A survey released late last month by an environmental group, the Sustainable Endowments Institute, indicated a mixed review of Penn State's actions to increase sustainability on campus. Penn State received a grade of A on administration and food recycling and a grade of B on climate change and energy and green building.

Failing grades were received in the categories of endowment transparency and shareholder engagement and Penn State received a C+ overall in sustainability. This tied Penn State with Iowa and Northwestern for fourth in the Big Ten conference.

When considering these grades, it would seem that Penn State is making more progress than a C+ would suggest. The policies which received the highest grades (food recycling, climate change and energy and green building) are among the most important, at least from the viewpoint that environmental policies should work effectively and visibly.

The visibility of these efforts is important because it helps to illustrate the importance of day-to-day recycling programs. It would seem likely that students would be more likely to participate in a recycling program that is well-publicized and effective, rather than a program which is perceived as ineffective and isolated.

The failing grades that Penn State received from the Sustainable Endowments Institute indicated poor achievement in endowment and transparency and shareholder engagement, which really seem to relate much less to environmental and sustainability concerns. Essentially, these categories might be of more concern in the long-run, but the solutions that have already been implemented seem to indicate a commitment on behalf of the university to increased sustainablity. In addition, information will be added later to the data already compiled on these failing categories which will boost the grades, according to the Institute, so all is not as dreary as it may seem on this front.

Overall, Penn State is viewed as a leader in sustainablity and is one of 26 schools to receive the title "campus sustainability leader" from the Institute. One might view this progress and recommend a similar course of action to the State College Borough, which could provide additional recycling options downtown for students and insure that new buildings conform to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) specifications, which Penn State is seeking for its new buildings. In addition, apartment buildings could help the cause of improving the environment and long-term sustainability by providing recycling bins of different types for glass, plastic, newspaper and waste.

When considering this issue, it is important to realize that additional money spent today can reap major rewards in the future. Those rewards can be in the tangible form of energy savings and better sustainability in the future, in addition to the broad benefits provided by a cleaner environment.