Northwestern Sustainability Fund Helps Greek Life

The Northwestern Sustainability Fund, one of Sparkseed's 2009 ventures, is co-sponsoring the Greek Green Cup at Northwestern University.  Led by Anthony Valente, a junior at Northwestern, NSF is promoting environmental sustainability on campus through events like the Greek Green Cup.

Northwestern's fraternities and sororities will compete for the Greek Green Cup, which is awarded to the fraternity and sorority that reduces its water and energy consumption per person the most during a 4-6 week period.  The winning fraternity and sorority will receive a monetary prize estimated between $300-$1000.  50% of the prize will be reinvested into a sustainability project, such as purchasing CFLs or smart power strips, within both the fraternity's and sorority's house.  Judging will primarily be focused upon the water and energy consumption reduction.  A Green Points System will also award houses' adoption of sustainability initiatives such as recycling and green purchasing.

While The Greek Green Cup will not solve an environmental crisis, it is a step in the right direction for towards sustainability for Northwestern University.  The Northwestern Sustainability Fund is striving towards inspiring students across campus to make a concerted effort to change their lifestyles and consumption habits in a more sustainable manner.

The goal of the Northwestern Sustainability Fund (NSF) is to create a revolving source of capital for projects that reduce Northwestern's environmental impact. It will provide the university with an excellent opportunity to promote sustainability, reduce energy and resource consumption, limit project-inhibiting up-front costs, and encourage student entrepreneurhip and innovation.  For more information, visit NSF's website.