2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeBeyond the Hill | Oberlin's mission is to have greener grass on its side
By Chelsea Prince
Posted: 8/27/07, 1:33 AM EST Section: News
Beyond the Hill is a feature in The Daily Orange which highlights national collegiate news that is of interest to Syracuse University students.
As concern for global warming increases, Oberlin College in Ohio is committed to rooting out the problem.
Oberlin has been an early leader in battling what may be the most exciting crisis in world history. And in the intrepid battle against the supposed man-made environmental enemy, Oberlin's approach to environmental reform is a breath of fresh air.
"The consensus is that global warming is the issue, said Nathan Engstrom, coordinator of Environmental Sustainability at the college. "And that, by the nature of it, covers many other issues under the same goal."
Oberlin was one of the first four institutions to sign the American College and University Climate Commitment, a high-visibility commitment for universities to address climate neutrality and eliminate campus greenhouse gases. The multi-step plan, signed by the president of each committed university, is customized for each school to model environmental leadership. There are 347 collegiate signatories to date, including Syracuse University.
Following a history of progressive leadership in civil and women's rights issues, it is no surprise that Oberlin is ranked No. 5 in Grist's online environmental commentary of the top 15 "greenest" colleges in the nation.
Even Ivy League schools, such as Harvard and Yale universities, trail Oberlin at No. 6 and No. 12, respectively.
Historical activism has translated into environmental action on the campus, which creates net-zero energy and holds a completely solar-powered building.
"We are taking a comprehensive and holistic approach to environmental innovation," Engstrom said.
Oberlin is setting up a fairly simple agenda to achieve climate neutrality, addressing three or four fundamental studies. Issues include: central heat and gas purchases, renewable energy production and construction of environmentally-efficient facilities, Engstrom said.
"There is a good balance of things from top down," Engstrom said. "We have an admirable combination of administrative policies and compelling student initiatives that have developed over the years."
The source of funding for the transformation into an environmentally-safe community is still uncertain, though Oberlin does plan on embarking upon a fundraising campaign in the near future.
Student groups on campus are keeping green issues a priority. In a creative effort to inspire energy conservation, there were contests between dorms to be the most energy efficient, said Tara Gilboa, an undecided freshman at Oberlin.
"I remember on my tour checking out the environmental building and gasping at all the different reusable materials it was made from," Gilboa said. "I remember thinking in awe that if everyone was just a little more conscious and put a little more effort into building structures such as that one, the world would be a better place."
"In many ways, the environment is a natural follow-on to other issues of race and gender for people who have a concern for the human condition and human relationships," said John Petersen, Environmental Studies Program chairman at Oberlin.
Oberlin has always attracted a student body
that is interested in changing the world, Petersen said. Students have been a driving force for progress and are quite critical to why the media perceives Oberlin as a leader in going green, he said.
It also helps that Oberlin already has a constant flow of publicity through people like David Orr, who just finished working with Leonardo DiCaprio on "The 11th Hour," an environmental-crisis documentary.
"What happens on a college campus is important because of what it says to the rest of the world," Petersen said.
"Relative to the rest of the country, our main function is to provide an example that others may chose to follow."
Oberlin's stardom is also its weak spot. At an institution where the faculty and community are very involved in the environment, sometimes students need something to react to, Petersen said.
To some extent, the environment has always been an important issue, he said. But the tipping point came when severe climate changes befell the world.
"People are becoming aware that there are only a few years to get it right or our species are toast," Petersen said. "That should be motivating everyone right now."
Bucknell to Bike for Millions
On Saturday, Sept. 29, Bucknell University bikers from three generations will team up to trek across one of the most dangerous coast-to-coast bike trails in order to raise $1 million for a school scholarship fund. The 3,050 mile biker ride will fund educational opportunities for low-income students with high scholastic achievement.
The cyclists will bike approximately 163 miles each day across fourteen states. A Web site will keep a daily tally of how much money is raised.
Boycott for Academic Freedom
After a circulation of threatening motions from British universities to boycott Israeli academic institutions, The University and College Union, a U.K.-based group, is branching to United States universities for allying resistance. The UCU is requesting colleges to sign petitions requiring academic freedom for students and faculty at Israeli schools.
