The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the colleges in the US to have earned the top score for environmentally friendly policies in an evaluation by The Princeton Review, a provider of education services to help students get into college.
The Princeton Review's second annual "Green Ratings" includes scores for 697 colleges and universities that are based upon whether students have a healthy and sustainable campus quality of life, how well the school is preparing its students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges, and the school's overall commitment to environmental issues.
Institutions were judged on measures ranging from energy use, recycling, food, buildings and transportation, to academic offerings, such as the availability of environmental studies, degrees and courses. Schools also needed to report on action plans and goals concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions. Scores, based on data for the 2008-2009 academic year, ranged from 60 to a maximum of 99. UC Berkeley, which earned a score of 99, was the only university in California named to the Green Honor Roll.
In 2006, Cal Dining, UC Berkeley's primary food service operator, was the first in the country to receive organic certification, and organic salad bars are now a staple at campus dining facilities.
Campuswide, there are more than 80 academic degrees, 90 research centers and 25 student-run organisations with an environmental focus. "Our student-initiated classes include creative topics such as 'The Joy of Garbage,' while student projects have reduced energy consumption on campus by at least 8.5 million kilowatt hours and water usage by 3 million gallons," said Lisa McNeilly, who joined the campus in January 2008 as its first director of sustainability.
Other efforts to reduce UC Berkeley's environmental footprint include:
*Alternative transportation programmes that helped reduce fuel use from commuting and fleet vehicles by 20 per cent since 1990.
*More efficient irrigation, low-flow fixtures, and other improvements that have reduced total campus water use by 10 per cent since 1990, with per square foot use down nearly 30 per cent.
*A more than tripling since 1990 of the amount of waste that has been recycled and/or composted.
*University long-range planning documents that now include the campus's climate target, and green building practices that are standard for all new construction and renovations.
The Princeton Review's second annual "Green Ratings" includes scores for 697 colleges and universities that are based upon whether students have a healthy and sustainable campus quality of life, how well the school is preparing its students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges, and the school's overall commitment to environmental issues.
Institutions were judged on measures ranging from energy use, recycling, food, buildings and transportation, to academic offerings, such as the availability of environmental studies, degrees and courses. Schools also needed to report on action plans and goals concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions. Scores, based on data for the 2008-2009 academic year, ranged from 60 to a maximum of 99. UC Berkeley, which earned a score of 99, was the only university in California named to the Green Honor Roll.
In 2006, Cal Dining, UC Berkeley's primary food service operator, was the first in the country to receive organic certification, and organic salad bars are now a staple at campus dining facilities.
Campuswide, there are more than 80 academic degrees, 90 research centers and 25 student-run organisations with an environmental focus. "Our student-initiated classes include creative topics such as 'The Joy of Garbage,' while student projects have reduced energy consumption on campus by at least 8.5 million kilowatt hours and water usage by 3 million gallons," said Lisa McNeilly, who joined the campus in January 2008 as its first director of sustainability.
Other efforts to reduce UC Berkeley's environmental footprint include:
*Alternative transportation programmes that helped reduce fuel use from commuting and fleet vehicles by 20 per cent since 1990.
*More efficient irrigation, low-flow fixtures, and other improvements that have reduced total campus water use by 10 per cent since 1990, with per square foot use down nearly 30 per cent.
*A more than tripling since 1990 of the amount of waste that has been recycled and/or composted.
*University long-range planning documents that now include the campus's climate target, and green building practices that are standard for all new construction and renovations.
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