AASHE Blog: Campus Sustainability Perspectives

Fair Trade - Addressing the Social Pillar of Sustainability

Submitted by blzwic2 on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 16:26
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In the quest to achieve sustainability it is often the most easily-quantifiable of the three pillars of sustainability, those of economic vitality and environmental health and protection, which are invested in on campuses. And initiatives like campus solar installations, fleet changes, and LEED certified buildings are certainly critical components of a sustainable campus.


How is your Campus Using Stimulus Money to Promote Sustainability?

Submitted by Niles Barnes on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 14:11
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Now that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has passed, there are many opportunites for two-year funding and awards for a variety of special projects.

I recently had a question from an AASHE member instution regarding what fellow campuses were doing with the federal economic stimulus money in regards to energy efficency upgrades. In particular the member asked, "What we could really use is a list of energy saving projects that other campuses are going to fund with stimulus money. We are having trouble coming up with ideas because we have been proactive over the years. We really have taken care of most of the low hanging fruit. We need ideas!"


Seeking Campus Sustainability News from Outside the US and Canada

Submitted by Andrea Webster on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:40
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In an effort to help our members learn from campus sustainability leaders across the globe, AASHE is starting AASHE Bulletin: Global Edition, a semi-annual newsletter that will cover sustainability stories from higher education institutions located outside of the U.S. and Canada. This new publication will supplement our weekly AASHE Bulletin, which focuses on campus sustainability in the US and Canada.


Milestones in Sustainability Education – Where Will We Go Next?

Submitted by Andrea Webster on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 17:11
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Two impressive milestones occurred at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year – Arizona State University graduated its first class of students from the nation's first degree-granting sustainability school, and Prescott College


AASHE Interview Series with David Steinour, Interim Chief Information Officer, The George Washington University

Submitted by Niles Barnes on Thu, 06/25/2009 - 16:24
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The topic of sustainability and of "greening" IT departments continues to become a more popular area of focus especially on college and university campuses. A recent AASHE Bulletin article highlighted the work The George Washington University (GWU) is doing to green it's IT infrastructure.


Campus Sustainability Wikis

Submitted by Niles Barnes on Thu, 06/25/2009 - 01:00
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For those interested in campus climate action planning, many have by now likely visited AASHE's first foray into wikis with our Climate Planning for Campuses: A How to Guide.

However, there are also over a dozen (perhaps significantly more) campuses that have experimented with using wikis to engage a wider audience and develop collaborative websites.

Probably the most well know wiki is the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia . The ability to have multiple users collaboratively write a document and add new content that can constantly be changed and updated is what first drew AASHE to use a wiki for our Climate Planning Guide. Indeed, it is our hope that this "living" document will continue to become a richer source of information as folks in the community contribute to it.

To see some other campus sustainability wiki's visit our related Campus Sustainability Wiki's page.


Announcing the STARS Pilot Results

Submitted by meghan on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 18:41
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AASHE is excited to announce that the results of the STARS Pilot are now available! STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) is a voluntary, self-reporting framework for gauging relative progress toward sustainability for colleges and universities.


College Students Dump 'n Run - Sustainably

Submitted by Andrea Webster on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 16:19
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Several campuses in the U.S. and Canada again held collection campaigns during the residence hall move-out season this year.  The initiatives kept items out of landfills, saved trash pickup fees, and donated items to a good cause.  Here are a few highlights:


AASHE Interview Series with Shane Tedder, University of Kentucky

Submitted by Niles Barnes on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 15:52
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This week's interview is with Shane Tedder, the Sustainability Coordinator in the Office of Residence Life at the University of Kentucky. Three years into his current position, Shane has been actively working to advance sustainability on the University’s campus for over six. He is responsible for transforming a graduate assistantship in which he helped to oversee recycling in the residence halls into a more comprehensive sustainability program emphasizing education, and he deserves much of the credit for connecting the many disparate sustainability initiatives on UK’s campus and taking them to the next level.

A longtime friend and mentor, Shane continues to work tirelessly to improving existing programs and working to help create new programs that move the University in a sustainable direction. Continue reading to learn more about the programs Shane is currently working on, his thoughts on the necessity of decentralization in the sustainability movement, and what he is most looking forward to in 2009.

If you are interested in participating in the AASHE Interview Series or wish to nominate someone to participate please email me. To read past interviews, click here.


Sustainable Landscaping on Campus

Submitted by Niles Barnes on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 11:46
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The AASHE Resource Center now has resources in every major category with the release of a new list of campus sustainable landscaping policies, practices and plans. Perhaps given less attention then other areas of campus sustainability, campus grounds do play an important role - often designed to be beautiful and welcoming, increasingly, they are also being designed with an eye to water efficiency and without the use of pesticides.

Although we have been fortunate to have ample rain here in Kentucky this Spring, many states are facing droughts and it is a great time to look at some of the many benefits of xeriscape and water efficient landscaping. Campuses like Florida State University and the University of Florida have commitments to xeriscaping (a landscaping philosophy that emphasizes using native and drought-resistant plants which do not require supplemental irrigation).  Broward Community College also emphasizes the use of native planting, while the University of Delaware utilizes a bioswale at one of their parking lots.