American University: Sustainability and Conservation By Ruth Samuelson

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American University Sustainability and
ConservationBy Ruth Samuelson

• Ruth Samuelson

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About AU

• Located in Washington D.C.
• 5,866 undergraduate students, 3,263 graduate
  students and 1,688 law school students.
• Opened in 1914.
• 594 fulltime faculty and 428 adjunct faculty
  members.

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Sustainability Leadership and campus support

• Sustainability coordinator
• Created by Environmental Issues Project
  Committee.
• Facilities and Custodial Services leaders
• Eco-Sense (the undergraduate group)
• The Environmental Law Society (the Washington
  College of Law group)
• Sustainable Development Law and Policy (law
  journal)
• Environmental Issues Project Committee.

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Positive First Steps

• Talloires Declaration
• longstanding recycling program
• 43 percent of waste stream is recycled
• -composting and biodiesel companies
• Fruitful relationships with D.C. organizations
• Efficient irrigation system

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Plans for the future

• Better energy monitoring system
• Broad energy-efficient transportation policy
• no idling vehicles
• use of biodiesel in campus buses
• carpooling spaces for cars
• bike racks.

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Educating the people

• Environmental Studies Department B.A., M.S., and
  Certificate of Environmental Assessment.
• B.A. 52 credit hours, including internship,
  field work or independent study.
• Core requirements
• 15 social science credits
• 19 environmental studies
• 18-20 natural sciences
• Washington College of Law has more than 30
  environment-related classes and offers a
  concentration in environmental law.

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Questions?