Keene, N.H., 4/23/2010 - Keene State College is one of the country's most environmentally responsible schools, according to The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges.

Developed by The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC, www.usgbc.org), the guide is the first, free, comprehensive resource focused solely on institutions of higher education that have demonstrated an above-average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities, and initiatives.

"This listing documents a college-wide effort to be green," said Keene State College President Helen Giles-Gee. "With a Council for a Sustainable Future to guide our efforts, we are pleased to have received this recognition."

The guide states that Keene State's Silver LEED-certified Pondside III residence hall (with sustainable features including super-insulated walls, motion-sensor lights, dual-flush toilets, and recycling rooms on each floor) is just one example of the College's commitment to green.

Also noted is the development of a cogeneration capability in the College's steam-heat plant and the installation of energy-efficient lighting in major renovations and new buildings on campus. For the past five years, the President's Sustainability Council has offered grants to students to fund sustainability research projects, and a Recycling on Campus initiative places recycling bags in every residence hall room on campus (this initiative has increased recycling on campus by 30 percent). Keene State's Campus Ecology group initiated a Green Bikes program in 2002, collecting, refitting, and painting bikes for free use by whoever needed them. There are now over 40 Green Bikes in the loan rotation.

The free Guide can be downloaded at http://www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx.

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