Our Green Streets Blog

This guest post from Lauren Bailey provides readers with a thoughtful perspective on the green or ecological impacts for children growing up with some of these animated movies.

While it may be easy for you, a parent, to change your old ways and convert your lifestyle to save the planet, living “green” may be bit of a complicated idea for your young child to grasp —it’s hard for them to truly understand the impact humans have on environment at such a young age. While you can try explaining it to them, it may resonate like a boring teacher’s lesson: in other words, one ear and out the other. But an easy (and fun) way to introduce your child to the importance of conserving the earth’s natural resources is via animated movies. There are tons of available that concentrate on eco-themes. To learn my top 5 favorites, continue reading below.

5. Finding Nemo (2003): Featuring the voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres

One of Pixar’s more popular films, this movie follows a clown fish’s journey to recover his lost son (Nemo) who is abducted by a fisherman and turned into a pet fish. While trapped in his tank, Nemo discovers that “all drains lead to the ocean”—this is a good thing as it makes way for a plan of escape, but it also suggests that all trash and rancid materials can be submerged into the ocean as well.

4. Yogi Bear (2010): Featuring the voices of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake

This combo of live-action and computer-animation might not do the classic cartoon justice in terms of being as witty as the original, but it can serve as a greater purpose for younger audiences unfamiliar with the characters—it teaches them the importance of preserving wildlife and endangered species. As a way to compensate loss funds due to mismanagement, the mayor of the town tries to sell Jellystone Park to loggers in order to reap some big cash. The “pic-a-nic” basket-stealing Yogi and his loyal sidekick Boo Boo are then prompted to find a way to save their home.

3. Over the Hedge (2006): Featuring the voices of Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, William Shatner, and Avril Lavigne

While this light-hearted film is made to make your children laugh, there is a serious underlying eco-message that is brought to light throughout the movie—human wastefulness. The movie follows a group of wild animals who embark on a dangerous trip from the woods across the street and over the hedge to forage for needed food, which according to a mischievous raccoon, is something humans take for granted.

2. Wall-E (2008): Featuring the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin

This futuristic computer-animated film gives children fair warning of what could happen if we are not eco-conscious, no longer recycle, and deplete all of Earth’s resources—it can ultimately become unlivable. Wall-E is a small robot who picks up trash and other waste humans have left behind in order to diffuse his boredom and give him purpose. One day he stumbles upon a lady-robot friend and a key ingredient that may just be able to restore planet Earth to normalcy. This family-adventure film is a great segway to implement recycling programs within your own home.  To see the film’s short trailer, click here.

1. FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992): Featuring voices of Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, and Samantha Mathis

It may be the most dated animated movie of the bunch, but FernGully is still one of the most effective movies when it comes to explaining the ramifications of deforestation and the destructive nature of pollutants—after all, the main villain is a clump of oil named Hexxus who not only sings of toxic love, but grows larger, more powerful, and more evil the more smog he absorbs.  It’s Crysta’s responsibility (a magical Australian rainforest fairy) to help ward off human loggers who are helping Hexxus thrive. Take this opportunity to discuss the effects that pollutants and emissions have in the air and why using different forms of transportation and energy can help save the Earth.

Runner Ups: The Lorax, A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventure, 9, Once Upon a Forest, and Happy Feet.

Which movies did we miss?

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

This month’s guest post from Patty Kleen provides some practical steps people can take in order to maintain a greener and more sustainable household. Best of all, her recommendations are painless to implement and share with others.

Is your home green?  I’m not talking about the forest hue you painted your shutters to compliment your front door.  I’m not even talking about your front lawn.  These days, the term “green” is synonymous with eco-friendliness.  And these days, you don’t have to build a roof out of solar panels to be eco-friendly.  If you’re interested in doing your part to save our planet, you may be surprised to find out how easy it can be.  Here are five things you can do to create a greener household.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) Bulbs

Switch all the light bulbs in your house out with these little electric powerhouses.  Trading out just six traditional bulbs for CFL bulbs saves 600 pounds of carbon dioxide, and roughly $160 on you power bill, per year.

Recycling

It is not unusual for garbage collection companies to pick up recyclables, and even to provide garbage containers designated solely for recycling.  Recycling is easier than you might think.  There is no need to separate recyclable materials (glass, plastic, paper and metal) from each other; all you have to do is separate recyclables from non-recyclables.  Here is a simple way to recycle: arrange two garbage cans, side by side, and throw your garbage in either one or the other.  You may be surprised to find that your recyclables outweigh your garbage – by a long shot (I recycle about four times what I throw away).

