Sierra's Top 10 Green Schools of 2009

1. University of Colorado at Boulder

The University of Colorado at Boulder earned 100 points in the Sierra Club's 2009 review of cool schools. Here's their score:

Academics: 8
Administration: 9
Efficiency: 9
Energy: 3
Food: 7
Purchasing: 8
Transportation: 10
Waste Mgmt.: 10
Bonus: 5

Score: 100

UC Boulder even has a Live Green Pledge:

I pledge to live green by informing and educating myself on decisions I make that impact others and the environment. I will strive to increase my understanding of environmental consequences of my behavior and seek sustainable options to create a better world.

2. University of Washington at Seattle

The University of Washington at Seattle won second billing with 98 points.

Academics: 8
Administration: 10
Efficiency: 8
Energy: 9
Food: 7
Purchasing: 8
Transportation: 8
Waste Mgmt.: 8
Bonus: 2

Score: 98

UW has a Green Futures Lab (GFL) that "develops innovative approaches to the ecological planning and design of public space. Faculty and students work on solutions related to streets, trails, parks, open spaces, drainages and shorelines - systems that together comprise interconnected networks of the public realm."

3. Middlebury College

Also with 98 points, Middlebury College in Vermont ties for the #2 spot.

Academics: 8
Administration: 10
Efficiency: 9
Energy: 6
Food: 7
Purchasing: 8
Transportation: 8
Waste Mgmt.: 7
Bonus: 5

Score: 98

The Middlebury Green Fund:

"In 2007, the College established the Green Fund, an endowed fund to ensure that the College’s environmental initiatives continue in perpetuity. Its annual stream of income into Middlebury’s operating budget will support existing priorities-—enhancing academic programs, becoming carbon neutral by 2016, building a greener and more sustainable campus, reinforcing the College’s commitment to local foods and the local economy, and creating opportunities for student research and innovation."

4. University of Vermont

The University of Vermont scores fourth place with 97 points.

Academics: 8
Administration: 8
Efficiency: 9
Energy: 7
Food: 7
Purchasing: 8
Transportation: 9
Waste Mgmt.: 7
Bonus: 4

Score: 97

The University of Vermont has an impressive Green Building Program:

Green building is based on a set of design and construction practices that significantly reduce the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants in five broad areas:

• Sustainable site planning
• Safeguarding water and water efficiency
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy
• Conservation of materials and resource

5. College of the Atlantic

Tied for third is College of the Atlantic, where every student majors in Human Ecology, the study of our relationship with our environment. "Before graduating, all seniors create an original project that represents the culmination of their work here. It might be a novel or a scientific research paper. An art show or a new non-profit."

Academics: 8
Administration: 8
Efficiency: 8
Energy: 10
Food: 7
Purchasing: 9
Transportation: 5
Waste Mgmt.: 9
Bonus: 3

Score: 97

"A degree in Human Ecology enables you to make a difference, in your own way, whether you love science or the arts, education, public policy, or any other field."

6. The Evergreen State College

The Evergreen State College scored a close 96.5. Located in Olympia, Washington, where they run their own organic farm.

Academics: 6
Administration: 10
Efficiency: 9
Energy: 7
Food: 7
Purchasing: 9
Transportation: 7
Waste Mgmt.: 7.5
Bonus: 4

Score: 96.5

"Sustainability isn't just a bandwagon we're hopping onto," says President Les Purce. "It's woven into the very fabric of our identity, and history, as an institution."

7. University of California at Santa Cruz

The University of California at Santa Cruz placed 7 with 96 points.

Academics: 8
Administration: 8
Efficiency: 7
Energy: 5
Food: 8
Purchasing: 9
Transportation: 10
Waste Mgmt.: 6
Bonus: 5

Score: 96

UCSC's Green Enterprise Initiative is a remarkable program on campus with the mission of "working directly with the business community and local government to effectively promote a range of green enterprises, including industry, commerce, services, agriculture, and knowledge production."

8. University of California at Berkeley

The University of California at Berkeley also scored 96. It is the home of The Berkeley Institute of the Environment, where students and researchers focus on sustainable communities, environment and society, and energy and climate change.

Academics: 8
Administration: 9
Efficiency: 8
Energy: 3
Food: 9
Purchasing: 9
Transportation: 9
Waste Mgmt.: 10
Bonus: 5

Score: 96

BIE has a Cool Climate Calculator to help you calculate your own carbon footprint. Check it out.

9. University of California at Los Angeles

The University of California at Los Angeles ties with the other university's branches with 96 points. It's the home of an impressive project: CleanTech Los Angeles.

Academics: 8
Administration: 9
Efficiency: 8
Energy: 3
Food: 5
Purchasing: 9
Transportation: 9
Waste Mgmt.: 10
Bonus: 5

Score: 96

"CleanTech Los Angeles brings together groups like the city's power and water utility, the chamber of commerce, and scientific research heavyweights UCLA, USC and CalTech to turn the city into a center of green technology, green jobs and green manufacturing, officials explained. The ultimate goal is a lofty one: to become the global capital of clean technology."

10. Oberlin College

Oberlin College comes in #10 with 95 points, still an impressive position.

Academics: 6
Administration: 9
Efficiency: 9
Energy: 6
Food: 7
Purchasing: 9
Transportation: 6
Waste Mgmt.: 10
Bonus: 3

Score: 95

Oberlin offers students a "Field Guide for Living Sustainably at Oberlin College", full of local and sustainable dining, transportation, and living tips.