By Susan Kinzie
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Nearly 300 college presidents have agreed to raise awareness about global warming and limit their institutions' emissions in moving toward "climate neutrality."

Modeled after the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment has a goal of driving environmental change through research, education and reduced emissions. So far, 280 schools -- including the University of Maryland, James Madison University and Howard Community College -- have signed the pledge.

Sweet Briar College President Elisabeth Muhlenfeld said it wasn't difficult to commit her rural Virginia school, especially because it's a small campus and environmental studies are an important focus at the college. Two challenges will be its historic buildings, which have very old heating and cooling systems, and making changes without a large endowment. But faculty and staff members and students are working on ideas -- including scattering Sweet Briar-pink bicycles around campus.

Davis Bookhart, director of the sustainability initiative at Johns Hopkins University, said his school probably will not sign the commitment but is likely to use it as a blueprint. At a large school with a medical center and lots of real estate, he said, it is more complicated to figure out an exact "carbon footprint," the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the university. "If a student goes on spring break to Daytona Beach, are we responsible for that, too?" Bookhart asked.

Bookhart noted that only months ago it would not have seemed possible that so many schools would sign such a pledge. "The snowball effect has kind of gotten going," he said.