Recycled Products

It used to be that the end product of all your hard recycling work cost more than traditional, non-recycled product.  But that is no longer true, and it is therefore no longer necessary to skip on the recycled goods to save money. Look for recycled paper towels, toilet paper, and regular paper, amongst other things.

Green Clean

Avoid using chemicals that contaminate the earth’s resources by cleaning with eco-friendly products.  You can either purchase specially-formulated green cleaners, or you can use common household items like vinegar, rubbing alcohol, club soda and hydrogen peroxide for a wide variety of cleaning purposes.

Adjusting Settings

By adjusting your thermostat by two degrees (up in the summer and down in the winter), you can save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.  Additionally, making sure your water heater is never set above one-hundred, twenty degrees and keeping your refrigerator’s freezer at zero can considerably lower your energy use.

As you can see, there are a number of things you can do right now to make your home more green, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money.  If the thought of going completely green seems intimidating, start small.  Work your way through this list and you may find that, in no time, you are calling on those solar panels.

Photo: dontcallmeikke

About the Author: Patty Kleen is a full-time writer with a passion for eco-friendly living. She also spends a lot of time researching and writing about energy sources and companies like Eagle Ford Shale, Marcellus, Bakken, and more. Knowledge is half the battle.

A vacant city block near downtown Denver, once home to a rundown public housing project, happens to be collecting a remarkable set of innovations that can serve as sustainable tools for the world’s poor.

The Denver Sustainability Park, opened this last April, is evolving into a demonstration for what can happen when renewable energy proponents, champions of urban agriculture, affordable housing, and sustainability sit at a table with a land owner who wants to demonstrate something good.

The rundown public housing project that used to dot this land has since been razed and its residents moved to better digs courtesy of its owner, the Denver Housing Authority (DHA), the largest landowner in the city. Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) manages the project.

The first look at this demonstration park under development is enough to amaze. It brings to mind Kevin Costner’s memorable line when he dug up his cornfield to create a baseball diamond: “If you build it, they’ll come.”

In this case, they have come, indeed. What many believed was blighted land is being transformed into a number of luminous examples for how a sustainable solution might really look. The park already showcases a number of impressive models for renewable energy, practical housing for impoverished or displaced people, urban gardens and aquaponics systems capable of providing low-cost fresh produce and fish.

DHA junior project manager Chris Spelke, reflects on the implications of what he sees being built: “Sustainability Park is meant to serve as a demonstration and education center for programs, technologies, and design elements that advance the vision for healthy, vibrant communities and sustainable development.”

Add a hands-on educational component to spread the word and the picture gets even better. Plus a complete bicycle station where a bike can be rented for an affordable price tag. “Transportation is critical to this idea,” adds Spelke.

The Denver Sustainability Park has attracted a coterie of humanitarian architects, designers, engineers, students and social entrepreneurs interested in demonstrating cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them.

It’s fitting somehow that a block away Denver’s Redline Gallery has shown an exhibition, “Design for the Other 90%.” Scheduled to close this month, this national exhibit was developed by New York’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Concerning the rationale for this show, Cooper-Hewitt writes: “Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for this “other 90%.”

Spelke says there is nothing quite like this demonstration site anywhere else in the United States. It’s a demonstration worth exploring. In upcoming articles on the Denver Sustainability Park, I will visit with some of the people who are building and teaching here.

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/13gbA)

Photos: DHA & Meyers

The following comments come from the master architects and innovative visionaries who founded LuminAID Lab, originally the Solar Light Pillow Project. Read, enjoy, spread the news! – Glenn

“1 in 6 people in the world lack stable access to electricity. Many people must rely on dangerous and toxic kerosene lamps as a primary source of light and spend upwards of 30% of their income on this kerosene. With the increasing developments in small scale solar technology, there is no reason why individuals and families should not have a safer, less expensive, and more reilable source of light. The LuminAID solar light is a cheaper, safer alternative to kerosene lamps.” ”Some of you may have heard us talk for some time now about finding a new name for our product. We are excited to announce that we are renaming both our product and our company. The Solar Light Pillow Project will now be known as LuminAID Lab, and our light is now the LuminAID solar light!  Our new name came to us with help from our talented friends Stevie Belchak and Jess Tom. While we are sad to retire the well-liked “light pillow” nickname, we felt the change was necessary in order to better market our product. We consider it one more of the many lessons learned so far in having started our venture. There are many new exciting developments to come, so be sure to join our mailing list to keep up to date!

