WASHINGTON – The House on Thursday passed the Higher Education Opportunity and Affordability Act, which among other things, includes provisions written by Reps. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). Congressman Ehlers made the following statement today on those provisions:

      “Our society has made great strides toward environmental conservation, but we risk losing the progress we have made unless we instill our environmentally friendly habits in future generations. That is why I am very pleased that provisions of the Higher Education Sustainability Act were included in the higher education bill passed by the House this week.

      “This bill will create a grant program allowing the Department of Education, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, to award colleges and universities funding to implement “green” academic programs and practices on campus. The program will help colleges and universities have less environmental impact, and, more importantly, it will leave students with a greater knowledge of how to be “green” in their careers and in day-to-day life.

      “Institutions of higher learning are in a unique position to address the issue of protecting the environment. Students will have the opportunity to learn first-hand the benefits of sustainable practices such as water and energy conservation and recycling. It is also possible for institutions to establish green engineering or architecture programs that include environmentally friendly designs in building and manufacturing. Campuses may also create research programs that could lead to the development of new alternative energy sources. Perhaps most important, foreign students will carry this knowledge back to their own countries, and spread knowledge about conservation and environmental protection.

      “The bill also contains provisions for national accreditation of these programs, so that we can insure the sustainability programs are academically sound and meet the needs of our country.”