NYU - The Green Arch Initiative

There is a commanding green presence at New York University called The Green Arch Initiative. I attended a panel put on by Green Arch last week and talked with representative Jeremy Friedman who said they’re an organization that wants to wind up obsolete, because when that happens they’ll have accomplished their task (or mission): to develop NYU as a leader in urban environmental scholarship and practice, furthering our reputation as a “private university in the public service.”

Although not without its challenges, Freidman says Green Arch has had some successes. One of those has been the compilation of a comprehensive list of environmental courses offered at NYU. No small task considering all of the different schools and departments university wide. Plus, in addition to putting on events like the panel discussion I attended last week, Green Arch is also going to be part of several Earth Day events, including EartHarmony Street Fair on Thursday. From 11a-3p at Washington Place you can tune up your bike, and (my personal favorite), bring your e-waste for recycling.

It is refreshing to see a 'green' student led movement in a college setting making progress, especially at a school that doesn't really have a true 'campus' (at least I don't consider buildings scattered across town a campus in the traditional sense). Green talk certainly isn't happening at my school, The New School, from a student level as far as I can tell (although it has been put into play administratively as Joel Towers is now heading up the new environmental initiative of The New School). What other student led groups are making progress? I know they're out there. I'd love to hear about them.