“The LuminAID solar light proposes a new direction for solar technology. Flexible, photovoltaic film is laminated to polyethelenevinyl acetate plastic (PEVA). The LuminAID solar light inflates to produce a quality of light similar to a lantern. The LuminAID solar light provides 5 hours of light and fully charges in 6 hours. The inflatable core measures 9″ L x 9″ W. Printed on the core is a frit pattern that consists of white dots. The frit pattern diffuses the LED light.

“The LuminAID solar light inflates to diffuse light like a lantern.

“The circuit and photovoltaic panels are sandwiched between the two layers of plastic, protecting it from damage and making the pillow waterproof. When inflated, the LuminAID solar light can float. The outside layer of plastic can be printed with additional logos or patterns.

“Restoring normal life in regions affected by natural disasters or war plays a vital role in recovery efforts. Re-establishing electrical grid infrastructure in those cases can sometimes take weeks or months. There is a need for a solution that can be deployed easily and immediately and with minimal maintenance. Sustainable lighting solutions, including photovoltaic cells coupled to rechargeable batteries, are an ideal approach to providing on-demand lighting with no operating cost. However, current solar-charged light solutions are expensive and difficult to manufacture and transport. This makes them unattractive for large-scale deployment. The LuminAID solar light addresses these issues while providing a useful and portable form of light for disaster victims.”

Bravo!

With the price of solar panels dropping significantly over the last five years, Germany’s Solar Millennium AG reports it will convert the first 500 megawatts of its 1,000 MW Blythe solar power plant in the Mojave desert from concentrated solar power/solar thermal system to PV.

It will decide what technology to use for the second half of the project at a later date. The company has not named who the PV panel supplier will be for the project.

“Solar Millennium responds quickly and pragmatically to market conditions, and at the moment the California market favors PV technology,” said Solar Millennium CEO Christophe Wolff said in a prepared statement.

This announcement represents the latest in a number of similar conversions this year by solar thermal power plant developers in California. This year at least four projects, producing some 1,850 MW of power generation, have changed most or all of their technology to PV.

PV systems turn sunlight into electricity, while concentrated solar power (CSP) uses heat to create steam that then powers a generator to create electricity.

Since California mandated that the state’s utilities must obtain 20 percent of their power from renewable sources, the price of PV panels have fallen by almost 50 percent. This has been followed by dramatic growth in solar and wind projects.

Solar Millennium officials in the United States said the switch to PV will allow its projects to become operational in smaller phases compared to the larger scale required by CSP technology.

Because of the switch to a more widespread PV technology, the company plans to finance the project in the commercial bank market rather than through loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy. The loan guarantee program was developed to fund new technologies that have had trouble securing financing from traditional lenders.

Solar Millennium said it still sees strong demand for concentrated solar power, also referred to as solar thermal power, in markets such as Africa, the Middle East, India, China and Southern Europe.

Solar Trust of America, a joint venture between Solar Millennium and Ferrostaal AG, is developing the Blythe power plant.

Photo: Solar Millennium AG

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/135J0)

Writer Ashyia Hill writes this work on the top 10 countries that take the lead in renewable energy innovation.

With fossil fuel stockpiles running out, the world is in a race against the clock to come up with clean, renewable uses of technology that will meet our needs without hurting the next generation’s ability to meet their needs.  But, which countries are leading the way in renewable energy innovations?

One way to answer this question is by looking at which nations took out the most clean energy-related patents. Economists Antoine Dechezleprêtre and Matthieu Glachant analyzed patent awards by the European Union’s World Patent Statistical Database to see which nations produced the most clean technology inventions between 2000 and 2005.

1. Japan

The Dechezleprêtre and Glachant study found that Japan was responsible for 37.1 percent of innovations related to clean energy between 2000 and 2005. This matches up well with a 2002 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which found Japan’s environmental policies were strict, effective, well-enforced, and properly monitored.

