The “Community Compact for a Sustainable Future” lays out a framework for the signatories — and other organizations that choose to join — to work in a more coordinated fashion to tackle local sustainability challenges. The compact aims to generate new solutions in the areas of waste reduction, energy efficiency, climate mitigation and adaptation, water management, renewable energy and green tech incubation.

Second Nature and Planet Forward have announced Missouri University of Science and Technology as the winner of the video voting component of the 2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards. The video, which details how the university's solar village, community energy storage bank and geothermal energy system will save an expected $2.8 million per year in energy and operational costs, collected 16,374 votes and will be featured across Planet Forward media platforms over the next few months.

The university has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from heating and electricity by 44 percent between 2006 and 2012. Campus-wide oil consumption was reduced by 48 percent over the seven-year period. Electricity use dropped by 11 percent, resulting in fewer upstream emissions from utility production, and the campus saw a 26 percent reduction in water use.

The university has lowered its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 26 percent compared to a 2001 baseline. Emissions are expected to continue their downward trajectory in coming years as more efficiency projects on campus are completed, new policies and practices are considered, and the university’s transportation demand management and outreach and behavioral programs continue to expand.

The college met its climate neutrality goal in the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, becoming the largest institution to reach that goal to date. Climate neutrality was achieved through several initiatives including a switch to 100-percent renewable electricity, use of sustainably harvested wood biomass as its primary fuel for heat and hot water, increasing energy efficiency, lowering temperatures in buildings and waste management initiatives.

The university’s Carbon Fund Committee has awarded over $30,000 to six projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus and the surrounding community. Projects include installing LED lighting; working with at-risk youth to build bike generators; improving the BLEST machine, which is used to convert waste plastic into bio-diesel; conducting a bike route quality and safety index; and the development of a new smart phone application that will show on-campus residents how much energy their building is consuming.

(U.S.): Greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by seven percent since 2008 according to an updated report. The university is in the process of converting boilers from oil to cleaner burning natural gas, is installing efficient lighting and water upgrades, and is introducing other HVAC upgrades in an effort to lower emissions 20 percent by 2020.

The National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC) has released a draft climate report that includes more than 240 authors. Following extensive review by the National Academies of Sciences and by the public, this report will be revised by the NCADAC and, after additional review, will be submitted to the Federal Government for consideration in the Third National Climate Assessment Report.

Students have planted 26 new trees as part of a larger Carbon Offsetting Initiative designed to create ways to offset the college’s carbon output. Students and administrators had already planted the first tree of the project in September. With the addition of 30 trees planted in collaboration with the Oberlin Rotary Club and the city of Oberlin, the project now totals 57 new trees in the Oberlin area.

(U.S.): Despite an increase in square footage, students, and staff; the university’s overall greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 12 percent since 2008. These findings were released in recognition of Campus Sustainability Day by the university’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office.

(Egypt): The university has conducted a comprehensive study of its own impact on climate change. The report, prepared by the Desert Development Center and the Office of Sustainability, is the result of campus-wide efforts incorporating the work of faculty, students and staff. It identifies many strategies for reducing the university’s carbon footprint and energy expenditures.

A recent five-year report released by the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) reveals that collectively, the ACUPCC network of almost 700 signatories has reduced gross greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent since 2007. Released in conjunction with the ACUPCC's annual Climate Leadership Summit, the report also states that more than 30 percent of signatories have targeted climate neutrality within 20 years and, by 2022, signatories are projected to reduce their gross emissions by more than 50 percent.

During a recent a three-day Appalachian Energy Summit hosted by Appalachian State University and Rocky Mountain Institute, representatives from all 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system and five private colleges made a signatory commitment to work toward carbon neutrality by 2050. The inaugural event was designed to aid in the creation of actionable energy plans that benefit students, the environment and the local economy. The summit launches a multi-year process in which participating campuses will collaborate to set goals, share best practices and educate leadership on integrated design and the latest technologies. The five private colleges include Catawba College, Davidson College, Duke University, Warren Wilson College and Wake Forest University.

The Students on Ice Alumni Delegation, an international group of students under the age of 24, recently lobbied for sustainability in the Arctic and Antarctica at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The organization, which received full United Nations accreditation, created a global agreement that addresses the sustainable development challenges facing the Polar Regions.

"You might not see it in person, but climate's changing just the same," sings University of Chicago geophysical sciences assistant professor Dorian Abbot in a new music video that is a ZZ Top-influenced Chicago rendition of last year's "I'm a Climate Scientist." Abbot collaborated with two other climate scientists at the university to capture the importance of the issue with humor. "We are so concerned about issues on global climate change that we are willing to make absolute fools of ourselves," said professor David Archer, who also appears in the video.

