[The Vector] Rice University Creates Green Carbon Center

Rice University in Houston, Texas announced the creating of a clean energy think tank. It will study and strategize environmentally sound policies for current and for new energy sources. James Tour is heading up the collaboration. He is a Rice University professor in Chemistry who wrote a paper about Nature Materials which discusses rapid expansion of solar and wind energy and the long-term need for carbon-based energy.  Carter Kittrell, a Rice research scientist, and Vicki Colvin, Rice’s Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor of Chemistry join the collaboration.

Rice already has made a number of initiatives in the world of green, including having guidelines for professor and students in the conservation of energy. Several of its buildings have been rated LEED-certified.  One of its publications from the Ecology department covers stories on a sustainable, clean energy future.  Architectural design students compete in the national ‘solar decathalon’ competition, and there is even a community garden for all students.

The list goes on, but suffice it to say that Rice is one of the universities that is raising awareness of and deeply involved with sustainability. Learn more about Rice’s initiatives on their specially created Enviro-Web.