2. United States

The U.S. is the global leader in carbon capture and storage, a method of grabbing CO2 from point sources and storing it so it can’t get into the atmosphere. The United States holds almost 70 percent of CCS patents across the world, according to British non-profit institute Chatham House.

Dechezleprêtre and Glachant found the U.S. came up with 11.8 percent of the world’s green inventions between 2000 and 2005.

3. Germany

In terms of green technology, Germany is best known for its solar panels, although it also uses many other types of renewable energy. The German Ministry for the Environment and Reactor Safety says that over 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity was provided by renewable energy in 2010.

As per Dechezleprêtre and Glachant’s analysis, Germany was responsible for 10 percent of the world’s eco-friendly patents during the studied period.

4. China

China’s growing population is contributing to a bigger demand for energy, and political leaders are investing more into renewable energy for the country. As per the Center for American Progress, China invested $33.7 billion into renewable energy in 2009.

In the Dechezleprêtre and Glachant assessment, China was the source of 8.1 percent of global green innovations.

5. South Korea

South Korea has made renewable energy investing a priority. The South Korean government placed more than 80% of its $38 billion stimulus package into green investments in 2009, according to Forbes magazine.

This small country came up 6.4 percent of the planet’s renewable energy inventions, as per Dechezleprêtre and Glachant.

6. Russia

Like China, Russia has not traditionally been known for focusing on environmentalism, but this is starting to change. Russia’s emphasis on technology and science in education gives this country the potential to become a leader in eco-friendly technology.

In the previously mentioned study, Russia was responsible for 2.8 percent of global renewable energy innovations.

7. Australia

Australia’s status as an island gives it special opportunities and challenges when it comes to environmental decisions. The nation’s prime minister, Julia Gillard, recently unveiled a plan to tax its biggest emitters of carbon dioxide by July of 2012, which would make it the first country to place a price tag on carbon.

Dechezleprêtre and Glachant found that 2.5 percent of green technology-related patents came from Australia.

8. France

As in many European countries, the environment has long been a hot topic in France, and green products are becoming more popular among consumers.

In terms of green inventions, France tied with Australia in the above study.

9. United Kingdom

The U.K. may not produce many renewable energy innovations, but it’s good at importing other countries’ inventions, especially when it comes to wind and water power, according to a Forbes magazine report.

The United Kingdom produced 2 percent of renewable energy innovations covered in the Dechezleprêtre and Glachant study.

10. Canada

Canada isn’t a yet a big player in renewable energy, although a lot of its electricity comes from hydroelectric dams. However, with the use of wind power expanding, Canada has opportunities to pioneer new uses of green technology.

Canada was responsible for 1.7 percent of global green innovations in the patent analysis study.

Although eco-friendly patents and innovations don’t tell the whole story when it comes to a country’s environmental policies, the fact that these countries are investing in renewable energy means they are looking to the future—and that is a big part of the green mindset.

Hill adds: “I was searching for a more modern version of the Dechezleprêtre and Glachant patent study, but I couldn’t find anything on a global scale. Although their study uses information from 2005, it wasn’t published until 2009.”

Ashyia Hill is a business blogger and social media advocate with CreditDonkey, where she helps entrepreneurs evaluate small business credit cards.

Photo: RDECOM

James Kim

Interpreting food labels can seem like an overwhelming undertaking. To make your meal planning a little less confusing, check out this list of some of the most common food terms:

• “Local” should mean grown within 100 miles from where the food is sold.  However, there are not any government agencies reinforcing this term.  The best chance of getting something local is buying it from a farmer or farmer’s market.

• “Natural” is defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “foods that are minimally processed and free of synthetic preservatives; artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other artificial additives; growth hormones; antibiotics; hydrogenated oils; stabilizers; and emulsifies.” However, the FDA explains, “Most foods labeled natural are not subject to government controls beyond the regulations and health codes that apply to all foods.” Determine for yourself if something is natural by reading the list of ingredients on the back of the package.

• “Certified” is a nebulous term. The Food Safety and Inspection Service defines this term as a product that was evaluated based upon a set of “quality characteristics.” A lot of butchers use this term and it is a better idea to buy a piece of meat that is certified or of higher quality than one that is not.

