The Bellingham Herald

• Cows could power cars, WWU lecturer says 
  The solution to petroleum dependence in Whatcom County? Cows, according to the director of the Western Washington University Vehicle Research Institute. Eric Leonhardt, also an associate professor of Engineering Technology, told a group of more than 100 community members packed into the Bellingham City Council Chambers on Tuesday night, Nov. 18, that methane from cows in Whatcom County could eventually fuel a significant number of cars that people drive.
  "One thing to understand is that petroleum has been a great thing," he said during his lecture, which is part of WWU's Science in the univerCity lecture series. "Nothing we do in the modern world, in this society, is untouched by it. It's been an incredible ride." But he also added that petroleum has many challenges against it - supply, environmental impact - making it time to find a different fuel source.
  

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• WWU custodial department wins national "green" award
  Western Washington University's Academic Custodial Services department has been selected to receive an honorable mention award for its green cleaning and sustainability programs.
  

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• Western club to host "turkeyless Thanksgiving"
  People who want a "turkeyless Thanksgiving" are invited to a community dinner at Western Washington University on Thursday, Nov. 20. The Western Animal Rights Network is hosting the annual event and WWU's Dining Services will provide a variety of vegan food.
  

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• Weekend sports roundup
  Hoops: Dunbar sparks Vikings' win; Volleyball: Vikings take care of business with win but get shut out of national tourney; Soccer: Broadbent a force in goal for Vikes
  

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• Iraq War veterans share perspective at WWU forum
  It's been three years since Western Washington University student Pat English finished serving his year in the Iraq War, but he said he continues to struggle reintegrating with society. When he enters a building, he said he looks for the nearest exit in case of an attack. He said he flinches when he runs over a plastic bag with his car out of fear that he might have just hit a bomb.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

• Budgeting for climate neutrality, colleges consider energy credits
  Buying Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) is often a matter of deciding what kind of energy to support. Students at Western Washington University, who had charged themselves a fee for green energy, recently told the university that they wanted to change its energy portfolio to buy RECs with the greatest positive impact on the environment. The university had been buying 40,000 RECs at $6 apiece from West Coast sources that replaced power from hydroelectric, natural gas, and some coal. Now the university will buy wind RECs from an intensively coal-burning part of Iowa - and at $3.50 a REC, it will save some money.