May 18th, 2010

American University plans to become a carbon-neutral campus, and the Washington D.C.-based institution is even willing to set an ambitious deadline: 2020.

“We have used the geographical limitations of our urban 84-acre campus in the nation’s capital to our advantage to more aggressively pursue renewable energy and carbon offsets,” said Chris O’Brien, director of sustainability. “Of the few plans that call for earlier carbon neutral dates, American University’s size, location, and academic focus make our active pursuit of sustainability distinctive.”

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March 24th, 2010

By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

While Congress debates comprehensive climate legislation, colleges and universities around the country have taken matters into their own hands. Schools have chosen to address sustainability with innovations, not only on each campus, but in each community and across state lines through research, green building, technological developments, travel reduction, energy efficiency and many other ways.

(Photo: Gary Neuenswander/Utah State)

The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) released its new annual report Tuesday highlighting these efforts made by its institutions to address global warming.

“This report showcases the work schools are doing to slash their carbon emissions, shift to renewable energy sources, and teach their students how to address climate change when they graduate.

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February 12th, 2010

By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

South Carolina’s Furman University, one of the schools that has signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, will be using a new form of renewable energy to improve its carbon profile: Student power.

Along with other schools such as the University of Kansas and the University of Florida, Furman is going to tap the energy of exercising students (and faculty) and turn it into electricity.

Fifteen Precor elliptical exercise machines will be installed at the university’s Herman W. Lay Physical Activities Center (PAC). The energy generated by the machines will then be put back into the campus power grid. Thirty minutes on the elliptical will power a light bulb for two to three hours or a desktop computer for half an hour.

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