Sustainability
REP Mountaineers
David A. Bicknell 15' (left) and Remi P. Gosselnin '18 (right), both from the Resource Efficiency Program (REP), stand by Mt. Trashmore, a towering mountain made of Harvard Yard's Tuesday trash, which appeared Wednesday by Annenberg Memorial Hall. REP created this mountain and the numerous signs around it to draw attention to how much we throw away every day, to encourage recycling, and to give passersby tips about how to live more sustainably.
Design School Launches Center for Sustainable Buildings, Cities
Staff and affiliates will begin researching and developing design strategies to create more sustainable buildings and cities at the center next month.
The Face
A closeup of the face of Mount Trashmore, a towering mountain made of all of Harvard Yard's Tuesday trash, which appeared by Annenberg Memorial Hall on Wednesday. The Resource Efficiency Program (REP) created this mountain and the numerous signs around it to draw attention to how much we throw away every day, to encourage recycling, and to give passersby tips about how to live more sustainably.
Composting Program in Yard Boasts Mostly Positive Results Thus Far
Student representatives from Green ’17 and the Resource Efficiency Program estimate that about half of the freshman class is actively using the compost bins.
'Food Better' Addresses Farmer, Buyer Disconnect
Harvard can take steps to reverse the growing separation between people and the farms that produce their food, panelists said at the Food Better Symposium on Friday.
'Food Better' Campaign Kicks Off
The Food Better campaign kicked off its inaugural year with a presentation at the Harvard Community Garden Monday, one of a week-long series of events designed to improve student awareness on all issues related to food.
Harvard Affiliates Join Thousands of Activists for Climate March
Dozens of Harvard students took their climate change efforts beyond the blockades of Massachusetts Hall this weekend, joining hundreds of thousands of activists in Manhattan.
Composting Initiative
Compost bins, like the one shown above in Thayer Hall, have been placed in all of the freshman dormitories as part of a new waste-diversion program.
Compost Program Rolls Out for Freshman Dorms
Offices across the College have collaborated to roll out a comprehensive residential composting program in all of the 17 freshman dormitories.
Speakers Discuss Sustainable Development and Agriculture in Latin America
Representatives from NGOs working in South America and a Harvard professor spoke about the importance of sustainable agricultural practices within small native communities in South America at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Saturday afternoon.
Divest Harvard Members Block Mass. Hall Entrance, Demand Open Meeting with Corporation
The maneuver kicked off the activist group Divest Harvard’s Day of Action, the latest effort in a two-year-old campaign calling for the University to divest its endowment from the fossil fuel industry.
Food Literacy Project Discusses Power of Urban Farming at Screening and Panel
Speakers predicted the expansion of urban farming on Monday at a panel hosted by the Food Literacy Project and the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
Earth Day Bonanza
Volunteers tune bikes and recycle unwanted goods at the Campus-Wide Earth Day Bonanza in the Science Center Plaza Tuesday.
Harvard Holds First Sustainability Hackathon
Participants from across the University, other Boston schools, and the Boston and Cambridge community tackled several environmental issues at the first Sustainability Hackathon at the Harvard Innovation Lab on Saturday.
News Analysis: UN-Backed Investment Principles Are More Symbol than Action, Experts Say
Although the University has signed onto the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, sustainability and investment experts cautioned that the voluntary nature of the principles are closer to a statement of values than policy.
In letter, More than 100 Faculty Members Call on Faust, Corporation To Divest From Fossil Fuels
More than 100 faculty members from across the University signed an open letter on Thursday urging University President Drew G. Faust and members of the Harvard Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, to divest the University's endowment from fossil fuel companies.
University Will Adopt UN-Backed Investment Principles, Launch New Climate Change Initiatives
The three-fold endeavor will launch a research-focused Climate Change Solutions Fund, increase sustainability measures on campus, and affirm the endowment’s commitment to environmentally sustainable and socially conscious investing.
With Argentine Timberlands Recertified, Local Organizers Lodge Complaints
The independent third-party Rainforest Alliance accredited the plantations, EVASA and Las Misiones, located in northern Argentina, on behalf of FSC.
Green Carpet Awards 2014
The Green Carpet Awards were held on April 2, 2014 in the Knafel Center. Student awardees included Emma Lucken '14, Cliff F. W. Goertemiller '17, and the Green 17 team.
Green Labs Symposium Promotes More Energy-Efficient Labs
The symposium included a networking session, workshops, and a case study of the Smart Labs Initiative at the University of California Irvine.
University Looks to Students in Effort To Drive Down Waste
Efforts by students and staff over the past 25 years have drastically cut the amount of trash each person at Harvard outputs annually, but administrators and undergraduates alike agree that more can be done.
Corporation Subcommittee on Shareholder Responsibility Considers 56 Proposals in 2013
Over the past year, two committees of the Harvard Corporation considered 56 shareholder proposals regarding the social responsibility of the University’s investments, according to an annual report released Thursday.
Boston-Area Students Rally for Fossil Fuel Divestment
More than 150 students from Harvard and other Boston-area colleges rallied Sunday afternoon at the Weeks Footbridge to continue pressuring their administrations to divest their endowments from fossil fuel companies.
15 Questions with Lester Brown
Lester Brown: "I’m often asked, am I an optimist or a pessimist? I like to think I’m a realist. We’re going to have to move very fast if we want to prevent climate change from spiraling out of control."