According to the Sierra Club's fourth annual Coolest Schools ranking, Miami University is falling behind in it's cool factor.
This year, Miami dropped 40 spots on the Sierra Club's list of America's greenest campuses, falling from 87 to 127.
Universities from all over the country are asked to fill out surveys and are then rated from one to 10 in the areas of academics, administration, efficiency, energy, food, purchasing, transportation, waste management, financial investments and other initiatives.
Last year Miami received a 42 out of 100, with a one out of 10 in the energy category.
While Miami received a 50.2 out of 100 this year, the university's overall ranking went down.
One reason for the lower score could be the fact that 162 schools responded to the survey in 2010, while only 135 schools responded in 2009. However, more importantly, the lower ranking indicates other colleges and universities are raising the bar when it comes to environmental sustainability.
David Prytherch, Miami's sustainability coordinator, has worked with the university since 2009. He attributed Miami's low environmental rating to the university's dependence on coal.
According to Prytherch, Miami is working to improve its environmental standing.
"The university is developing long-term strategies for shifting away from coal toward alternative energy such as renewables or natural gas, which release fewer pollutants like carbon dioxide," he said.
Additionally, Miami created the Environmental Sustainability Committee and the Presidential Task Force in 2008.
The committee's self-proclaimed mission statement is "promoting environmentally and economically sustainable practices at Miami University through collaboration between students, faculty, staff and the wider community."
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Students have also been taking steps to improve environmental sustainability on campus. Green Oxford is the largest student-led sustainability effort at Miami.
Senior Ben Stockwell, vice president of information for Green Oxford, said little things can make a big difference.
"Simple actions have a large price for our community," he said.
From turning off lights to unplugging appliances, students can make little changes that save energy and resources.
First-year Alison Heimert said she tries to make a habit of conserving energy whenever possible.
"I try to always turn off the lights when I leave the room and to take shorter showers," Heimert said.
Stockwell said Green Oxford continues to inform students about coal by organizing events to raise awareness.
Last year, Green Oxford hosted Coal Week, which aimed to inform students about the negative impacts of having a coal plant on Miami's campus. According to a study done by Anthony Ferraro with the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University, the vast majority of Miami's carbon footprint comes from coal-derived electricity, whether produced on campus or purchased from Duke Energy.
Green Oxford is planning to host the event again in the fall along with a speaking series on coal throughout the year.
According to Prytherch, people need to work together to bring about environmental change.
"Over the past few years Miami has made an increasing focus toward environmental sustainability," Prytherch said.
He said the Farmer School of Business is the first building on campus to be LEED silver certified. In order for a building receive a LEED certification, there must be extensive recycling and efficiency with respect to heating, cooling and lighting systems, Prytherch said. Builders must also reuse deconstruction and construction materials while preserving mature trees and green space during construction.
He said the university hopes to get more LEED certified buildings in the future.
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