The university Office of Sustainability has produced a three-minute animated video that summarizes recent efforts to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The video is part of an outreach campaign that will ask faculty, staff and students for suggestions regarding improvements to the university's Climate Action Plan.

Research of climate-driven impacts is a major focus of the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council's 2012 Research Alliance Collaborative Research Grants. The grants are designed to encourage entrepreneurship and new company creation. University of Rhode Island scientists are collaborators in seven of the eight funded projects, totaling $1.4 million. Studies include "Revealing Active Responses of the Ocean State's Marshes to Climate Change with Biogeochemistry & Environmental Genomics" and "Climate-Driven Impacts on the Formation and Persistence of Macroalgal Blooms."

Stonehill College has become the twelfth Catholic college to sign the St. Francis Pledge of the Catholic Climate Covenant, committing the college to support campus sustainability efforts. The college has also created an organic farm that grows and distributes produce to local organizations and families who lack access to affordable fresh fruits or vegetables.

Second Nature and the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have announced the 10 winners of the Third Annual Climate Leadership Awards, presented to ACUPCC signatory schools that demonstrate "unparalleled campus innovation and climate leadership that helps transition society to a clean, just and sustainable future." The winning academic institutions include Arizona State University, University of South Florida, Allegheny College (Pennsylvania), Luther College, (Iowa), Austin Community College District (Texas), Haywood Community College (North Carolina), Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Central Missouri, Pratt Institute and PALS (New York), and the University of California System.

The university's video, featuring climate innovations like a 12,000 solar panel-array, was selected by the public as the favorite of the 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Award finalists. The video is being featured in continued publicity with Planet Forward, which spotlighted the effort at its national Moving the Planet Forward conference in April. Twenty finalists are under consideration for this year's Climate Leadership Awards, which will be presented at the Climate Leadership Summit in June.

The university recently became one of six colleges and universities to endorse the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor, a nationwide effort led by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. The pledge is a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations and institutions to advocate on behalf of people in poverty who face impacts of global climate change.

(U.S.): The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute of Sonoma will collaborate with California State University, Monterey Bay; the University of California, Davis; and the University of North Dakota to study changes in ecosystems, climate and biodiversity over a 10-year period. The findings will help develop products to aid land managers, agricultural producers and water managers throughout the U.S.

The American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is celebrating its five year anniversary with new data that reveals an annual average of 970 metric tons saved in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by signatories that have submitted more than one greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Collectively, the ACUPCC network has purchased more than 1.28 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits, making it the third-largest buyer in the country. Eighty-two percent of signatories reported savings in the range of $46.8 and $246.7 million from their Climate Action Plans.

The Student Government at the University of Colorado Boulder has reached carbon neutrality with its student-fee funded facilities. The three facilities have reduced energy use by 15 percent over the last five years, when the goal was first announced, and saved about $1.6 million in energy costs. To offset the remaining emissions needed to reach zero, student fees were used for projects including solar thermal installations to heat water for low-income housing.

With the help of energy efficiency measures including fixing gas leaks, replacing boilers with more efficient models and more efficient lighting, the Maharishi University of Management (IA) has reduced its carbon count by about 22 percent over the past three years. Stationary combustion (such as natural gas appliances) has been reduced by 23 percent; mobile combustion by 35 percent; and electricity usage by 22 percent.

Sixty-five signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on Nov. 8, 2011. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. In alphabetical order, new inventories were submitted by: Albion College (MI); American University (DC); Austin College (TX); Bard College (NY); Bowdoin College (ME); Bowie State University (MD); Chatham University (PA); Clark University (MA); Coastal Carolina University (SC); Delta College (MI); DePauw University (IN); Eckerd College (FL); George Mason University (VA); George Washington University (DC); Gonzaga University (WA); Grand Valley State University (MI); Hamilton College (NY); Haverford College (PA); Indiana State University; Lorain County Community College (OH); Macalester College (MN); Maharishi University of Management (IA); Massachusetts College of Art & Design; Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; McLennan Community College (TX); Montclair State University (NJ); Ohio University; Ohlone College (CA); Oregon State University; Phoenix College (AZ); Seattle University (WA); Sewanee: The University of the South (TN); Southern Polytechnic State University (GA); St. Lawrence University (NY); St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (MO); State University of New York College at Oswego; Stetson University (FL); The City College of New York; Trident Technical College (SC); University of Arizona; University of Arkansas; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, San Francisco; University of Colorado Boulder; University of Hawaii at Manoa; University of Maryland Baltimore; University of Maryland Baltimore County; University of Maryland College Park; University of Massachusetts Lowell; University of Minnesota-Crookston; University of Minnesota-Rochester; University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; University of Missouri-Columbia; University of Missouri-Kansas City; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Vermont; University of Washington Tacoma; University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Valdosta State University (GA); Villanova University (PA); Wentworth Institute of Technology (MA); Wesley College (DE); West Chester University of Pennsylvania; and Western Washington University. In related news, State University of New York Institute of Technology has released a greenhouse gas inventory.

