Education Goes Green!

Higher education is going green! Colleges and universities across the nation are embracing the need to be environmentally conscious, and adopting practices that reflect a culture of sustainability. What started as a small groundswell of eco-friendly colleges in the 1990s has grown by tsunami-like proportions. Quite simply, college students today will undoubtedly meet with some level of environmentalism at whatever institution they choose. Now it is the rule, rather than the exception, that concern for our fragile eco-system is part of the college experience.

Hundreds of university presidents have gotten on board by signing the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, vowing to take leadership roles in eliminating greenhouse gases and achieve "carbon neutrality." To date, 539 colleges and universities have pledged to try and ensure that the amount of carbon dioxide emitted as a result of operations is offset by activities that remove carbon from the atmosphere. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has grown from 35 members in 2006 to over 500 today.

We can speculate about what has spurred the new environmentalism on college campuses. Undoubtedly the national awareness of global warming has had a big impact. But more recently, the astronomical increases in the price of crude oil, and consequently the increases in gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil, have acted like a cruel wake-up call for the American people.

College administrators are responding both to economic pressures and to the voices of their constituencies. One of the loudest of those voices comes from students themselves. Colleges that offer majors related to environmental studies or sustainability have noticed a dramatic increase in inquiries and enrollments. The Princeton Review recently began rating colleges for sustainability. As part of that initiative, they surveyed prospective students about what influenced their college selection process. Two-thirds stated that a commitment to the environment was valuable, and nearly 25% said that would strongly affect their choice. This reflects the growing awareness and intense concern that young people are feeling about their world and its future. Even on campuses where environmental majors are not specifically offered, students form or join clubs and initiate projects. Their efforts are usually aimed combating global warming, reducing the campus carbon footprint, and using sustainable practices in every possible area of operations.

At Northland College, in Wisconsin, students went door to door in the community to distribute compact fluorescent bulbs and fliers that offered tips on ways to save energy. At Middlebury and Green Mountain Colleges (both in Vermont), students provided the impetus to implement multi-million-dollar heating systems fueled by bio-mass. At Albion College in Michigan, students from the College's Institute for the Environment made a presentation on conservation to the city council, prompting the city to purchase a new bio-diesel truck. George Washington University students pinned green ribbons on their graduation robes or caps and signed pledges to take the environmental spirit forward into their future careers. There are many more examples, too numerous to mention here. We can conclude that students are not only interested in attending "green" colleges they're also coming up with their own ideas for positive change.

Students also are lobbying their colleges and universities for more environmentally focused academic opportunities. At the University of Oregon, students pushed for a minor in environmental studies. A spokesperson from the university reported that the number of students taking courses that relate to the environment has more than doubled over the past decade. At Johns Hopkins University, engineering students at the master's level lobbied for more courses that dealt with alternative energy.

Will students maintain this interest in sustainability beyond college?  There are some indications that they will. For those students who major in environmental studies or related areas of study, job prospects will be bright. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment outlook for jobs in environmental science is strong, with anticipated growth of 25% between 2006 and 2016, much greater than the overall anticipated employment growth. This strong job growth will be fueled by increasing demands on the environment from population growth and climate change. There will be an increasing need to monitor the environment, to interpret the affects of human activity, and to comply with complex regulations.

Many industries will be influenced by the growing emphasis on sustainability, including architecture and construction, alternative energy, transportation, and remediation of both natural and man-made disasters, including hazardous waste sites. Other jobs that are related to environmental studies include conservation scientists and foresters, geoscientists, atmospheric scientists, biological scientists and technicians, and engineering technicians. Trained environmentalists frequently work as consultants, in one or more fields in which they have expertise. The demand for this work will increase as there is more emphasis on preventative management and growing consciousness of a triple bottom line approach to business. The triple bottom line recognizes that People and Planet need to consider alongside Profit, in order for businesses to be socially and environmentally responsible.

There are few occupations that will not be influenced to some degree by the growing environmental consciousness, so students who are prepared in these areas will have an advantage in many possible careers. In addition, students who merge their idealism with practical applications to address real world problems will not only enhance their future career choices, they will become leaders who profoundly impact their world. Environmental issues will present the greatest challenges of the millennium, and it is encouraging to realize that so many of our college students are preparing to meet those challenges.

Editorial provided by Sandra Bartholomew, Ph.D., Dean of Enrollment Management, Green Mountain College Poultney, VT.