college

More college kids are concerned about the environment than ever before, studies say. And so are designers of university dorms--at least in some parts of the country.

This year, some co-eds at Pitzer College, in Claremont, Calif., are nestling into new dorms that boast rooftop gardens and photovoltaic panels. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, campus officials say that new LEED-certified housing will soon replace all of the old dorms on campus.

Emory University, too, has a new green residence hall that houses about 132 freshmen, the first of nine such dorms the university is planning. This year's five-story dorm has flooring made of recycled auto glass, water-conserving toilets, compact fluorescent lighting and thermostats that can only be set between 70 and 78 degrees, according to an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Officials said that the dorms should use 30 percent less water than a conventional dorm.

To be sure, green dorms have been around for years. In 2003, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh said it had opened the nation's first green dorm, called New Hourse, a project worth about $12.5 million at the time.

CMU's 71,400-square-foot green building, which houses about 255 undergrads, features high-efficiency washing machines, motion-sensor lighting and 18-inch exterior super-insulated walls. The carpeting was even made from recycled yarn. It received the coveted U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver certification.

Elsewhere, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is working on finishing a 2,670-bed apartment complex that will be LEED certified. Among other initiatives, that project is focused on recycling construction waste. If environmentalism starts at home, then some of today's college grads are getting a crash course in green living.