In January 2009, Colorado College undertook a campus-wide conservation campaign. The campaign aCClimate 14, challenged the campus community to cut energy use, water use and waste by 14% in 14 weeks. The theme of the campaign was: 14 weeks. 14 habits. 14 percent.
Minutes of the Colorado College Campus Sustainability Council meeting held on October 5, 2011.
Minutes of the Colorado College Campus Sustainability Council meeting held on April 25, 2012.
This thesis hypothesizes that current economic and social development strategies promoted by the World Bank in Central America are economically and environmentally unsustainable. Thus, the region should shift to implementing sustainable development strategies, such as sustainable agriculture, alterative energy sources, increased education, environmental justice, and region-specific development to reduce inequalities and environmental degradation in the region. The thesis presents data about current economic and social conditions in the six countries. The World Bank is analyzed because it remains the primary economic development agency in Central America. The history of the organization and impacts on the region are analyzed. Finally, examples of sustainable alternatives from Latin America are presented as viable options for Central America.
Drawing from ecofeminist perspectives, this paper assesses the saliency of women not as victims of environmental degradation, but rather as potent agents of change. Situated within the context of increasing environmental damage and looming irreversible climate change, this study examines whether, and to what degree, women’s political empowerment impacts environmental sustainability. With particular emphasis on women’s status, ordinary least squares regressions models were used to investigate predictors of ecological footprint, environmental well-being and environmental performance cross-nationally. The results demonstrate that while affluence, measured in GDP per capita, is a strong predictor in every case, women’s political empowerment leads to better environmental outcomes only in environmental policy performance. This suggests that women’s political empowerment may be yet another modernisation factor which affects national environmental policies and outcomes, but cannot reduce the overall environmental impact beyond national borders. This study concludes by stating that despite of promising results, women’s status may still suffer from globalisation and other mediating world-system processes.
The Catalyst is the weekly student newspaper of Colorado College. This issue was published September 9, 2014.
For the last ten years, the words ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ have been used by many prominent political and economic leaders. But what is sustainability really and is it possible to accurately measure the sustainability of countries’ economies objectively? This study focuses on three sustainability models, namely the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), the Sustainability Assessment by Fuzzy Evaluation (SAFE) and the Sustainable Human Carrying Capacity (SHCC), and their evaluations on the sustainability of the Hungarian economy and environment. Furthermore, it also surveys the opinion of Hungarian undergraduate economics students on the Hungarian economy and its sustainability. The study shows that the ability of current sustainability models and measures to give accurate portrayals of countries and regions is problematic, because they use different definitions of sustainability, use different environmental and/or economic indicators, do not differentiate between the impacts of the individual indicators, and are able to be used for political purposes. This is especially true for Hungary, as the country’s economy is crumbling with increasing social unrest, yet sustainability models give it a high ranking. Also, the Hungarian students’ views on the country’s sustainability depend on what school of economics they were taught in, and what they think about Hungary’s past, current and future economic and environmental situation.
Minutes of the Colorado College Campus Sustainability Council meeting held on October 3, 2012.
Minutes of the Colorado College Campus Sustainability Council meeting held on March 28, 2012.
Minutes of the Colorado College Campus Sustainability Council meeting held on February 22, 2012.
Minutes of the Colorado College Campus Sustainability Council meeting held on November 2, 2011.
Sustainability is a fast evolving movement in higher education demonstrated by a proliferation of academic programs, co-curricular initiatives, and campus projects. Sustainability is now viewed as vital to the mission of many institutions of higher education, creating a paradigm shift that librarians can help advance with their collective interdisciplinary expertise. A review of LibGuides (online resource guides) showed that academic librarians are involved with sustainability efforts on many campuses and have a role in shaping curriculum-related activities. The author administered a survey to creators of sustainability LibGuides during the spring of 2011, posting the survey on library listservs as well. Librarians returned 112 survey responses that illustrated their engagement in sustainability activities through the forging of campus partnerships with administrators, faculty, staff from the Office of Sustainability, and library colleagues. Telephone interviews conducted with 24 of the respondents showed librarians’ wide-ranging professional interest in sustainability, and their initiatives to promote its cause, including creating resources, collections, exhibits, and events; library instruction; co-teaching with faculty; serving on sustainability committees; and collaborating with sustainability faculty and staff. However, both the survey and the interviews suggest that librarians would benefit from increased collaboration and knowledge of work undertaken elsewhere. Moreover, as the needs of students and faculty studying sustainability increase, libraries need to appoint librarians with special responsibilities in this field. Included is the author’s experience as the Sustainability Studies Librarian at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her engagement in professional development activities related to sustainability. Best practices for librarians to advance sustainability efforts are offered.
This paper investigates the determinants of college value. For the purposes of this study, college value is measured by college rank. This study aims to find out which determinants are most significant and whether sustainability impacts college rank. In order to test the different variables, an ordinary least squares regression technique and a negative binomial count model were used. Results from the regressions indicate that the constant, the year, the academic reputation score, the student selectivity rank, the faculty resources rank, the graduation and retention rank, the alumni giving rank, the financial resources rank, and the endowment per student are the most significant determinants of college rank. Sustainability appears to be insignificant.
The Colorado College Sustainability Plan (CCSP) is designed as a web-based “living document” in three hierarchically-nested parts: Strategic Initiatives, Action Projects, and Implementation Plans. Strategic Initiatives are divided into six categories, including: Structure, Energy & Carbon Neutrality, Natural Resources, Buildings & Landscape, Education, Financing. This document includes the background, goals and lists of action items for each strategic initiative.
A look at the newly created physical space of the Colorado College Office of Sustainability. A few of the six interns give an overview of their duties within the department.
