Promoting a healthy planet

Colorado State’s commitment to sustainability runs deep

When it comes to developing practical solutions to environmental challenges, Colorado State is a leader on the world stage. Our undergraduates are teaming up with faculty, scientists, engineers and business leaders to promote healthy lives and a healthy planet.

In recent years, students and faculty have helped bring a stable water supply to a 1,200-person rural village in El Salvador; developed two-stroke engines to reduce pollution from taxis in the Philippines; and designed cook stoves that have reduced burn injuries and improved the quality of life in some of the world’s poorest communities.

“The students here are extremely driven, and I think it’s awesome that they’re so passionate about what they’re doing,” says junior Lexi Stephan. “They’re not just here to get a degree; they really want to make a difference.”

Colorado State’s leadership in research into alternative energy solutions dates to the 1960s. CSU was one of the first universities in the country to offer green power as an option to students living on campus, and our scientists created the world’s first engineered solar-heated and -cooled building. In the near future, a wind farm developed by Colorado State will generate enough electricity to power the University.

It’s no wonder that so many students choose to be part of our Live Green Community. Located in Summit Hall, the Live Green Floor is open to students in any major. The floor participates in sustainability initiatives and pilot recycling, composting, water conservation, energy reduction and green power projects.

In addition, faculty members in all eight CSU colleges – from Liberal Arts to Engineering – are addressing issues ranging from water safety and irrigation to human nutrition and infectious disease.

From the time they set foot on campus, our undergraduates have countless opportunities to conduct meaningful research into these areas. They work with some of the world’s foremost experts, and along the way they become experts themselves. It’s all part of being a student at CSU.

“The students here are incredible – they’re an amazing group of young people,” says David Gilkey, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences. “They’re motivated, they’re smart, they’re creative. When you go into the classroom and work with them, you know the world’s going to be OK.”

For more information about Colorado State’s efforts in the realm of sustainability, visit http://www.green.colostate.edu.