President Bollinger, of Columbia University, and President Richard C. Levin, of Yale University, have written statements agreeing with the foundational ideas of the Israeli boycott, but no further action will result. Levin writes on his Web site that dialogue with Israeli institutions will be more effective than a boycott.
As concern for global warming increases, Oberlin College in Ohio is committed to rooting out the problem.
Oberlin has been an early leader in battling what may be the most exciting crisis in world history. And in the intrepid battle against the supposed man-made environmental enemy, Oberlin's approach to environmental reform is a breath of fresh air.
"The consensus is that global warming is the issue, said Nathan Engstrom, coordinator of Environmental Sustainability at the college. "And that, by the nature of it, covers many other issues under the same goal."
Oberlin was one of the first four institutions to sign the American College and University Climate Commitment, a high-visibility commitment for universities to address climate neutrality and eliminate campus greenhouse gases. The multi-step plan, signed by the president of each committed university, is customized for each school to model environmental leadership. There are 347 collegiate signatories to date, including Syracuse University.
Following a history of progressive leadership in civil and women's rights issues, it is no surprise that Oberlin is ranked No. 5 in Grist's online environmental commentary of the top 15 "greenest" colleges in the nation.
Even Ivy League schools, such as Harvard and Yale universities, trail Oberlin at No. 6 and No. 12, respectively.
Historical activism has translated into environmental action on the campus, which creates net-zero energy and holds a completely solar-powered building.
"We are taking a comprehensive and holistic approach to environmental innovation," Engstrom said.
Oberlin is setting up a fairly simple agenda to achieve climate neutrality, addressing three or four fundamental studies. Issues include: central heat and gas purchases, renewable energy production and construction of environmentally-efficient facilities, Engstrom said.
"There is a good balance of things from top down," Engstrom said. "We have an admirable combination of administrative policies and compelling student initiatives that have developed over the years."
The source of funding for the transformation into an environmentally-safe community is still uncertain, though Oberlin does plan on embarking upon a fundraising campaign in the near future.
Student groups on campus are keeping green issues a priority. In a creative effort to inspire energy conservation, there were contests between dorms to be the most energy efficient, said Tara Gilboa, an undecided freshman at Oberlin.
"I remember on my tour checking out the environmental building and gasping at all the different reusable materials it was made from," Gilboa said. "I remember thinking in awe that if everyone was just a little more conscious and put a little more effort into building structures such as that one, the world would be a better place."
"In many ways, the environment is a natural follow-on to other issues of race and gender for people who have a concern for the human condition and human relationships," said John Petersen, Environmental Studies Program chairman at Oberlin.
Oberlin has always attracted a student body
that is interested in changing the world, Petersen said. Students have been a driving force for progress and are quite critical to why the media perceives Oberlin as a leader in going green, he said.
It also helps that Oberlin already has a constant flow of publicity through people like David Orr, who just finished working with Leonardo DiCaprio on "The 11th Hour," an environmental-crisis documentary.
"What happens on a college campus is important because of what it says to the rest of the world," Petersen said.
"Relative to the rest of the country, our main function is to provide an example that others may chose to follow."
Oberlin's stardom is also its weak spot. At an institution where the faculty and community are very involved in the environment, sometimes students need something to react to, Petersen said.
To some extent, the environment has always been an important issue, he said. But the tipping point came when severe climate changes befell the world.
"People are becoming aware that there are only a few years to get it right or our species are toast," Petersen said. "That should be motivating everyone right now."
Bucknell to Bike for Millions
On Saturday, Sept. 29, Bucknell University bikers from three generations will team up to trek across one of the most dangerous coast-to-coast bike trails in order to raise $1 million for a school scholarship fund. The 3,050 mile biker ride will fund educational opportunities for low-income students with high scholastic achievement.
The cyclists will bike approximately 163 miles each day across fourteen states. A Web site will keep a daily tally of how much money is raised.
Boycott for Academic Freedom
After a circulation of threatening motions from British universities to boycott Israeli academic institutions, The University and College Union, a U.K.-based group, is branching to United States universities for allying resistance. The UCU is requesting colleges to sign petitions requiring academic freedom for students and faculty at Israeli schools.
President Bollinger, of Columbia University, and President Richard C. Levin, of Yale University, have written statements agreeing with the foundational ideas of the Israeli boycott, but no further action will result. Levin writes on his Web site that dialogue with Israeli institutions will be more effective than a boycott.
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