• “Fair Trade” is governed by a company named FLO-CERT, which defines itself as, “an independent International Certification company” that “assist(s) in the socio-economic Development of producers in the Global South and help(s) to foster long-term relationships and good practice with traders of Certified Fair Trade products.”  This helps to ensure that everyone who helped develop the product is offered a fair wage, including small farmers who live in countries with a lot of poverty.  It is a good idea; but as a label, it doesn’t speak to the quality of the product.

• “Organic” is described as food produced without the use of “most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.” A government-approved certifier must inspect and approve of the farm and food processing/handling companies also.  There are many different labels for organic.  One is “100 percent organic” and another is “organic” (95 percent).  Yet another is, “made with organic ingredients (70 percent or more) and “contains organic ingredients” (70 percent or less).

Keep these labels in mind when doing grocery shopping for meal planning.  Hopefully, this information has made these labels more useful for you to help plan those healthy meals!

James Kim is a writer for foodonthetable.com.  Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services.  Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.

PHOTO: European Parliament

The nation of China – once regarded primarily as the world’s leading coal user and polluter – is now supporting aggressive developments in the in the biomass industry for its energy portfolio in addition to solar and wind alternatives.

According to a report in Renewable Energy World, the Chinese central government has established policies boosting biomass energy development. These favorable policies may foster an era of accelerated growth for alternatives to fossil fuels.

Biomass energy has been increasingly favored by a number of energy firms for its clean, efficient, safe and sustainable features. Some multinational energy companies, including BP, American International Petroleum, BASF and DuPont, as well as the major Chinese players (CNPC, Sinopec and CNOOC) are expanding their presence into the biomass energy sector through direct investments.

On March 4, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) entered into a cooperation framework agreement with the government of Shandong province to establish a fuel ethanol and biodiesel production facility. Following this agreement, Sinopec formed a cooperation agreement with China’s largest food processing manufacturer and trader, COFCO. Both companies will jointly build a fuel ethanol manufacturing facility that over the next five years will have an annual capacity of 100,000 tons.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission has reinforced agreements like these, issuing guidelines concerning structural changes within the industry that encourage the development and application of technologies for producing non-grain biomass fuels, including ethanol from cellulosic biomass and bio-diesel.

According to China’s five-year plan for renewable energy during the 2011-2015 period, the country plans to increase the annual usage of ethanol fuel to three million tons by 2015. As reported in April by Renewable Energy World, a renewable energy development strategy report from the Chinese Academy of Engineering states that biomass energy capacity in China is twice that of hydropower and 3.5 times that of wind power.

Tsinghai University’s chemical engineering professor Xing Xinhui said, “while China has built a number of biomass energy projects since the beginning of the last five-year period (spanning 2006-2010), the country still lags far behind other countries in terms of biomass energy investments and has not yet made any breakthrough in biomass energy technology. As a result, it behooves the central government to provide additional support for the industry by increasing its investment in research and development of biomass energy technologies, so as to speed up the development of the industry.”

China has substantial biomass resources, including and residues and leftover waste from the country’s agricultural and forestry. Biomass development is also an appealing economic proposition where non-grain plants can be grown on marginal land and converted to energy.

Presently, China produces 5 million tons of grain annually, generating some 700 million tons of straw that can be used as the main source of biomass energy. Additionally, organic materials like poultry manure, fallen leaves and industrial waste, can be added to the supply mix and converted to biomass energy. The country has announced it will build large biomass production plants in southwest and northwest regions.

This all looks promising as a means for China to move away from dependence on coal energy.

Source: Clean Technica

PHOTO: Inverter-China.com http://www.inverter-china.com/blog/articles/green-energy/biomass-power-in-china.html

A new rapid-mulching product may assist in prolonging the lives of municipal landfills, providing nutrient-rich composts and fertilizers in the process.

A Nevada-based company, Ecologico-Logic, is launching an aerobic machine that has been aptly named the Muncher.

The reason this is good news? A number of cities around the world now sort their municipal trash, diverting organic matter into large anaerobic composters that turn it into nutrient-rich soil. Such systems can be very expensive and the composting process is time-consuming.

Jacob Jacobson and Mohammed Memon claim to have solved the time problem and the accompanying odors that often turn people away from composting locales. The Muncher converts organic waste into mulched and liquid compost in less than an hour via aerobic digestion.

Memon says 11 years have been invested in developing this machine and the accompanying technologies. “It’s been a long road to get it to where it is today – a working prototype.”

