Julian Dautremont-Smith, higher-education sustainability advocate, answers questions | Grist | InterActivist

Questions from Grist editors | Questions from readers

Julian Dautremont-Smith, AASHE.

Are there any universities anywhere in the world that have already set a goal of becoming climate neutral? If so, who are they, and what is their plan? -- Liz Robinson, Philadelphia, Pa.

Yes! College of the Atlantic, Oberlin College [PDF], Carleton College, Lane Community College, and the University of Florida have all committed to climate neutrality. In addition, Presidio School of Management already offsets its emissions as an associate member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. AASHE has put together a list that includes these and other campus climate commitments.

To my knowledge, none of these institutions have adopted an official plan for achieving climate neutrality yet, but I know some of them are working on it. However, there have been a few studies of how campuses might achieve climate neutrality. These are from Oberlin College [PDF], Middlebury College, and University of California-Santa Barbara.

One of my biggest concerns is that colleges need to do more than just build green; we need to think green as an institution and as individuals to make a long-lasting impact. In your experience, what has helped change an entire campus culture to embrace sustainability? -- Julia Alexander, Cincinnati, Ohio

Creating institutional structures to guide a campus's sustainability initiatives (such as a sustainability committee) and getting the support of the campus leadership are critical in creating coordinated and long-lasting change on campus. Another important step is hiring a sustainability officer for the campus. Many institutions have found that employing one or more staff people dedicated to sustainability is necessary to implement the goals of a sustainability committee. AASHE has developed a resource page that will be helpful for campuses considering creating a sustainability position.

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Are there any other organizations working on environmental issues within higher education? -- Becca Strauss, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Many great organizations are working in the campus sustainability field. Each organization has its own niche -- some are regional, others are focused on students, and still others focus on specific aspects of sustainability. AASHE strives to unite all of these efforts under a common umbrella. To help people understand the landscape of campus sustainability, we have posted a listing and description of the different organizations working in this field on our website.

If you want everyone to offset their greenhouse gases, do you recommend a calculator and offset program to use? -- Megan Kuhl, Minneapolis, Minn.

I use Clean Air Cool Planet's free Campus Carbon Calculator to calculate my emissions. It's not really intended to calculate an individual's emissions, but I like using it because I know the methodology is legit. (I studied it closely as a reviewer for the most recent version.) For folks who aren't greenhouse-gas-inventory nerds like me, any of the online calculators like CarbonCounter or the Carbonfund.org calculator will do.

There are a number of great offset suppliers -- which one you choose depends partly on individual preference. I look for offsets that: 1) meet the additionality test (i.e., would not have happened without funding from the offsets provider); 2) are third-party verified; and 3) have additional social or environmental benefits beyond the reduction of GHG emissions. In general, I prefer offsets that come from renewable-energy or energy-efficiency projects over offsets from reforestation efforts because energy offsets better address the root cause of global warming (fossil-fuel consumption).

What is the first step a university should take in becoming climate neutral? -- Jessie Davie, Eliot, Maine

Sign the American College and University President's Climate Commitment; it will help guide your campus through the process. By signing the pledge, campuses commit to creating an institutional structure (like a task force or committee) to coordinate and report on the institution's climate initiatives. The task force will evaluate the institution's greenhouse-gas emissions and develop an action plan for achieving climate neutrality. Also, students should check out the Campus Climate Challenge for resources and information.

What do you see as the role of fuel-cell technologies in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment? Do you see potential partnership opportunities with similar programs at the local, state, regional, federal, and international levels? -- Shang Hsiung, Takoma Park, Md.

Fuel cells definitely have a role to play in helping campuses achieve climate neutrality, especially when they are powered with biogas or hydrogen produced from clean energy sources. As for partnerships, we are certainly interested! Please contact me directly to discuss partnership opportunities.

I am concerned that a lot of the "greening" on these campuses is not low-tech, low-skill enough that it can be a model for less educated and poorer folks in other parts of the world. College students have learned that they can politick and get something done with their tuition, but they haven't learned how to build and maintain an energy-harnessing machine themselves. Why don't colleges set good examples and help the kids do it themselves? -- Badger Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio

I don't think it is an either/or situation. The great thing about campus sustainability is that people in every discipline can contribute. While some of the more visible student initiatives have focused on changing institutional policies, there are also plenty of opportunities for students who are more attracted to hands-on activities. More than 100 campuses have farms where students can get direct experience with sustainable-agriculture techniques. Students from all over are installing green roofs, making biodiesel from waste vegetable oil, building solar houses, installing small-scale wind power systems, building with straw bale and rammed earth, developing grey-water systems, and much more. The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology at Humboldt State University provides many more examples of the type of projects students can do.