Nineteen new campuses have submitted Climate Action Plans (CAPs) as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on Nov. 1, 2011. CAPs illustrate the specific steps that institutions are taking to reach climate neutrality and are the second major reporting requirement of the Commitment, due within two years of signing. The new submissions are, in alphabetical order: Antioch University Seattle (WA); Castleton State College (VT); Community College of Baltimore County (MD); Edmonds Community College (WA); Gateway Technical College (WI); Lorain County Community College (OH); Montana State University – Bozeman; Northeast Lakeview College (TX); Northwest Vista College (TX); Palo Alto College (TX); San Antonio College (TX); School of the Art Institute of Chicago (IL); St. Philip's College (TX); University of Arizona; University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Maryland Baltimore; University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In related news, Emory University (GA) has announced carbon reduction goals in a new Climate Action Plan.

Thirty-eight signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on June 21, 2011. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. In alphabetical order, new inventories were submitted by: Arizona State University; Bentley University (MA); Carleton College (MN); Cedar Valley College (TX); Centre College (KY); College of Charleston (SC); College of Saint Rose (NY); Colorado State University; Hampshire College (MA); Heartland Community College (IL); Labette Community College (KS); Loyola University New Orleans (LA); Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI); Montgomery County Community College (PA); New Mexico State University Dona Ana Branch; Pomona College (CA); Pratt Institute (NY); Rochester Institute of Technology (NY); Rogue Community College (OR); Santa Clara University (CA); Southern Connecticut State University; State University of New York College at Cortland; State University of New York College at Geneseo; State University of New York at Stony Brook; The Ohio State University - Columbus Campus; The Universities at Shady Grove (MD); Truckee Meadows Community College (NV); University of Central Missouri; University of Louisville (KY); University of Minnesota-Duluth; University of Southern Maine; University of Southern Mississippi; University of Tennessee, Knoxville; University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Virginia Commonwealth University; and Western Connecticut State University. In related news, Yale University (CT) and Bowdoin University (ME) have released greenhouse gas reduction progress reports.

Eighteen new campuses have submitted Climate Action Plans (CAPs) as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on June 6, 2011. CAPs illustrate the specific steps that institutions are taking to reach climate neutrality and are the second major reporting requirement of the Commitment, due within two years of signing. The new submissions are, in alphabetical order: Bainbridge Graduate Institute (WA), Carleton College (MN), Chaffey College (CA), Colgate University (NY), Eckerd College (FL), Fairfield University (CT), Hiram College (OH), Illinois College, Messiah College (PA), Northern Kentucky University, Rochester Institute of Technology (NY), St. Lawrence University (NY), State University of New York College at Cortland, State University of New York at Orange, Trident Technical College (SC), University of Maryland Eastern Shore, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Employees, students and departments at Duke University (NC) can now buy offsets through the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative to lower the emissions they can't reduce or avoid. The offsets support university-sponsored greenhouse gas emission reduction projects. With offsets starting at $10 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, about $30 will offset a year of university-related carbon emissions by an average employee.

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has partnered with Second Nature to implement a climate studies course at 100 minority-serving institutions (MSI) across the country. The National Science Foundation awarded the AMS Education Program $1,028,705 to implement the course over a five-year period. The project will introduce and enhance geoscience coursework at MSIs with a focus on American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) signatories and/or members of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation.

A team of researchers at Michigan State University are working to give farmers the necessary tools to help cope with climate variability and lessen its negative impact on agriculture. The five-year project is funded by a $5 million grant from the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Spanning 12 states from North Dakota to Ohio, the study will develop models to predict how climate scenarios could affect corn and soybean growth and profits. The study will also identify the best ways to deliver the information to farmers.

The University of New Hampshire has partnered with independent nonprofit Climate Counts to expand the effort to bring consumers and companies together in addressing the climate crisis. Climate Counts will operate its main office on campus to take advantage of the university’s climate research, engaged scholarship and campus-wide Sustainability Academy. The partnership will provide new research opportunities for students and will advance the work of Carbon Solutions New England, which conducts independent analysis and research on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and growing economic opportunities.

