The Hartford Courant reports that UConn and Yale are among the greenest colleges in the country. Of the 96 four-year universities and colleges that entered the competition sponsored by Sierra magazine, UConn was ranked fifth and Yale was ranked eighth — ahead of schools such as Cornell University (15); Harvard University (18); and the University of California, Berkeley (20).
Richard Miller, director of UConn's office of environmental policy, said that the university had ensured that the heating and cooling systems in 13 buildings are working at maximum efficiency. In addition, it replaced lighting systems in 73 buildings. Those measures will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5,000 tons annually, the university says, and will save $1 million a year in energy costs. UConn also has a climate action plan with more than 200 "action items" for reducing UConn's carbon footprint.
Yale's standing was strong because of its commitment in 2005 to reduce carbon emissions by 43 percent by the year 2020 and for its 14 highly energy-efficient buildings.