Can you comment on your observations regarding the process of incorporating sustainability into higher-education curricula? -- Laura Henry, Fairbanks, Alaska

Fortunately, efforts to integrate sustainability across the curriculum are growing, and some schools are establishing academic programs in sustainability. Arizona State University recently created an entire School of Sustainability, while other institutions have begun hiring professors of sustainability studies or sustainability science. In addition, more and more campuses and businesses are hiring sustainability officers.

What could be done to effectively share good ideas between schools that already have sustainable programs? -- David Lyons, New Haven, Conn.

Helping campuses learn from each other is one of AASHE's major goals. Each week, our free newsletter, the AASHE Bulletin, delivers the latest sustainability news, resources, opportunities, and events from campuses in the U.S. and Canada. We also maintain an online resource center and are working to produce how-to guides on a variety of campus sustainability issues.

Our conference provides a major venue for campuses to share information and learn from each other. This year, we had over 650 participants and more than 200 presentations. AASHE's awards program highlights best practices and provides recognition to campus sustainability leaders. We also offer a workshop series on sustainability across the curriculum and are planning to expand our professional development offerings to include other aspects of campus sustainability.

Do you know of schools that have developed ways of convincing their landscape and building managers to become more green and emit less CO2? Finding cost reductions is the only language I have found that works, but many times, the methods I promote have greater upfront costs. -- Wayne Teel, Harrisonburg, Va.

Part of the solution is to change the incentives. Right now, the budgeting process on many campuses doesn't encourage sustainability, since departments that adopt sustainability measures often don't receive the benefits. One way to address this challenge is to create a revolving loan fund for campus sustainability initiatives, like the Harvard Green Campus Loan Fund. The Harvard fund provides zero-interest loans for sustainability measures that have a payback period of five years or less. Departments that receive a loan repay the fund with the savings achieved as a result of the project. In this way, the fund enables the university to make sustainability investments without incurring any capital costs. Harvard's fund has been able to achieve a higher return on investment than the Harvard endowment.

The challenge is finding an initial source of money to start the fund. I'd love to see all of the public higher-education institutions in Virginia come together to lobby the legislature in support of the creation of a statewide sustainability revolving-loan fund. A great model for this might be the Texas LoanSTAR program.

It's also worth noting that APPA, the professional association for higher-education facilities managers, has been very supportive of sustainability and was one of the founding members of the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium. APPA's monthly magazine, Facilities Manager, frequently covers sustainability issues, and recently published special issues on sustainability and on environmental stewardship. A recent article, "The Hidden Economics of Campus Sustainability," seems particularly relevant to your situation.

Finally, you might think about giving a copy of The Business Case for Renewable Energy: A Guide for Colleges and Universities to your facilities manager as a holiday gift.

Are West Coast colleges generally farther up the learning curve? -- Laurance Allen, Plymouth, Mass.

One of the surprising (and exciting!) things about campus sustainability is how geographically diverse the movement is. Sustainability efforts are thriving on campuses all across the U.S., and there isn't one region that is ahead of the others.

Aside from being a very long noun, what is "sustainability"? What does sustainability achieve? -- Bruce Amaro, Danvers, Mass.

Most definitions of sustainability originate from a 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, which defined sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Since then, a huge number of alternate definitions have emerged. Recognizing this diversity of definitions, AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations.

How can we get religious communities to recognize that tikkun olam (the Hebrew expression for healing and repairing the world) should be high on their agendas? -- Richard Schwartz, Staten Island, N.Y.

On the campus level, I'm excited to report that this seems to be happening already. Religious institutions of all faiths and denominations have sustainability initiatives under way. For instance, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities recently published an article describing green initiatives at some of its member institutions. Likewise, the presidents of 39 evangelical colleges were among the signatories of Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action, a statement expressing a biblically driven commitment to curb global warming.

Questions from Grist editors | Questions from readers

The Class Is Greener

Julian Dautremont-Smith, higher-education sustainability advocate, answers readers' questions