A new report released by the Guardian reveals that British universities are on track to fail to meet carbon emissions targets set by the government. Academic institutions have been told to reduce their emissions by 48 percent between 2005 and 2020. According to the People & Planet Green League of UK higher education institutions, the emissions from the 142 universities that provided data for the survey have risen 3.9 percent in total since last year, despite the fact that funding for English universities is linked to their ability to meet these targets.

Second Nature recently honored several institutions with its 2nd Annual Climate Leadership Award. Award recipients, recognized during the 5th Annual American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Summit on June 23, include University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maine; University of California, Irvine; Frostburg State University (MD); Delaware State University; Green Mountain College (VT); Colgate University (NY); Mount Wachusett Community College (MA); Montgomery County Community College (NC); and Bunker Hill Community College (MA).

Forty-one signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on April 4, 2011. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. In alphabetical order, new inventories were submitted by Alfred State College SUNY College of Technology; American University (DC); Aquinas College (MI); Bucknell University (PA); Catawba College (NC); Colby-Sawyer College (NH); College of Saint Mary (NE); Colorado Mountain College; Columbia Gorge Community College (OR); Dakota County Technical College (MN); Des Moines Area Community College (IA); Eastern Iowa Community College District; Fayetteville State University (NC); Finger Lakes Community College (NY); Glendale Community College (AZ); Heartland Community College (IL); Ithaca College (NY); Keene State College (NH); New Mexico State University at Alamogordo; New College of Florida; Ohio University; Olympic College (WA); Oregon Institute of Technology; Paul Smith's College of Arts and Sciences (NY); Queens University of Charlotte (NC); Roxbury Community College (MA); Saint Peter's College (NJ); Sweet Briar College (VA); Temple University (PA); The Ohio State University; University of Florida; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; University of Miami (FL); University of Missouri; University of New Mexico-Los Alamos; University of New Mexico-Taos; University of Vermont; Utah State University; Virginia Wesleyan College; Wesleyan College (GA); and William Rainey Harper College (IL).

New York University's Climate Action Plan was recently honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the 11th annual Clean Air Excellence Awards. The awards recognized 12 programs across the U.S. for innovative efforts in achieving cleaner air and education efforts that help citizens make better informed environmental decisions. The university was recognized in the Community Action category for directly reducing pollutant emissions, demonstrating innovation, offering sustainable outcomes and providing a model for others to follow.

Through Puget Sound Energy's new Carbon Balance Program, Seattle University (WA) has offset 100 percent of the natural gas used to heat campus buildings and reduced net greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings by 96 percent. The university purchased carbon offsets from a Washington dairy farm that captures methane gas released by manure and burns it in an on-site generator to produce electricity. Puget Sound Energy's recently launched program aims to help natural gas customers reduce their carbon footprint.

University leadership was factored into the new list of top 10 climate-ready cities in the U.S. by new media company Triple Pundit. The list looks at which large U.S. cities are mitigating their impact on climate change as well as investing in appropriate climate change adaptation solutions. Other ranking elements included political commitment, green buildings, transit access and use, clean tech investment, and energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Twenty-two new campuses have submitted Climate Action Plans (CAPs) as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on Feb. 7, 2011. The plans illustrate the specific steps schools are taking to reach climate neutrality. The CAP is the second major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within two years of signing. The new submissions are, in alphabetical order: Albion College (MI); Alfred University (NY); Bemidji State University (MN); Bergen Community College (NJ); Case Western Reserve University (OH); DePauw University (IN); Drury University (MO); Lake Superior College (MN); Mercer County Community College (NJ); Missouri University of Science & Technology; Pomona College (CA); Roxbury Community College (MA); St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (MO); State University of New York Upstate Medical University; The Ohio State University - Columbus; University of La Verne (CA); University of New England (ME); University of New Mexico-Taos; University of South Carolina Upstate; Valencia Community College (FL); Wells College (NY); and Willamette University (OR).

Dr. David Caruso, president of Antioch University New England, has been named to Second Nature's Adaptation Committee. Composed of higher education and climate adaptation experts, the committee will be introduced during the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Climate Leadership Summit in June. The committee will evaluate how colleges and universities can use research, teaching, knowledge, skills and local outreach to serve as climate adaptation hubs in their communities.

Advocating that today's generation of leaders act as trustees for future generations, youth climate activists recently held a series of iMatter marches and demonstrations around the globe. The iMatter organization - targeted at elementary- to college-aged youth - has also announced plans to sue the U.S. government, calling for a drastic reduction in emissions immediately. "We do have a legal right to insist that the planet is protected for our future and for generations to come," says the iMatter website. "We need our government to protect the atmosphere by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and put an end to our unhealthy reliance on fossil fuels."

