National report studies campus sustainability
Environmental movement depends on leadership, official says
Ashley Hofer
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Campus News
The National Wildlife Federation released a report Wednesday highlighting support for the sustainability movement from campuses across the nation, according to the NWF Web site.
The report, titled 'Generation E,' features sustainability success stories from 165 campuses and 46 states. The examples range from large events to promote campus awareness to formulating official climate action plans. They provide an overview of campus environmental projects and show how college students are getting involved with the sustainability movement, said Julian Keniry, the Senior Director of Campus and Community Leadership for the NWF.
"Colleges and university students are energized, engaged and enthusiastic," she said. "They are unified around the issue of sustainability."
The findings of the report are both positive and negative, said Amanda Cooke, a communications associate with the NWF. While the efforts of the various schools are encouraging, the amount of environmental education in colleges around the country is declining, she said.
"We've found in past studies curriculums are decreasing the amount of environmental education," Cooke said. "Students are less likely to have strong background in environmental education."
College involvement is critical to the sustainability movement, Keniry said, adding the leadership students provide is especially crucial.
"If colleges and universities don't lead in making solutions, who will lead?" she said.
Kate Hale, UW-Eau Claire's sustainability fellow, agreed campuses are one of the best places to start the sustainability effort.
"A university is a perfect site for this because we are a little community," Hale said. "If you stop to think about it, there is almost no area of campus that isn't involved (in sustainability)."
Hale also said university involvement is important because it is the current generation that will have to deal with many of the environmental problems in the future.
The report, titled 'Generation E,' features sustainability success stories from 165 campuses and 46 states. The examples range from large events to promote campus awareness to formulating official climate action plans. They provide an overview of campus environmental projects and show how college students are getting involved with the sustainability movement, said Julian Keniry, the Senior Director of Campus and Community Leadership for the NWF.
"Colleges and university students are energized, engaged and enthusiastic," she said. "They are unified around the issue of sustainability."
The findings of the report are both positive and negative, said Amanda Cooke, a communications associate with the NWF. While the efforts of the various schools are encouraging, the amount of environmental education in colleges around the country is declining, she said.
"We've found in past studies curriculums are decreasing the amount of environmental education," Cooke said. "Students are less likely to have strong background in environmental education."
College involvement is critical to the sustainability movement, Keniry said, adding the leadership students provide is especially crucial.
"If colleges and universities don't lead in making solutions, who will lead?" she said.
Kate Hale, UW-Eau Claire's sustainability fellow, agreed campuses are one of the best places to start the sustainability effort.
"A university is a perfect site for this because we are a little community," Hale said. "If you stop to think about it, there is almost no area of campus that isn't involved (in sustainability)."
Hale also said university involvement is important because it is the current generation that will have to deal with many of the environmental problems in the future.
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