Sustainability at Harvard

FAS Green Program

FAS Green Program

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences' (FAS) Green Program acts as an umbrella for a wide range of environmental efforts, with the goal of reducing the school’s impacts and of integrating resource consciousness into the fabric of FAS institutional, operational and individual practices.


  • The strategy for meeting the FAS GHG emissions reduction goal

    "An estimated two-thirds of FAS’ reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will be achieved by shaping individuals’ behavior, by ensuring that new construction is as green as possible, and by retrofitting existing buildings to improve energy efficiency. The remainder will be attained through FAS support of fuel switching and general efficiency improvements in the University’s central plant." Read the full article by Steve Bradt.


  • The evolution of the FAS greenhouse gas commitment

    In the fall of 2006, 88 percent of Harvard undergraduates voted to ask FAS administration to commit to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 11 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. In response to their request, the FAS has formed a special steering committee to develop a long-term GHG reduction program. This initial plan was revised over summer and fall 2008 in the light of the University-wide commitment and was officially launched on Nov. 25, 2008. Read the full greenhouse gas reduction plan.

Recent Stories

Does football recycle?

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I don't know; ask Carl Ehrlich to find out:

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Bulb Switch Leads to Big Savings

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Thanks to an intrepid team of mid-evening adventurers, the enthusiasm of the building manager, and 77 new compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), Harvard’s Expository Writing building on Prescott Street has entered a future of big savings. The light bulb switch took less than an hour to complete and will save the University thousands of dollars in the years to come.

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Worms Eat Our Garbage

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Vermiculture has come to Harvard. The FAS Green Program helped set up two worm composting bins at FAS this year – one in our offices and one at a daycare.

Why?

Worm composting is fun, easy, and great for locations like offices where a backyard bin or large-scale pick up is not feasible or too expensive.

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FAS Freecycle a No-Brainer Success

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Allured by the sight of an array of office supplies and kitchenware, students, faculty, staff, and community members flocked to this academic year’s first “FAS Freecycle” on the Science Center lawn last Tuesday. To their astonishment, everything seen was free to take.

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Cellular Networks Unite!

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Where in Harvard Square can you see mobile phones from Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint in one place? When they’re recycled, of course. They have come together in the basement of  the Science Center, where the FAS Green Program has installed a new cell phone recycling bin.

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Students and Post-docs: Apply to be a Lab Sustainability Rep!

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Until Wednesday 9/16, we are accepting applications to be a Lab Sustainability Rep, helping labs conserve resources without adversely impacting research! Lab Sustainability Reps are great resources for the labs which invite us to brainstorm with them because they have experience in lab settings and have seen best practices from a wide range of labs across FAS.

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Become a part of Green'13

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The newest students at Harvard have arrived on campus, and with them comes the newest sustainability initiative from the Resource Efficiency Program (REP). In honor of the class of 2013, we’ve kicked off the “Green ‘13” program. Green ‘13 will encompass all the efforts that the freshman class does to make their lives, and the Harvard community, more sustainable.

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Lab Managers - Get Green Lab Certified!

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The FAS Green Program is proud to announce the requirements for achieving FAS Green Labs Certification!  Since beginning lab visits in Spring 2009, our Lab Sustainability Representatives have seen a wide range of sustainable research practices being implemented across the science departments at FAS, and we would like to recognize the labs that have achieved t

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The Harvard Stuff Sale is Back!

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Browse over $80,000 worth of gently used furniture, school and office supplies, and more at the largest campus surplus sale in the nation.

9am-5pm, August 15-16, 22-23, 27-31; and September 1, 5, 6 on the Science Center Lawn, Cambridge. Proceeds benefit Harvard Habitat for Humanity.

Sponsored by Harvard Recycling and Harvard Habitat for Humanity

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Harvard Forest Sustainability Update

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Since 1907, the Harvard Forest’s mission has been to further research and education in the fields of ecology, forest biology, conservation, and climate change. The Forest’s interest in climate change has recently transcended the realm of science and research and has led to efforts to reduce the Forest’s own carbon footprint.

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