How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
From recycling to trayless dining, NYU's efforts toward "going green" have been recognized; this year, the university landed on the Sierra Club's list of the top 20 eco-enlightened universities, or "Cool Schools."
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In the September/October 2009 issue of Sierra magazine, the Sierra Club — the country's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization — recognized NYU and 19 other colleges for their successes across eight categories: efficiency, energy, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management and administration.
NYU ranked 20th on the list with an overall score of 91 out of 100, tying with Dickinson College in Carlisle, Penn. The University of Colorado at Boulder topped the list with a perfect score of 100; with the University of Washington at Seattle coming in second with a score of 98.
According to Jeremy Friedman, coordinator of NYU's Sustainability Task Force, NYU's sustainability efforts have previously been recognized by organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review, but this is the first time the school has received recognition from the Sierra Club.
Friedman said that a number of new Green Grant proposals were accepted over the summer.
Green Grants — environmental projects organized and led by faculty and students — include initiatives such as "Bike to School" and NYUnplugged, an annual energy-saving competition among NYU residence halls.
In addition to Green Grants, NYU has taken other measures to increase sustainability. When students moved into their residence halls this year, they received compact fluorescent light bulbs. Furthermore, some dining halls have abandoned trays in order to save water; they are also serving more organic and local food, with waste being utilized as compost in place of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
According to Friedman, a climate action plan for the university will be released within the next month, which will outline measures to reduce carbon emissions and climate change.
Many students support NYU's initiative to be an eco-friendly campus and say they practice sustainability in their everyday lives. "I recycle and try not to waste as much and to reuse a lot," said Tisch freshman Stephen Petrillo.
But sustainability isn't a priority for some.
"It doesn't really impact my life," said CAS freshman Cha Yool Park. "I'm so used to living not eco-friendly that it has just become a habit."
Some of the Sustainability Task Force's goals in the long run include establishing an NYU Center for the Environment, installing rooftop resources for solar and wind power, and achieving a 30-percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2017.
"I really respect NYU's efforts to be in the go-green lane of life," said Steinhardt freshman Sarah Wurm. "I think they've done an excellent job of it so far. The policies that the school is using conserve energy, and I think that's really cool."
