If you've recycled an HP printer cartridge, you've participated in this vision. Computers from Dell, sneakers from Nike and carpets from Interface are being manufactured more sustainably, using fewer toxic materials and often being recycled after use. Change is in the air. In comparison, the academic world has been slow to act. But more than a decade later, few universities have clear statements of environmental commitment.
Few universities have vice presidents for environmental affairs.
There are exceptions. Oberlin College recently dedicated the groundbreaking Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, which produces more energy than it consumes. And the challenge is especially compelling at universities like Emory that have medical centers. The health care industry is an environmental offender. The EPA reports that medical facilities, by incinerating disposable plastics, are second only to the paper industry in emitting dioxins.