A Model for the Future

OUR GREAT CAMPUS has long been known for its iconic green spaces. Now, more than ever, the University of Maryland’s impact and future depend on our developing and promoting sustainable environmental practices. Sustainability affects all that we do on the campus, in the greater metropolitan area, across the nation and around the globe. The dramatic effects of climate change that are underway shape our teaching, research, infrastructure and partnerships.

Maryland is fast becoming a national model for the “green university.” Virtually every university department here is working to reduce energy consumption, increase environmental awareness, create technologies and policies, and expand commitments to sustainable practices.

When I signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007, I pledged that our university would take significant steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I charged a 50-member Climate Action Plan Work Group to create a strategy for climate neutrality. Our new Office of Sustainability will support those objectives, providing education, fostering collaboration and implementing environmentally conscience initiatives. Among dozens of measures introduced so far: Shuttle-UM buses use fuel supplemented by used cooking oil; the new EcoHouse living and learning community allows students to explore environmental challenges and live their solutions; and Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building standards are in place for all new construction and major renovations.

Like the green movement itself, we continue to gain momentum.

Results from our programs are promising. Last year, Grist magazine named Maryland one of its Top 15 green colleges and universities nationally. This spring,we hosted the third Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference to encourage and support other universities as they follow our lead. Like the green movement itself,we continue to gain momentum. When operational in 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction—located in M Square, the university’s research park—will partner with Maryland faculty to generate forecasts for atmospheric and oceanic conditions that affect weather and climate. Our Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and Joint Global Change Research Institute have just moved into a new building next to NOAA to foster partnerships and collaborations. The University of Maryland Energy Research Center is advancing the frontiers of environmentally friendly energy creation and use focusing on approaches to alternative energy generation and storage.

The scientific work in Maryland’s laboratories has profound implications for our global landscape. Last semester, professors Steve Hutcheson and Ron Weiner proved this connection with the formation of Zymetis, an incubator company dedicated to developing biofuel alternatives to gasoline. They developed a process using Chesapeake Bay bacteria to convert plantbased waste into ethanol. The technology is a win for the state, the university and the environment. It also exemplifies the importance of transformational basic research and of our incubator, which moves ideas into practices.

Our students are also committed to the environment. Their off-the-grid, solar house entry in the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition was the top U.S. finisher and demonstrated our students’ determination to advance environmentally sound architecture, communication and engineering. Another student group working on the international level is the university chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which develops sustainable water, energy and sanitation projects in remote sites.

Sustainability efforts ultimately depend on individuals reducing their ecological footprints. We must all consider our impact, whether here at the university or elsewhere in the world, because we are all connected to the environment. Watch for more initiatives from our Climate Action Work Group or visit www.sustainability.umd.edu.

–Dan Mote, President

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