This should be good news for the landfill and waste management industries. The two men are out presenting their prototype to interested corporate and municipal parties who they report their interest. One principal reason for garnering interest is how fast the system works. A normal mulching process might require anywhere from 30 to 365 days to convert waste into useable mulch. The Muncher can accomplish this same work within 15 minutes, Jacobson says.

This machine features a patented accelerated waste digestion process. It commences with mechanically shredding pre-separated organic garbage, followed with aerobic microbes within the system and a proprietary chemical treatment that rapidly breaks the matter down into a marketable product. For existing municipal systems the resulting compost can then be used for city projects or sold to agricultural or landscaping entities.

The results can be impressive. Not only is the organic waste kept out of the landfill, it also takes up much less space. Momin reports that one ton of garbage can be converted to about 600 pounds of solid cake mulch and liquid effluent. In addition, he says the Muncher creates no toxic gases, hazardous compounds or foul odors, that it kills pathogens in the garbage, and that the compost it produces contains no harmful chemicals.

There are also economic considerations. A big factor in the solid waste business is the cost of dumping fees. Reducing the mass that ends up in the landfill makes for a positive proposition, says Jacobson. In addition, the end products are nutrient-rich compost and fertilizers – potentially valuable commodities.

Ecologico-Logic is currently looking at building industrial Munchers that are capable of processing up to 50 tons of waste per day. Memon believes the return on investment for the Muncher is between two and five years. Down the road these men also hope to develop smaller units that might be used by restaurants or in homes.

For those people following the trail of trash that gets shipped to the landfill every day, consuming more landfill space, the Muncher may have some good solutions.

Photos:  Jacob Dickinson

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/12SW0)

This guest post from Lenore Holditch reports on a few of the leading colleges that provide degree programs on green issues. GRM

Colleges have played a huge role in the environmental revolution from its beginnings. For decades, universities across the nation and world have sought to educate students in environmental science and environmental law. Learning about the history of environmentalism, the impact consumerism has on our land, and ways to reduce our imprint on our world, college students are geared to become better citizens of the world after their four-year educational endeavor.

These three universities offer inspiring and innovative degree programs in environmental science, environmental law, and agricultural sustainability that encourage students to get active in living green and become innovators for a new generation.

1. Wellesley College: Ranking near the top of the list among green colleges in 2011, Wellesley receives some of its highest marks for its efforts in environmental sustainability. Wellesley’s Environmental Studies degree is an interdisciplinary program at the university that trains students to address pressing issues in environmentalism and environmental science. Wellesley’s environmental studies program focuses on the biodiversity crisis, involving the collapse of oceanic fisheries, toxic waste disposal, global climate change, green building design, and the inequities and causes of environmental degradation. The program emphasizes hands on involvement from its students in internships, directed studies, and field trips. Wellesley works to develop students that are knowledgeable and capable of real action when they complete their academic pursuits.

2. Montana State University: Dedicating an entire college to the study of sustainable food systems and sustainable agricultural research, Montana State University’s College of Agriculture is unique in the world of academia. Students enrolled at the College of Agriculture are also students in the College of Education, Health, and Human Development. With an interdisciplinary curriculum, Mo State develops students who are prepared to learn about the environment and sustainable agriculture as well as teach future students about sustainability and pressing environmental issues. With a two-plus acre vegetable farm on campus, students in the College of Agriculture put their knowledge to work each and every day on the farm, practicing sustainable agriculture. This innovative sustainability program leads to careers in bioenergy production, food safety, and agricultural biosecurity.

3. Arizona State University: As one of the leading institutions in environmental activism for many years now, ASU offers several programs dedicated to environmental conservation and education for future leaders in the world of sustainability and environmentalism. The environmental technology management program is one of the strongest of its kind offered in the United States. Offering a curriculum that is prepares individuals to face and conquer environmental and emergency management challenges. This program teaches students the scientific and technical aspects of controlling environmental pollution as well as the economic, political, and legal problems facing managers in today’s business climate. In addition to the program in environmental education, ASU also developed the Global Institute of Sustainability, focusing on the affects of urbanization on our ecosystem. This institute allows students, professors, and community leaders to joint in the mission to create solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental emergencies today.

This guest contribution was submitted by Lenore Holditch, who specializes in writing about top online colleges. Questions and comments can be sent to: holditch.lenore@gmail.com .

PHOYO: My Majors