Watch out College of the Atlantic, the University of Southern Maine is “greening up.”

Portland-based USM may not be ready to unseat COA as the world’s greenest college (see previous post), but the Portland-based school is taking the sustainable campus movement seriously.

The school's Abromson Community Education Center in Portland was the state's first to win “Gold” certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Former President Richard Pattenaude signed a pledge this year to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy use and investing in environmentally sustainable practices. The school also has been working to incorporate environmental issues into courses on criminology, business and other subjects.

Now USM has created a new minor in environmental sustainability. The program, which will be up and running this fall, is intended to provide broad training to help take on the world’s toughest environmental problems.  The 19 required credits cover such subjects as science, culture, policy, philosophy and economics.
 
For more information about the new program, look here or contact Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Travis Wagner at 207-228-8450, twagner@usm.maine.edu.

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