boards of trustees’ investment committees, and key decision makers who wish to know more about developing a green revolving fund that matches their institution’s resources, goals and programs. The primer answers the most-asked financial questions that come up when considering the development of a green revolving fund.
New Issue of Sustainability: Journal of Record
The latest issue of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.'s Sustainability: The Journal of Record features a new web-based campus carbon calculator; "A Manifesto for Sustainable Capitalism" by Al Gore; and a framework for thinking about educational innovation with regard to universal sustainability.
NWF Campus Ecology Greener Campus Webinar Series Archive
"Student Sustainability Educators: A Guide to Creating and Maintaining an Eco-Rep Program on Your Campus," co-produced by AASHE and the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program, is the latest webinar found in the Campus Ecology Greener Campus Webinar Series archive. Featuring leading practitioners in conservation and sustainability fields, the archive includes topics like LEED on campuses, sustainability in the curriculum and green jobs.
New Issue: Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of this Emerald Group Publishing journal looks at the importance of industrial ecology in engineering education for sustainable development, applying the "ecocity" model to develop green university and college campuses, and user-driven innovation for sustainability.
NWEI Course Book: Powering a Bright Future
This new Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) discussion course book addresses energy and its related issues: access, security, production and environmental impacts. Featuring authors including Lester Brown, Richard Heinberg, Amory Lovins and Sandra Steingraber, the book is designed to spark discourse on energy production and extraction, peak oil, fossil fuel subsidies, energy efficiency, equity, energy policy and environmental impacts.
Princeton Review Releases 2012 Guide to Green Colleges
The Princeton Review, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, has released its annual guide to the greenest institutions in North America. The resource profiles 322 higher education institutions that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The free publication includes statistics and facts on each institution's use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs, availability of environmental studies programs and green jobs career guidance.
ACUPCC 'Celebrating Sustainability' Series
The American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is recognizing 15 colleges and universities in April that exemplify the initiative's mission to re-stabilize the earth's climate through education, research and community engagement in a new Celebrating Sustainability series. The signatories that will be celebrated include Allegheny College (Pennsylvania); Arizona State University; Austin Community College (Texas); Georgia Institute of Technology; Haywood Community College (North Carolina); Pratt Institute (New York); Luther College (Iowa); Montgomery County Community College (Pennsylvania); Mount Wachusett Community College (Massachusetts); SUNY Upstate Medical University; University of California, Irvine; University of Central Missouri; University of Louisville (Kentucky); Weber State University (Utah); and William Paterson University (New Jersey).
Strategies to Address the Rising Cost of Higher Education
The 2012 installment of Presidential Perspectives, a higher education leadership series written by and for college presidents and published by ARAMARK, is focusing on the innovations, best practices and strategies that colleges and universities are embracing to address the rising cost of higher education. One chapter will be released each month.
New Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences Article
The newest issue of the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences features a campus sustainability case study at the University of Michigan. "Building Sustainability Change Management and Leadership Skills in Students: lessons learned from 'Sustainability and the Campus' at the University of Michigan," reveals that while student learning and project “success” are not directly correlated, students gain a deep understanding of change management complexity and build leadership skills, as well as confidence, while bolstering their resumes.
New STARS Spring 2012 Quarterly Review
Based on data from submitted STARS reports, AASHE's first STARS Quarterly Review offers a big-picture outlook on how diverse institutions are tackling challenges and capitalizing on opportunities to advance sustainability. Due to the growing number of STARS participants, AASHE will now publish quarterly reviews that capture the insights and knowledge gained from STARS reports.
New Facilities Manager Magazine with Sustainability Theme
Themed "Environmental Sustainability," the latest issue of APPA's Facilities Manager Magazine examines whether current campus climate efforts are enough. In his lead article, "Cool Campuses?!" (available as a free download), Walter Simpson says that the movement for campus climate action deserves high grades, but a greater effort is needed to address the growing climate crisis.
New Guide to Creating and Maintaining Eco-Rep Programs
This step-by-step guide, co-published by AASHE and National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Campus Ecology program, takes readers through the design, implementation and evaluation stages of an Eco-Rep program. The publication includes brief descriptions of actual programs and their best practices; case studies of successes and roadblocks; activity, event, marketing and outreach examples; and Eco-Rep recruiting tools, sample job descriptions, and other resources.
