Sustainable Study Initiatives

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TRENDS

Colleges and Universities are picking up on the increased interest in environmental sustainability and adding more sustainability to their academic programs. WAC members are not only responding to students' increased interest in obtaining skills for jobs in sustainability, but are using the programs to attract students. According to a Princeton Review survey, two-thirds of students stated that a college's "environmental commitment" is a factor to where they apply to school. The University of Pennsylvania offers a dual program where students can earn an MBA and a master's in environmental studies concurrently, and Harvard's Graduate School of Design began offering a concentration in sustainable design last summer due to student interest. In May, Arizona State University graduated the first class in its School of Sustainability, which offers both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science in sustainability in addition to a graduate degree.

GREEN RESOURCE LINKS

Sustainability and Academia

• NAFSA's Task Force on Environmental Sustainability in Education Abroad Report
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
• The Campus Climate Challenge
• he American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment
• Sustainability Abroad Listserve

Carbon Offsetting

• Working 9 to 5 on Climate Change: An Office Guide - A good resource for office-based organizations to measure and reduce their CO2 emissions.
• EarthFuture list of Carbon Calculators - A fairly extensive list of online carbon calculators and other climate change resources.
• Find the Right Carbon Calculator - A good list of carbon calculators sorted by country.
• The Consumer's Guide to Carbon Offsets - Assesses many of the top carbon offsetting organizations.
• Campus Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Toolkit - Provides technical information to complete a campus emissions inventory.
• CarbonNeutral Flight Emissions Calculator - The best online flight emissions calculator we've found so far.
• David Suzuki Foundation: Climate Change - Canadian NGO with good information on climate change and carbon offsetting.
• An Inconvenient Truth: Take Action - Tips on reducing and offsetting one's personal impact.
• EcoBusinessLinks Comparison of Carbon Offsets - Compares price, types of projects, non-profit status and verification standards for common providers.
• Green-e - A renewable electricity certification program for U.S.-based projects.
• CDM Gold Standard - Provides an independent "best practice" benchmark for international emissions offset projects, and helps ensure environmental and social criteria are met.
• Trees for Life - A Findhorn-based reforestation NGO with approximate sequestration calculations.

Peak Oil

• Energy Bulletin: Peak Oil Primer - This primer is a good place to start to learn more about peak oil. Energy Bulletin is a clearinghouse for information regarding the peak in global energy supply, publishing news, research and analysis.
• Gail the Actuary: Introduction to Peak Oil - Gail Tverberg, also known as Gail the Actuary, writes about peak oil in a way that is both accurate and accessible to the average person.
• The Oil Drum - The Oil Drum facilitates civil, evidence-based discussions about energy and its impact on our future.
• Post Carbon Institute - Includes information on the Oil Depletion Protocol, Post Carbon Cities, the Relocalization Network, Local Energy Farms, and more.

Ecovillages Open for Student Stay, Study and Research

• Global Ecovillage Network, Senegal - Over 40 villages in this dynamic network.
• Kibbutz Lotan, Israel - A 'green' Kibbutz in the Arava Desert.
• Auroville, India - A community of 2000 people building the "City the Earth Needs"
• Findhorn, Scotland - An ecovillage and demonstration site for sustainable living, with an integrated ecumenical spiritual philosophy
• Sirius, MA, USA - A spiritual community, educational center, and ecovillage
• Crystal Waters, Australia - One of the first permaculture ecovillages.
• Ecocentro IPEC, Brazil - A permaculture and natural building showcase community.
• Huehuecoyotl, Mexico - A beautiful community of artist and social activists.
• Oro Verde, Peru - A fair trade and right livelihood cooperative in the high Amazon.

Sustainable Living Links

• Global Ecovillage Network - All you wanted to know about the emerging ecovillage movement
• Design Earth Synergy - Based in Hawaii, this group links communities and organizations around the world working towards the development of Sustainable Communities
• The Ecosa Institute - A non-profit sustainable design educational organization in Arizona which believes that design and nature are one
• Ecovillage Network of the Americas - Regional council for the Global Ecovillage Network
• Fellowship for Intentional Communities - Most comprehensive listing of sustainable communities that are online, plus a lot of good information about the intentional communities movement
• In Context - An on-line journal that does excellent writing on sustainablity issues
• Second Nature - A nonprofit organization that helps colleges and universities expand their efforts to make environmentally sustainable and just action a foundation of learning and practice
• Sustainable USA - Wealth of information on sustainable ideas and projects
• New American Dream - Tips on how to consume responsibly, protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice.
• The New Road Map Foundation - Offers tools and approaches to personal and cultural change.
• The Story of Stuff - Offers a fact filled look at the underside of production.The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.

Sustainable Travel Resources

• Abroad View: Go Green Web Site (you can access the Green Passport program here)
• UNC Green Passport Handbook
• Article: "Sustainable Travel and Study Abroad," by Astrid Jirka, Transitions Abroad
• Transitions Abroad's Responsible Travel Handbook
• Sustainable Travel International: Sustainable Travel Checklist
• Ethical Travel Guidelines
• Middlebury College: Sustainable Study Abroad Web Site

Useful International Travel Sites

• Adeventure Travel Abroad - good website for people interested in traveling abroad in a more adventurous way
• EmbassyWorld.com - easy access to all embassies worldwide
• Council Travel - Council Travel is an independent travel agency and program provider. They are a good source for inexpensive airline tickets, international student id cards and eurorail passes.
• For traveler health information, visit Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
• STA Travel - affordable travel arrangements for students
• International Student ID Card - We require that Living Routes participants purchase the International Student ID Card, which provides excellent benefits for medical expenses incurred abroad as well as covering the cost up to $5,000 of medical evacuation.

Miscellaneous

• Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health- They offer a US-based semester intensive in personal development through spiritual & communal living.
• ANU - Living Routes' web host, ANU has been supporting the intentional communities movement for years