The New Era of Green Schools

In February 2012 at the Green Schools National Conference in Denver, Colo., U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan expressed the view that green schools are no longer part of a fringe movement. EE is, in fact, necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

Duncan, whose administration launched the Green Ribbon Schools Program, called for inclusion of EE in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The U.S. Senate voted in favor of the change in 2011, thus marking the first time EE has been formally included in federal K-12 education policy. The Campaign for Environmental Literacy lists approximately one dozen states with requirements for EE in their K-12 curriculums. And, according to the North American Association for Environmental Education, some 47 states and the District of Columbia are in the process of developing new or revised Environmental Literacy Plans.

The Need for Global Environmental Education

In a paper prepared for the 2012 Rio +20 Earth Summit, leading scientists issued a warning that humans are facing “an unprecedented [planetary] emergency” driven by overpopulation, over-consumption and use of environmentally damaging technologies. Climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, environmental degradation, economic instability and a host of environmentally related illnesses will threaten civilization’s very survival if people do not act. Unfortunately, say the authors, “humanity’s behavior remains utterly inappropriate” for dealing with the problems people face, and their continued “failure to act will impoverish current and future generations.”

The School of Earth and Environment (SEE)

The UK's School of Earth and Environment (SEE) was ranked second nationally in terms of research power in earth and environmental sciences in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. The school is at the forefront of tackling global issues such as climate change, energy, water and sustainable development. Its research is organized across four institutes and two national research centers.

The School of Earth and Environment is one of the largest and most vibrant Schools in the UK. Experts within the School study the Earth from its core to the atmosphere, with expertise ranging from geophysics and surface processes to atmospheric science, climate change and environmental sustainability. Leeds is in fact, one of just a few universities that has brought the complete range of disciplines from geology and geophysics, environmental science, meteorology and climate science, to environmental social science together under one banner.

Best Green Colleges: Sierra's Cool Schools 2012 (Video)

SIERRA magazine released its sixth annual ranking of the nation's "Coolest Schools," a salute to U.S. colleges that are helping solve climate problems and making significant efforts to operate sustainably. Watch and see what it takes to become a Cool Schools at top pick UC Davis.

Best Green Colleges: Princeton Review 2013 (Video)

Written for students or parents mystified by the confusing college admissions process, The Best 377 Colleges provides the facts and information needed to make a smart decision about which of the country's best schools to consider. Our new enhanced iBooks Author edition is designed for effortless digital reading with easy, linked navigation, colorful profiles, videos and school photos.