Sustainability
Harvard Falls Short on 2020 Goals to Reduce Waste and Water Use
Despite reductions in campus greenhouse gas emissions, Harvard failed to meet 2020 waste and water reduction goals set forth by the University’s 2014 Sustainability Plan.
Students Push for On and Off Campus Sustainability Efforts
Members of the Harvard Undergraduate Resource Efficiency Program have adapted their work to suit a virtual semester, pushing students to make sustainable choices and working to engage students on environmental issues before this fall’s elections.
Panel Examines Combating Climate Change Through Private and Public Reforms
Climate leaders, Harvard faculty, and current students discussed the governmental actions and economic reforms needed to address climate change during an online webinar on Thursday.
Harvard Forms Presidential Committee on Sustainability
Harvard has created a “Presidential Committee on Sustainability” to advise University President Lawrence S. Bacow and other top administrators, the University announced Monday.
Harvard Green Initiative
Pedestrians walk by a recycling bin in Harvard Square on Tuesday afternoon.
Swartz Hall Renovations Involve Reducing Chemical Presence in Building
Scientific research from Harvard’s Healthier Building Materials Academy is being used to reduce chemical presence in the building formerly known as Andover Hall, according to a blog post from the Divinity School Director of Operations Ralph DeFlorio.
Divinity School Sustainable Building
Swartz Hall, located at the Harvard Divinity School, is undergoing serious renovations with the goal to create a more sustainable building. The construction project will upgrade the building's electrical, plumbing, and climate control systems.
Harvard Pilots ‘Space-Age Technology’ in New Lowell Suite
Freshly renovated Lowell House features a new "Dynamic Energy Suite" – a six-bedroom pod of dorm rooms with built-in technological enhancements that monitor power consumption and adjust lighting for better sleep and energy efficiency.
Lowell House Sustainability
A Harvard student reads a panel documenting the energy consumption of different rooms in Lowell House.
Harvard Summarizes Campus Development and Statistics in Annual Town Gown Report
Harvard presented its annual Town Gown report to the Cambridge Planning Board Tuesday, outlining 2018 campus infrastructure projects, University initiatives, and affiliate statistics.
Students Pack Harvard College Women’s Center for Environmental Justice Discussion
Six different student groups hosted the event, in which participants discussed the challenges facing environmental justice activism on campus.
Environmental Discussion
Julie S. Chung ('20) poses a question to the attendees of the Environmentalism as Social Justice discussion.
Environmental Discussion
James H. Coleman ('21) responds to a discussion question about the Green New Deal, a political initiative designed to address climate change. Other discussion topics included intersectionality in environmentalism and media coverage of climate change.
City of Cambridge Urges Residents to Recycle, Compost As Part of 'Zero Waste' Initiative
“Zero Waste importantly does not mean zero trash, but it does try to bring us to a more sustainable waste diversion and recycling and reduction practice,” said Vice Mayor Jan Devereux.
A Look Inside the Smith Campus Center, Harvard's New 'Living Room'
When visitors enter the newly opened Smith Campus Center, they'll walk past green, plant-covered walls before grabbing a cup of coffee and finding a comfy seat.
2017 Sustainability Report Highlights Progress, Features New Graphics
The Office for Sustainability released its 2017 Sustainability report, highlighting reductions in trash production per capita and water use, among other improvements.
Sustainability Group Builds 'Mt. Trashmore'
Freshmen making their way to Annenberg on Wednesday morning passed by a mountain of trash including greasy pizza boxes, rotting food, and crumpled red cups.
Mt. Trashmore
Mt. Trashmore, a towering mountain made of all of Harvard Yard's Tuesday trash, appeared Wednesday outside Annenberg Memorial Hall. 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 sustainability.
Experts Explore Challenges in Food Regulation Policy
From stifling innovation to encouraging excessive food waste, speakers at the 4th annual Harvard-UCLA Food Law and Policy Conference on Friday criticized the current food regulatory environment.
Harvard Reduced Emissions, Water Use, Waste in 2016
The report, released Friday, detailed recent progress in Harvard’s schools efforts to reduce waste and emissions.
HUIDs Will Double as CharlieCards for Class of 2021
Harvard University IDs will double as MBTA CharlieCards for the incoming Class of 2021 in a pilot program, the Undergraduate Council announced at their general meeting on Sunday.
Campus Landscape Services Now Use Battery-Powered Equipment
Landscape Services, a unit of Harvard Campus Services, is replacing their traditional, fuel-powered landscaping equipment with battery-powered counterparts in an attempt to reduce noise and air pollution.
Green
A faucet runs in a Harvard bathroom. Green ’20, the College’s freshman sustainability think tank, aims to correct misunderstandings about tap water.
Khurana, Mankiw Endorse Tap Water Campaign
Green '20, the College's freshman sustainability think tank, seeks to correct misinformation about tap water.
Climate Change Solutions Fund Awards $1 Million to Seven Research Projects
Harvard’s Climate Change Solutions Fund awarded approximately $1 million in grants to scholars from across the University, funding seven projects dedicated to understanding and combating climate change.