The likelihood of adverse health impacts from climate change is high. Actions to reduce emissions, however, not only mitigate climate change but often have more immediate health co-benefits. One substantial co-benefit is gained through reductions of the high health costs of pollution from fossil fuel power stations, particularly coal. Evidence…

The rapid development of renewable energy technologies has a number of implications for environmental educators and educators more generally. The costs of a number of renewable energy technologies are expected to be competitive with fossil fuels within 10-15 years and some installations are competitive already. From 2006-2011 global installations…

A proper First Law energy balance of the soybean biodiesel cycle shows that the overall efficiency of biodiesel production is 0.18, i.e., only 1 in 5 parts of the solar energy sequestered as soya beans, plus the fossil energy inputs, becomes biodiesel. Soybean meal is produced with an overall energetic efficiency of 0.38, but it is not a fossil…

Managers of university endowment funds are paying closer attention to investing in "green" industries, commonly bundled under the umbrella "cleantech." Cleantech offers the possibility of buying in while prices are low "and" making a "green" investment play, but it also harbors the risks inherent in any emerging industry. Cleantech has varying…

America's annual oil consumption continues to increase and is projected to continue the upward spiral into the foreseeable future. Alternative-fuel options are available that are not only cheaper in some cases on an energy-equivalent basis but are also more environmentally friendly. Education leaders need to be concerned with both these facts.…

The prospect of clean, well-paying jobs spurred by green development is attractive to many small Illinois towns. It is important for local leaders to understand this emerging sector of economic opportunity and implement policies that promote green jobs. Unfortunately, since the green movement is a new approach, there is a lot of misunderstanding…

Purpose: This paper sets out to argue that the strategic implementation of technology is implicated in a range of crises or socio-economic disruptions, like peak oil, climate change and the rising environmental costs of energy consumption. It aims to argue that institutional technological implementation is contested, complex and should not be…

This case study stresses the need to broadly consider an entire system, including all of the energy inputs and outputs involved, to determine the real efficiency of that system. It also asks its student audience to consider the role that scientific input plays in policy decision-making processes. It emphasizes that, despite the importance of this…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of the purchase power of the higher education system to catalyze the economy of scale necessary to ensure market competitiveness for solar photovoltaic electricity. Design/methodology/approach: The approach used here was to first determine the demand necessary to construct "Solar City…

This special section on student transportation offers a case study of a school system that recycles buses for safety drills; articles on fuel-saving strategies, the pros and cons of contracting for transportation services or operating a publicly owned bus fleet, and advice on full cost accounting for transportation costs; and a transportation…

Energy issues have moved up the public agenda in recent decades, and were highlighted in President Bush's State of the Union address when he declared, "America is addicted to oil...." and pledging to "replace more than 75 percent of oil imports from the Middle East by 2025." The author observes that oil dependence and energy independence will be…

This paper includes over 1,250 stories that catalog a broadening and deepening commitment to campus sustainability by colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. The 380-page report categorizes stories from nearly 600 higher education institutions into 24 chapters, spanning education and research, campus operations, and administration and…

This report is the result of a survey conducted in late 2005 of higher education institution chief financial officers throughout the U.S. Midwest region concerning their plans to manage what was expected to be a substantial increase in the price of energy in advance of the 2005-06 heating season. Although the winter turned out to be one of the…

Proposes that human comfort could be provided in otherwise chilly surroundings by filling the occupied space with electromagnetic energy of cm wavelength. Considerable energy savings could be realized from the resultant ability to lower interior temperatures and maintain comfort in the building. (Author/RE)

This publication includes over 1,350 stories that illustrate the continued expansion of sustainability practices into every sector of campus. Initiatives from nearly 700 institutions are organized into 28 chapters, spanning education and research, campus operations, and administration and finance. In addition, the publication contains over 90 new…