Minnesota Campuses Score High in Sustainability
Monday, August 25, 2008
Reston, VA – Several Minnesota colleges and universities score well in a study of sustainability on campus. Julian Keniry, campus ecology director with the National Wildlife Federation, says the national survey graded schools on how well they are protecting the environment, and Minnesota is near the top, thanks to its strong classroom programs.
"We identified the top 15 states nationally for sustainability education, and Minnesota came out sixth because a good number of campuses have some very strong programs."
Keniry says she’s encouraged by how much progress has been made since the first such campus survey seven years ago.
"College leaders across the board see sustainability and environmental programs as a much higher priority. They have plans to do everything from increasing generation of renewable energy on campus to reducing waste and boosting water conservation."
Keniry says one Minnesota school with a strong showing is St. Cloud State University.
"They offer majors and minors, and require all students to take courses around sustainability and environmental education, which is an area we found was lagging nationally overall. So, they're providing a model that other schools can look to."
Other Minnesota schools making the grade include St. Olaf and Bemidji State. Minnesota’s neighbors, Wisconsin and Michigan, also ranked high in the report.
More information on the "Campus Environment 2008" study is available online at
www.nwf.org.
get more stories like this via email
Health and Wellness
A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …
Social Issues
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …
Social Issues
Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…
Social Issues
A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …
Social Issues
Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …
Social Issues
Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…