Reprinted from COA Magazine, Summer/Fall 2007

The ranking of College of the Atlantic by Grist Magazine as the "greenest" college or university in the world has brought welcome recognition to our commitment to practice what we teach. And it has raised eyebrows around the world: "How can such a small school be ranked higher than larger and better known institutions?"

I think the answer is instructive. When even a small school, with limited resources, takes responsibility for its actions, the influence can extend beyond the raw numbers of tons of greenhouse gases reduced or cubic feet of solid waste avoided. If College of the Atlantic can achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, so can every family, business and college. The message sent by the fact that there is a list, and the excellent work by so many colleges that it highlights, is far more important than the rankings: the message is that higher education "gets it." Success for any institution over the next several decades will be dependent upon a wholehearted commitment to sustainability. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is the only smart thing to do.

For colleges, investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy and waste reduction now mean cost savings in the future. For us, that translates into lower tuition than we would otherwise face, and that is no small matter. Our core mission - the best education that we can possibly provide at a cost that our students and their families can afford - has not changed and it will not. To be the best college we can be, we must be the greenest college that we can be. To provide the best education we can, we must live the lessons we hope our students and communities will learn.

So, are we the greenest college in the world? Not yet, I suspect. We have much to learn from others. But we are pretty darn good. And we are working to get better. Over the next year or so, we will invest the equivalent of three to five percent of our operating budget in conservation measures that will pay for themselves quickly and result in cost savings in the future. We will continue to share what we learn with business and families in our community.

As president of a college dedicated to the study of human ecology, I would be disappointed if we weren';t on the cutting edge of commitment to a sustainable world. As an individual, a parent and grandparent, a citizen of the United States, and an inhabitant of this precious planet, I would be happier if a top-twenty list were impossible to compile because every institution had made a comparable commitment.

That day is coming; a century from now, we will be right here, still studying the relationships among humans and the environment, and we will be sharing the challenge of providing higher education only with other colleges that have made the transition to sustainability.
~David Hales