The GREENEST Colleges (PHOTOS)

More and more schools are taking initiative to decrease their environmental impact -- but only a few can take the top green spots. Here are the schools at the vanguard of sustainability.

How green is your college? Let us know in the comments section.

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Ithaca College

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Ithaca's upstate campus has converted two of its dorms to be as efficient as possible. According to the the New York Times, the dorms have "six-way zoned heating, energy-efficient boilers, digitally controlled heating systems and ample weather-stripping." The college's students are also hyper-eco-aware, encouraging each other to unplug appliances when not in use.

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Ithaca's upstate campus has converted two of its dorms to be as efficient as possible. According to the the New York Times, the dorms have "six-way zoned heating, energy-efficient boilers, digitally controlled heating systems and ample weather-stripping." The college's students are also hyper-eco-aware, encouraging each other to unplug appliances when not in use.

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Comments

[jkredwine]

07:25 PM on 05/12/2010

What about Rice University? Its two newest dorms have Silver and Gold LEED ratings and they have recently initiated the Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology which offers students the opportunity to compete for green project funding. Rice is by far greener than UT.

[Sydney Lea]

08:54 AM on 05/09/2010

Yale is a den of hypocrites. They brag about their green efforts, and gee, doesn't the campus look nice? Meanwhile, someone ought to have a look at what they do to the timberlands they control. So far from honoring SFI stadards, they cut EVERY AVAILABLE INCH of their woodlands. An aerial photo, say, of their Maine holdings wold make anyone truly green heave out the window.

[Latoya Mitchell]

12:25 AM on 05/09/2010

Ya missed one: Furman University in Greenville, SC. Several "Green" buildings (including the first LEED certified building in SC some years ago), composting, student gardening, reusing cafeteria cooking oil, recycling programs, the list goes on and on....

Go Paladins!

[jackinthegreen]

09:59 PM on 05/08/2010

Uhhhh. Excuse me? Warren Wilson College?

http://www.aashe.org/blog/warren-wilson-college-ecodorm-first-platinum-dormitory-nation

http://www.warren-wilson.edu/environmental/initiatives.php

[BatesStudent]

10:45 AM on 04/24/2010

Surprised to see your list didn't include Bates - we've been continually recognized for our green initiatives in the press:
http://www.princetonreview.com/green-honor-roll.aspx
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/04/green_colleges_that_are_saving.html
http://blog.sustainablog.org/12-greenest-colleges-and-universities-in-the-us/

Roughly 30% of our dining hall food is purchased locally, nearly 100& of our power is purchased within Maine, and all of our new construction projects must meet a minimum of the LEED Silver level for emissions. The College recently announced a climate action plan with the goal of reducing emissions to zero by the year 2020.

The student body is likewise committed to sustainability. In the fall, students held a "Trash Audit" in front of the dining hall, in which they went through campus trash and displayed the plethora of recyclable goods that had ended up there, and, among other things, students often form "sustainability houses" that minimize their usage of energy.

[Newsradiohead]

08:40 AM on 04/23/2010

Go Obies!

[Alicia Halberg]

09:50 PM on 04/22/2010

You left out University of Washington, where there is composting across campus, there is a student run garden, a campus-wide CFL swap among many other projects. We were the first place nationwide to have compostable Coke cups, lids, and straws. I myself run a composting program in one of the dorms where students volunteer their time three times a week to make composting more convenient for all. We're currently in the process of starting a Campus Sustainability Fund which will increase funding for projects as well as create even more awareness and education across campus. Students are provided with a UPASS every quarter for which they are enrolled. It enables them to use mass transit in from Olympia to Everett
http://f2.washington.edu/cpo/sustain

* UW Receives Top Ranking for Sustainability - University Week, April 30, 2009
* 2009 College Sustainability Report Card: University of Washington
* Light Rail Groundbreaking Set for March 6 - University Week, March 5, 2009
* Fleet Services Goes Green: New Plug-in Hybrid Car, Solar Assisted Key Manager - University Week, March 5, 2009
* UW Seeks to Deepen its Commitment to Sustainability - University Week, February 5, 2009
* UW: One of America's 10 Greenest Colleges and Universities - Forbes Magazine, May 2, 2008
* New York Times Green Issue - How Green is My Campus? - New York Times, April 20, 2008
* UW Wins A- in Sustainability - University Week, October 25, 2007
* UW Makes Honor Roll in "Green Rating" - King5.com, July 28,

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

05:43 PM on 04/22/2010

Haverford has limited construction on their campus to a few areas too keep their large arboretum intact.

[Fabini]

02:55 PM on 04/22/2010

To not have Paul Smith College at the top of the list is a travesty of all things true.

[TheHighbury]

02:41 PM on 04/22/2010

While UT-Austin might very well be green, the fact that it is initiating a $5/student "green fee" isn't enough to separate it from the pack. I know of many institutions whose students brought about as much as a $20/student fee for use in student dictated projects. Kudos to all who are doing it!

[clarlynn]

01:10 PM on 04/22/2010

I work at the University of Washington. I think you missed the greenest place of the country.

[KristaPeck]

12:57 PM on 04/22/2010

Happy to see my alma mater, Ithaca College. Not surprised. Go IC!