Detroit University of Mich. going green -- environmentally School plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025

By Jeff Karoub Associated Press DETROIT (AP) -- The University of Michigan is putting millions of dollars into a broad-based effort to boost energy conservation and other forms of environmental sustainability, officials announced this week. University President Mary Sue Coleman said the Ann Arbor-based school plans by 2025 to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent, decrease university vehicle carbon output by 30 percent for every occupant and shrink the amount of waste sent to landfills by 40 percent. Coleman announced $14 million in commitments to the goal. That's in addition to $64 million in energy-efficient construction activity and $20 million supporting sustainability efforts on campus. As part of the plan, the university is buying 37 hybrid vehicles, including seven hybrid buses that will begin to arrive on campus in December. The university also is working with DTE Energy to install solar panels on its North Campus, and a golf center on its South Campus will be heated and cooled with geothermal technology. It's also creating a minor in sustainability and hiring faculty who are experts in the field. Coleman and other officials described the goals as broad and ambitious, encompassing education, global research and university operations. University officials say more than 500 students, faculty and staff took part in a two-year study that led to the plan announced Tuesday. "I want the message to be clear: Sustainability defines the University of Michigan. Combine maize and blue, and you get green," Coleman said in prepared remarks that kicked off the university's annual EarthFest celebration. The University of Michigan said its plan is among the largest and broadest of its kind, though similar efforts are under way at campuses nationwide. University of Oregon officials this month set a goal of expanding the campus without increasing energy use. New campus buildings would have to meet higher energy efficiency requirements, at least 35 percent more efficient than required under state building codes. Miami University of Ohio said in April it aims to eliminate coal as an on-campus power source by 2025, and the University of Utah last year released a 56-page plan to become carbon neutral during the next 40 years. Utah looks to convert diesel-powered shuttles to cleaner-burning natural gas and promote carpooling, car-sharing and bicycling and more use of electric utility vehicles by maintenance workers. Michigan is joining about 260 institutions from the U.S. and Canada participating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The tracking system known by its acronym STARS involves public reporting of comprehensive information related to a college's or university's sustainability performance. Participants in STARS include in-state rival Michigan State University. Published: Thu, Sep 29, 2011