The US Congress has passed the Higher Education Sustainability Act (HESA), the first new federal funding for environmental education in 18 years. As part of HR 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, the act, which is expected to be signed by President Bush, creates a “University Sustainability Grants Program” at the Department of Education. This program is designed to present competitive grants to colleges, universities, and other institutions in order for them to develop academic programs and practices on sustainability.
HESA has been widely supported a variety of organizations - over 220 groups including institutions of higher education, NGOs and corporations. The act also instructs the Department of Education to gather leaders in the field (higher education sustainability experts, federal staff, and business leaders) to collaborate on the practices and principles of sustainability.
“This is an ambitious and crucial step for higher education and it is important that Congress continues its support for comprehensive education that incorporates the principles of sustainability,” says Sean Miller, Earth Day Network Education Director. “This bill will promote sustainable principles in future generations as we will certainly continue to deal with the challenges of global warming, energy, sustainable development, and environmental protection.”
Co-sponsors of the bill have stated that these grant programs will contribute both to the environmental health and global economic competitiveness of the United States. By allowing institutions of higher education to develop, teach and implement sustainability practices society will benefit from the knowledge and capability in sustainable development gained by students.
The grant program will “allow for institutions of higher learning, the mainstay for innovative thought, to develop new programs and ideas regarding sustainability,” says Miller. “College students understand the importance of sustainability – as they are the ones who will inherit our current environmental and energy problems – and this act gives students the opportunity to guide the development of sustainability programs.”
About Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network, www.earthday.net, seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. It pursues these goals through education, politics, and consumer activism. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.
Contact: Lisa Swann 202-518-0044, Ext. 14 swann@earthday.net
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