[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 89 (Thursday, June 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HIGHER EDUCATION SUSTAINABILITY ACT OF 2004

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2004

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Higher 
Education Sustainability Act of 2004,'' which would authorize $50 
million for six Sustainability Education Centers across the country to 
develop and implement integrated environmental, economic, and social 
sustainability programs. Each Sustainability Center will focus on 
multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach at institutions of 
higher education.
  Sustainable development practices are being advanced by hundreds of 
U.S. cities and companies and through a variety of international 
agencies including the United Nations and the world Business Council 
for Sustainable Development. As population growth, urban development 
and extreme weather incidents place great stress on ecosystems around 
the globe, the need for developing innovative and successful 
sustainable development practices becomes critical to sustaining our 
economic competitiveness, improving our environmental health and 
creating more livable communities.
  In my home State of Oregon, we have many great examples of 
sustainable development and livable communities. Portland State 
University, located in my hometown, provides an excellent example of 
how to incorporate sustainability throughout the curriculum. Faculty 
from the departments of social sciences, life sciences, physical 
sciences, humanities, as well as the professional schools have been 
working to incorporate sustainability principles in their coursework 
and research. PSU has developed several new initiatives developed, 
including a Certificate in Sustainability Program focusing on PSU's 
partnerships with Asia and Europe.
  Portland State University's Sustainability Initiative has placed a 
high priority on Green Buildings that use smart technology to improve 
operational performance and produce significant energy savings. Their 
green Stephen Epler Residence Hall, opened this fall, uses harvested 
rainwater in restrooms and features low-flow water fixtures for showers 
and toilets. Its integrated energy design is projected to produce an 
expected $29,000 a year in annual energy cost savings. PSU will save an 
additional $275,000 in energy cost across the campus this year simply 
by installing energy-efficient equipment and lighting fixtures and 
adjusting temperature settings. These savings translate into the 
tuition costs for nearly for nearly 80 students--a significant figure, 
given the rising cost of college today!
  These innovations are just a few among many that are already underway 
in colleges and universities across the nation. This legislation will 
ensure that we can extend these innovations to all our institutions of 
higher learning. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass 
this bill and make a commitment to making our educational communities 
more sustainable and livable.

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