Sustainable Design At Western Washington U

Thanks to the folks at WorldChanging for bringing this twist in environmental studies to my attention. It shows just how far college students are taking their eco thinking these days.

Junior-year industrial design students at Western Washington University are turning trash into treasure--literally. Under a program they have dubbed ReMade, they take industrial refuse and transform it into a new product. Like sushi-rolling mats made from old bicycle spokes or switchplates crafted from street signs. The students must make 20 of each of their designs and then offer them for sale. This year, you can find their work at Seattle's Goods for the Planet and the Seattle Art Museum through December 25.

Western Washington, which is based in Bellingham, Wash., has separate departments for environmental studies and environmental science, both through its Huxley College of the Environment. The industrial design department has just teamed up with Huxley to create a new minor in sustainable design. Western Washington also offers a combined major in economics and environmental studies at its College of Business and Economics.

WSU's Sustainability Smackdown

Not that long ago, college environmental events were as dull as a U.N. General Assembly session. Thankfully, somebody figured out that you can draw more people with a bit of fun. Like the "Sustainability Smackdown" taking place at Washington State University today.

Yes, there will still be lectures and presentations, but the three student groups sponsoring the event--the local Roots and Shoots chapter, the WSU Sustainability Club and the WSU Environmental Science Club--also want to see some fresh thinking on sustainability from students who might not have thought about it before.

There will be potentially be some green in it for the winners, and I don't just mean the plant kind. Smackdown attendees will vote to award $1,000 to the student group with the best sustainability idea. And students may also get a chance to participate in challenge issued by KEEN, the outdoor performance footwear and gear maker. It plans to award $150,000 in prizes to the best ideas or projects that support sustainability. The winners will be announced at the KEEN's Hybrid.STAND Festival in its home base of Portland, Ore., in June 2008.

Roots and Shoots, by the way, is a global environmental and humanitarian education program that was inspired by the work of primatologist Jane Goodall. More on its work later.