Most students have grown accustomed to printing their homework on single-sided paper. Now, University Libraries and copy centers decided to make a switch from default single-sided printing to printing on both sides of the page, ushering in a new way for students to save on paper.
 
The switch, which has already been implemented at campus libraries, could reduce printing- and copy-paper volumes by as much as 35 percent. This past spring quarter, 1.54 million pieces of paper went through university copiers or printers, said Katy Folk-Way, assistant director for Creative Communications, the UW department that oversees printing and copying. Folk-Way also noted that 85 percent of these pages were printed or copied single-sided.

After years of planning and research, the UW Climate Action Plan (CAP) is complete. The document, which was produced by students, faculty and administrators, outlines areas where the UW is already doing well in environmental sustainability and points out where the UW still has a lot of progress to make. The CAP doesn’t contain any actual plans that will be implemented, but instead, refers to itself as “a plan to plan.”
It is between now and fall of 2010 — when a detailed implementation document is expected to be released — that all of this “exploring” will take place. The students, now more than ever, need to be involved in voicing their sustainability needs, concerns, goals and desires to the administration. Because, in times of great progress, it is possible for overzealous oversight to occur.

The university’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) was finalized and signed by President Emmert earlier this month, meeting it’s Sept. 15 deadline. The Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC) called for student feedback on a working draft of the plan last spring. “Climate change is a critical issue affecting our environment locally, regionally and globally,” said members of ESAC Sandra Archibald and Ruth Johnston in an e-mail to The Daily. “As a leading research University in the nation, our goal is to maintain our leadership position in environmental stewardship, and we demonstrate this with launching the new UW College of the Environment and developing our Climate Action Plan.” The plan outlines several steps the school needs to take in order fulfill its obligations as a signatory of the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, an effort to address global warming. The University has been successful in lowering its total greenhouse gas emissions since 2000.
 

The UW was ranked second in the country by Sierra Magazine for the University's sustainability efforts, and it was also named to the 2010 Green Rating Honor Roll by the Princeton Review.

Sierra Magazine, the official publication of the Sierra Club, judged each institution on eight factors: efficiency, energy, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management and administration. The UW achieved a score of 98 out of 100 points, moving up from ninth place last year. For more information on the Sierra rankings, click here.

The Princeton Review rankings cover three broad areas: the campus quality of life for students (whether it is healthy and sustainable), educational preparation for meeting environmental challenges, and the university's overall commitment to environmental issues. Only 15 institutions were selected for the honor roll from among 697 that completed a survey. The UW received the highest possible score under the Review's rating system. For more information click here.