Get "green" at Carolina!

How can you be "Carolina Green?"

Study Green:
New Sustainability Minor
Intro to Environment & Society (ENST 201)
Seminars on Sustainability (ENST 204)
Field Sites in NC, Bangkok, and Cambridge
Sustainability Capstone Research Projects

Learn more @ http://www.ie.unc.edu/

Live Green:
Organic, fair-trade, local food on campus
Sustainable activities & events
Energy & water conservation
Carolina Green Games
Recycling

Learn more @ Sustainability.unc.edu

Ride Green:
Commuter Alternatives Program
ZipCar campus car rental
Point to Point (P2P) shuttles
Chapel Hill Transit
Bike registration

Learn more @ http://www.dps.unc.edu/

Join Green:
Carolina Garden Co-op
Campus Y: Center for Social Justice
Students Working in the Environment for Active Transformation (SWEAT)
And many, many more!

Learn more @ Sustainability.unc.edu

P.S. - This glorified slide show took most of my day to put together. If there is a journalism/communications student out there who would like to work on producing more in-depth, professionally produced shorts about sustainability at UNC, drop us a line! We would love to sponsor an internship and/or capstone project!

Don't be a fool. Recycle at school.

Remember the "Don't be a litter bug" campaigns of your youth?

These campaigns have lasted so long and reached such a wide audience because they are entertaining and educational. Also, nobody wants to be defined by a negative behavior. And now the recycling movement may be taking a page from this book.

North Carolina's own RE3 was created specifically to increase participation in recycling through positive behavior change. They have a range of fun videos, facts, and myth busting on their website. Taking a page from the "litter bug" playbook, RE3 has taken a more entertaining take on encouraging positive recycling behavior. Check out this fun spot:



RE3 has even attached a not-so-positive label to any would-be non-recyclers:


Visit RE3 online at http://www.re3.org/
Check out more RE3 videos online at http://www.youtube.com/re3org

UNC Ranked Amongst Top Green Schools in the Nation – Again!

UNC has now been ranked as one of the top “green” schools in the nation by both Princeton Review and Kaplan! This is in addition to already being listed as one of the top 25 campus sustainability leaders in the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2008.

Last week, UNC scored 96 of 99 possible point in Princeton Review’s newly debuted Green Ratings. This was the highest score of any rated university in the state and amongst the top in the country.

This week, UNC is being acknowledged again. This time in the Kaplan College Guide 2009 as one of 25 environmentally responsible colleges. In reviewing the top 25, Kaplan took into account:

• Campus projects and initiatives,
• Course offerings,
• Organizations and student groups on campus,
• Efforts highlighted on the school's sustainability website,
• And the achievements highlighted in the Sustainable Endowments Institute's 2008 College Sustainability Report Card 2008.

Just like UNC's Sustainability Policy said back in 2005: "As a leading research university, UNC will influence generations of students and a range of communities from local to global. Campus operations and course offerings that incorporate sustainability will help maintain our competitive edge in recruitment, funded research, and development."

Other colleges that made Kaplan's list include Yale, Harvard, MIT, Oregon State University, the University of Washington, Duke University,Penn State University, the University of California system, the University of New Hampshire, and Arizona State University.

For more information about the Kaplan's list of 25 environmentally responsible colleges, visit http://sev.prnewswire.com/education/20080805/NYTU06805082008-1.html

For more information about Princeton Review’s Green Ratings, visit http://uncsustainability.blogspot.com/2008/08/unc-receives-high-marks-in-green-rating.html

For more information about the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2008, visit http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/

For more information about sustainable practices at UNC, visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

UNC receives high marks in Green Rating!

This week Princeton Review, the popular college prep company, released its new Green Ratings in the latest edition of The Best 368 Colleges. 534 schools were scored on a scale of 60-99 points that measured their environmentally-friendly practices in three areas:

• The campus quality of life that is healthy and sustainable,
• How well the school prepares students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges,
• And the school's overall commitment to environmental issues.

In this initial Green Rating, UNC scored 96 of 99 possible points! This is the highest score of any rated university in the state and reflects the sustainability leadership that UNC brings to the local, regional, and national level. Notable accomplishments included in the Princeton Review’s scoring include:

• A wide variety of curriculum and research across the disciplines that supports sustainability;
• University Career Services counselors who specialize in the non-profit and environmental career areas;
• Fare-free local transit and the Commuter Alternatives Program, in which UNC invests over $6 million dollars annually;
• Organic, local, fair-trade, and vegetarian dining options available on campus;
• A strong recycling program that diverts more than 43% of waste from the landfill;
• Master planning for a sustainable community at the new Carolina North campus;
• Operation of an award-winning, 32 MW cogeneration facility that actively reduces emissions and produces twice as much energy per pound of coal as a typical coal plant;
• And support for sustainability from top university leadership, including the Vice Chancellor's Sustainability Advisory Committee, which includes faculty, staff, administrators, and students.

In addition to this high Green Rating, UNC was also given the designation “College with a Conscience,” which was given to 81 schools that practice outstanding community involvement.

For more information about the Princeton Review’s new Green Ratings, visit http://www.princetonreview.com/green/press-release.aspx

For more information about sustainable practices at UNC, visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/