As a result of its activities, values, and assumptions, higher education has become deeply implicated in the environmental dilemmas of our time. Colleges and universities need to act more responsibly, re-forming an education that is more appropriate to a threatened ecology, before they can teach an ethic of responsibility. (Author/MSE)

In 1990, Tufts University (Massachusetts) became the first major university to establish environmental education and protection as institutional priorities. The day-to-day environmental impacts of a university make it an ideal laboratory for exploring new ways to reduce hazards, improve efficiency, reuse and recycle waste, and develop incentives…

The University of Wisconsin (Madison) has developed a pilot Environmental Stewardship Initiative, a mechanism for incorporating environmental stewardship into the university's operations and curriculum. The complex and dynamic campus ecosystem serves as a model community and field station for student research on natural history and institutional…

The process of becoming a "green" campus, through improvements in areas such as energy efficiency and waste reduction, can be surprisingly complex but the costs of inaction are high. Four examples of conservation at Brown University (Massachusetts) illustrate the benefits to the environment, the students' education, and the university…

Funded with money that it saves the university, the ombudsman's office at the University of Kansas researches environmental problems and works with administration and staff to influence cost-effective reduction of the institution's environmental impacts. By offering incentives and requiring conservation projects to be revenue-neutral, it has…

The nation's first comprehensive analysis of a university's environmental impact, at the University of California at Los Angeles, has become a blueprint for prompting environmental change on campuses nationwide. The study documented conditions in the workplace, wastes and hazards, air quality, water and energy use, and procurement practices.…

By purchasing locally grown foods, Hendrix College (Arkansas) has found it can offer better nutrition, cut environmental damage, and spur economic development. The Local Food Project has reduced the amount of food purchased out of state from 90-70 percent, and is aiming for 50 percent in three years. Student participation is integral. (Author/MSE)

Use of energy-conservation technology and utility rebates can yield millions of dollars in savings and significant environmental benefits. The University of Rochester (New York) will halve its energy use within five years. Its experiences with consumption management, supply management, and student involvement may be useful to other colleges.…