Sustainability, sustainable, green, eco-friendly--these are more than just buzz words. These are words that are now entangled in the daily fabric of life. Kids are learning about sustainability in primary schools, more students are studying environmental concerns in college, and people of all ages are making attempts to be green, from recycling to…

At the UNESCO Bonn conference, more than 50 ministers from around the world met privately to discuss education for sustainable development (ESD) and progress made in support of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Their wide-ranging discussion touched on the purposes of education, the nature of education, the importance of the…

Economic changes and the machinations of the treadmill of production have dramatically reduced the number of jobs provided by extractive industries, such as mining and timber, in the United States and other affluent nations in the post-World War II era. As the importance of these industries to national, regional, and local economies wanes,…

More and more colleges are grappling with issues on budgeting for climate neutrality. Around 40 percent of colleges' greenhouse-gas emissions come from purchased electricity. Through the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which originated in 2007, hundreds of colleges have vowed to buy energy from green sources. In…

Over the past decade and a half, state governments have assumed greater responsibility over demand-side management (DSM) operations. Whereas DSM programs formerly were initiated primarily by utilities or state public utility commissions, they are now becoming increasingly state-initiated and incentivized through funding mechanisms or…

The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to putting sustainable development at the heart of all it does. In May 2009, the Assembly launched its latest scheme, "One Wales: One Planet," which sets out a clear definition of sustainable development as enhancing the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people and communities,…

Traditionally, environmental education has been aimed at the community or in primary schools and governmental pressure to reduce environmental damage has focussed on large businesses. More recently, the role and importance of small business and how to engage them in the environmental debate has come under scrutiny. Researchers have identified…

Facility professionals continuously search for projects that reduce energy consumption and operating costs so as to directly benefit their bottom line. Many institutions nationwide have contemplated or made investments in combined heat and power (CHP) projects as a life-cycle strategy to minimize operating costs. However, recent sustainability and…

Environmental social scientists debate whether or not modern development reduces society's impact on the biosphere. The empirical research informing the discussion has not yet adequately examined the social determinants of municipal solid-waste (MSW) generation, an increasingly relevant issue, both ecologically and sociologically. A primary…

The 2009 Copenhagen Conference will take place December 7-18 in the Bella Conference Center just a few miles from the Copenhagen airport. Emissaries from 170 nations are expected, with several other smaller countries sending representatives. More than 8,000 people are expected to attend, including members of the press. The Copenhagen Conference is…

In 2008, APPA forwarded a Web-based survey on the author's behalf to all designated representatives of APPA member institutions. The purpose of the survey was to determine if institutional policies are an important criterion for an institution's sustainable building practices and the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED[R]).…

Like most school districts across the country, the Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) leaves a large environmental footprint in the community. That's why about eight years ago, the VBCPS began to look at how the district could transition toward a more sustainable model. The objective was simple: Be part of the solution, not part of the…

This article addresses the issues and concerns about offshore oil drilling in the United States. The demand for energy is going up, not down, and for a long time, even as alternative sources of energy are developed, more oil will be needed. The strongest argument against drilling is that it could distract the country from the pursuit of…

The world is facing a shortage of clean drinking water. Current predictions, due to growing population, urbanization, and climate change estimate access to clean water to be further challenged in the coming years. Research has indicated that point of use (POU) technologies are likely to be the most efficient at delivering clean water (water…

Recent initiatives from state and federal government agencies have helped foster the formation of community-based watershed organizations. Although there is a great deal of enthusiasm about the potential of these organizations to enhance water quality, relatively little attention has been paid to the impacts these organizations may have on the…