As environmental issues such as climate change and pollution continue to make the headlines, industries across the board have made concerted efforts to go greener, and especially is the case with education. Schools and universities all over America are embracing various ways to go green both in the classroom and around campus. There are now many schools that have gone green, and eco friendly schools are now at the top of many students and parents agendas when it comes to choosing their ideal school.
Here are some of the latest trends in higher education:
Green Architecture
Many of America’s greenest colleges are converting older buildings to be environmentally friendly or constructing new ones that comply with green architectural standards and regulations. Popular eco school building methods include construction utilizing recycled materials, water efficiency strategies as well as using solar panels. Many of these buildings are then officially “certified green” by environmental agencies or governmental officials. Green architecture on campuses not only helps universities cut back on their carbon footprint, but also can help cut back costs as well, especially through energy saving methods such as solar.
The Rise of Online Education
Online education often offers substantially lower tuition rates but can also serve as a very green education. This is because most online degree programs allow students to complete their degree from anywhere that has an internet connection, so students won’t have to pollute the air by making daily commutes to and fro their college. What’s more, many online degrees allow you to download your textbooks and other reading materials online, cutting out the need for paper, and saving lots of trees in the process.
Organized Carpools
Many schools have set up organized carpools as a way of cutting back on gas emissions and encouraging students to become more environmentally aware. A popular green school project, a carpool typically works by students sharing rides to and fro college and each paying a portion of the gas money. This therefore works out well for students financially and in terms of their environmental impact.
Incorporating the iPad into the Classroom
Another eco friendly school method is incorporating the iPad into the classroom. The iPad is a revolutionary piece of technology that has amazing implications for both education and the environment. The iPad cuts out the need for excessive printing and the new iBooks 2 even allows students to download textbooks directly to their iPad. Thus students can save even more paper by not having to buy printed textbooks. Overall, the iPad is becoming a popular educational tool that has the potential to help reduce deforestation rates.
The Encouragement of Recycling
Schools throughout America are becoming “go green schools” by rigorously encouraging recycling on their campuses. A top green school method, recycling bins are common sights on many a high school and university campus across America. Many elementary schools are also doing their part by educating children from a young age the value and importance of recycling and how it can help create a healthier environment.
As is clearly shown, the environment is becoming a hot topic on campus. Various educational institutions are taking significant actions to reduce their carbon footprint and to educate their students on the benefits of belonging to a green university or school. These encouraging green trends should hopefully result in younger generations becoming more environmentally aware and committed to making positive improvements to the environment.
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