In 2009 the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) published a resource entitled, Financing Sustainability on Campus.  Ben Barlow, a consultant for Second Nature, and Andrea Putman, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Second Nature, team up to author this resource and do a very good job at exploring a variety of funding options that can be helpful in pushing forward with sustainability initiatives.  At just over 100 pages, this publication is a worthwhile resource for anyone tasked with implementing sustainability initiatives on a college or university campus. 

Barlow and Putman advise readers on how to identify and evaluate opportunities for sustainability initiatives.  The authors point out that there may be opportunities for sustainability hidden on campuses that would require no funding at all.  For example, proper maintenance of HVAC units and other such systems may save the institution money while at the same time creating a more environmentally friendly campus.  For initiatives that will require funding, however, Financing Sustainability on Campus provides a wealth of information.

The authors explore “revolving loan funds” and highlight the examples found in Harvard’s $12 million Green Campus Loan Fund (GCLF) and Macalester College’s Clean Energy Revolving Fund (CERF), both of which have been very successful in helping fund sustainability initiatives at both schools.  A variety of government grants are available for colleges and universities interested in pursuing sustainability initiatives on campus and the authors provide an entire chapter detailing several of them and how to go about applying for them.  Bonds, leases, and even energy performance contracts provide additional funding streams and Barlow and Putman spend a chapter on each.  The authors also explore the various tax credits that are increasingly available and may help offset the cost of financing sustainability initiatives on college campuses.  Power purchase agreements (PPAs), energy hedges, and renewable energy credits (RECs) are also each given a full chapter in the work.  Finally, the authors explore the opportunities found in purchasing carbon offsets.

Financing Sustainability on Campus is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in how to fund sustainability initiatives on college campuses.  The authors are incredibly knowledgeable about the topic and provide a wealth of information and additional resources throughout the publication.  From case studies and examinations of best practices to an appendix packed with information sources and a directory of providers, Barlow and Putman have put together a highly valuable resource in this work.  I highly recommend this resource to any college or university business officer, president, sustainability director, or other staff member tasked with implementing sustainability initiatives on campus.

Written by educators for educators, 147 Practical Tips for Teaching Sustainability is an invaluable resource for anyone teaching sustainability.  In his forward to the work, David W. Orr, Director of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College, notes that colleges and universities must equip young people “with the analytical skills and wherewithal to become change agents beyond the years of formal education.”  Anthony Cortese, President of Second Nature, also provides a forward in which he notes “We are the first generation capable of determining the habitability of the planet for humans and other species.”  Cortese continues by quoting Albert Einstein who said, “’We can’t solve today’s problems at the same level of thinking at which they were created.’”  For all of these reasons, 147 Practical Tips for Teaching Sustainability is a resource that can help college and university educators to engage their students in gaining a full and thorough understanding of the current state of the environment and what must happen in order to improve the quality of life within it for generations to come.

Encouraging colleges and universities to “break down the silos” that often do plague the university system, this resource provides helpful tips for all professors, not just those who focus on or specialize in environmental studies, to integrate concepts of sustainability into their curriculums.  In general, the book encourages a whole systems approach to teaching sustainability so that the concept reaches every single college and university student, regardless of program of study.  Throughout the work, the authors cite various additional texts that may also prove helpful to any educator wishing to integrate sustainability into the classroom. 

Several of the specific tips provided in the book are worth sharing here but I encourage any educator interested in integrating topics of sustainability into any curriculum to review this resource in depth. 

• “Introduce the Notion that We Are Nature” – The authors note that students may gain a more thorough and appreciative understanding of the fragility of the environment if they can grasp the concept that “’humans are one member of a complex, interconnected system.’”
• “Connect Capitalism and Sustainability” – Making the connection between capitalism, democratic ideals, and sustainable practices can help students gain a more full understanding of the many ways in which these concepts seem to work at cross purposes and how they can begin affecting meaningful change.
•  “Rethink Basic Rights” – The premise of this tip is that few students realize the most fundamental right that is currently being denied to nearly every citizen on earth: a clean and sustainable environment.
• “Conduct an Ecological Footprint Audit” – The authors point out that conducting such an audit within a classroom or encouraging students to conduct a personal audit as part of a class project may lead to a larger institutionalized commitment from the college or university leadership. 
• “Tie Classes and Programs Together” – By providing, for example, a case study that clearly illustrates implications for environmental, economic, and societal health, on which students focus, they may be able to gain a more focused and holistic understanding of the integrative nature of issues related to the environment.

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) is a great resource for anyone in higher education.  In 2009, NACUBO teamed with Second Nature to publish a book titled, Boldly Sustainable: Hope and Opportunity for Higher Education in the Age of Climate Change.  The book, written by Second Nature leaders Peter Bardaglio and Andrea Putnam, is a must-read for anyone interested in the issue of climate change as it relates to higher education.  Virtually every aspect of the higher education environment is addressed from the perspective of climate change.  From sustainable business models to greening dining halls and dormitories, the authors have managed to create a veritable encyclopedia of sustainability for higher education leaders interested in sustainability.  In September 2009, American Public University System’s (APUS) President, Wallace Boston, Jr., published a thorough review of Boldly Sustainable on his blog.  I encourage you to read President Boston’s thoughts on the work and take a look at Bardaglio and Putnam’s book for yourself.  I am sure that you will find it worthwhile.