Degrees That Matter – Climate Change and the University

Citation

(2007), "Degrees That Matter – Climate Change and the University", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 8 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2007.24908dae.004

Degrees That Matter – Climate Change and the University

Degrees That Matter – Climate Change and the University

Ann Rappaport and Sarah Hammond CreightonMIT University PressMay 2007376 pp.ISBN-100-262-68166-8US$24.95/£15.95

Universities and colleges are in a unique position to take a leadership role on global warming. As communities, they can strategize and organize effective action. As laboratories for learning and centres of research, they can reduce their own emissions of greenhouse gases, educate students about global warming, and direct scholarly attention to issues related to climate change and energy. Degrees That Matter offers practical guidance for those who want to harness the power of universities and other institutions, and provides perspectives on how to motivate change and inspire action within complex organizations.

The authors, drawing on almost a decade of experience leading the Tufts Climate Initiative and other institutional “greening” efforts, provide both the basic facts and more detailed information about climate issues. Some chapters can be used as stand-alone action guides for specific areas, while others put climate action in scientific, economic, and political contexts. The authors discuss the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions on campus and the importance of an emissions inventory for setting goals and strategies. They consider decision making (and decision makers), costs, budgets, and institutional priorities, and describe different emission reduction projects. They look at the importance of master planning for the university and the value of action by individual community members. Finally, they suggest climate action projects for the classroom and offer guidance for tapping student energy. Their aim is to inspire others to take on global warming regardless of organizational setting.

RSPB's booklet: “Strategic Environmental Assessment – Learning from Practice”

The booklet features examples of SEA provided by practitioners from around the UK. These case studies show how SEA and sustainability appraisal (SA) are being approached in various sectors to help improve the environmental sustainability of public plans and programmes.

Each of the case studies demonstrates an aspect of SEA/SA that has been carried out to a good standard. The booklet also includes the RSPB's advice for carrying out effective SEA/SA. The booklet can be downloaded from the RSPB's web site at: www.rspb.org.uk/policy/planningpolicy/s_e_a.aspw

UN-Energy Biofuels Report

As the demand for biofuels surges with over one billion people living without access to electricity, a new UN report released last week cautions that the world's energy needs must be met in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. The report from UN-Energy, an inter-agency body established to coordinate the UN's work in the realm of energy, is entitled “Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Decision Makers”.

The study is the first of its kind to examine the issue of bioenergy through the lens of nine issues, including poverty, health, food security, agriculture, climate change, finance and trade. To download the report, visit the UN Energy web site: http://esa.un.org/un-energy/