Colleges Vying To Become Leaders In Sustainability

The race to paint the ivory tower "green" is underway, with colleges and universities hoping to attract students to new eco-conscious campuses.

1 minute read

September 14, 2006, 10:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"The greening of academe is nothing new, but it seems to have taken root in a big way. Today, it's not just about doing a few good, green things -- recycling, buying green energy, building green buildings, and all the rest -- and it's not just about saving money or being seen as a good neighbor. It's about being seen as a sustainability leader in order to attract students, funding, and media attention.

As a result, in a growing number of schools, "green" has become the Big Meme on Campus.

But getting colleges and universities to make the grade as environmental leaders is no slam dunk. Like their corporate counterparts, schools face a variety of challenges and barriers, from a lack of top-level commitment, to institutional inertia, to a dearth of answers to the seemingly simple question 'How good is good enough?'"

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