Syracuse University (NY) recently became one of the first institutions in North America to achieve Climate Registered™ status by successfully measuring its carbon footprint with The Climate Registry. As one of the founding reporters of the nonprofit organization, the university voluntarily committed to measure, independently verify and publicly report its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) on an annual basis using The Climate Registry General Reporting Protocol. The protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG measurement standards of the World Resource Institute and World Bank Council for Sustainable Development.

Yale University (CT) recently hosted the "Changing Planet" town hall in partnership with NBC Learn - the educational arm of NBC News - the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Discover magazine. The event brought together more than 100 students and panelists including the director of the Yale Climate and Energy Institute, the founder and coordinator of the Energy Action Coalition, a geosciences professor at Texas Tech University and the chief sustainability officer at DuPont. Available for viewing on the NSF, NBC Learn and Discover websites, the town hall was intended to encourage student learning and dialogue about climate change by gathering scientists, thought leaders and university students to discuss the facts of climate science, the dynamics of its impact and to brainstorm solutions. A special print adaptation of "Changing Planet" will appear in the June issue of Discover magazine.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the results of its fifth annual College and University Green Power Challenge. The University of Pennsylvania held on to the top individual school title, purchasing more than 200 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power or 47 percent of its power purchases. The Big Ten conference surpassed the Ivy League conference for the first time as the top athletic conference in the challenge with an annual green power usage of more than 256 million kWh. This year's challenge participation increased to 69 competing institutions from 59 last year, representing 31 conferences nationwide. More than 1.5 billion kWh of annual green power usage were recorded, the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of more than 132,000 homes.

Colleges and universities in the U.S. reported significant reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions in 2010, according to an annual report just released by the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The report provides an overview of ACUPCC signatory schools that are creating and implementing comprehensive plans to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from their campus operations. Also integral to these plans are activities that promote education, research and community engagement. For the first time a significant number of schools - more than 250 - have submitted updates to their original greenhouse gas inventories, revealing whether emissions have increased or declined since climate action efforts began in earnest. This group accounted for a net reduction of more than 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. As of December 31, 2010, the ACUPCC network had 676 active members representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Bennington College (VT) has announced a plan to conduct a carbon sequestration analysis of the forests and woodlands on its 400-acre campus to better understand and more accurately measure its institutional carbon budget. The university hopes that its effort to take into account the role of natural and managed vegetation and associated soils in the carbon cycle in its institutional carbon budget will help to establish methods and standards that can be broadly applied by other institutions. Data analysis will begin this coming summer and continue through spring 2012.

Twenty-eight signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on January 31, 2011. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. In alphabetical order, new inventories were submitted by: Antioch University, Seattle (WA); Bellevue College (WA); Brandeis University (MA); Century College (MN); Community College of Denver (CO); Creighton University (NE); Denison University (OH); Georgian Court University (NJ); Massasoit Community College (MA); Metropolitan State College of Denver (CO); Missouri University of Science & Technology; Oberlin College (OH); Polytechnic University (NY); Salem State College (MA); Shenandoah University (VA); Smith College (MA); State University of New York College at Cortland; State University of New York Empire State College; The University of Montana - Helena College of Technology; The University of Montana – Western; University of Alaska Anchorage; University of Baltimore (MD); University of Massachusetts Boston; University of Richmond (VA); University of South Carolina Lancaster; University of South Carolina Sumter; University of South Carolina Union; and University of South Carolina Upstate. In related news, Bowdoin College (ME) has also completed its greenhouse gas inventory.

The Department of the Interior has dedicated a new Alaska Climate Science Center, hosted by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. This is the first of eight regional climate science centers that the department plans to establish throughout the country. The centers will use existing capacities to provide scientific data, tools and techniques to manage the nation's land, water, fish, wildlife and cultural heritage in a changing climate. Each center will be a partnership between federal and state agencies, and an academic institution or consortium of universities.

The Computation Institute at the University of Chicago (IL) is leading a new multi–institutional, interdisciplinary center to build tools to help governments, the private sector and individuals make better–informed decisions relating to both climate and energy policies and the long–term consequences of climate change. The effort will bring together collaborators at nine institutions under the auspices of a new Center for Robust Decision Making on Climate and Energy Policy, supported by a five–year, $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation as part of the Decision–Making Under Uncertainty program. The center will consist of experts in economics, physical sciences, energy technologies, law, computational mathematics, statistics and computer science. The group will undertake a series of research programs aimed at improving the computational models needed to evaluate energy and climate policies and guide decisions based on outcomes.