WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.) today applauded Johns Hopkins University for the tremendous strides made in its academic programs and on its campus in sustainability and environmental awareness.

Johns Hopkins has been included in the Princeton Review Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition, which profiles higher education institutions in the United States and Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation. 

“I’m proud of the impressive effort Johns Hopkins has put into not only raising environmental awareness among its students, but also harnessing green technology and putting it to use on campus,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “Maryland’s higher education institutions can lead the way in environmental technology for the rest of our state and Hopkins is a bright example of success.” 

A link to the 2012 report can be found here: http://www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide

Davis Bookhart, director of Johns Hopkins’ Sustainability Office, said the Princeton Review recognition comes just after the university’s completion of the largest solar power system in Baltimore. Comprising nearly 3,000 panels on seven buildings, the system will produce electricity equivalent to that consumed by 34 average homes. 

The solar installation is part of a Johns Hopkins commitment, announced in 2010, to cut its emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide gas by more than half from projected levels by 2025. The university also offers undergraduates both a major and a minor in global environmental change and sustainability.

"We're most grateful for Congressman Sarbanes’ acknowledgement of Johns Hopkins’ efforts on sustainability, both in the classroom and on campus,” Bookhart said. “We are proud of the Princeton Review achievement, but even more so of the hard work and dedication of so many people across the university who made it possible."

Congressman Sarbanes is extremely active on environmental issues and is the author of the No Child Left Inside Act. Reintroduced by the Congressman last summer, the legislation would authorize funding for states to provide high-quality, environmental education by supporting outdoor learning activities at schools and non-formal environmental education centers, as well as teacher professional development and the creation of state environmental literacy plans.