Northern Magazine

Red Bull 400 on the Copper Peak ski flying hill

Going Greener

Remember the old tagline “Northern. Naturally.”? It’s a true indication that NMU has been on the forefront of sustainability. We had the first LEED Green Building Certified residence hall in the Midwest and the first certified building of any kind in the U.P. Since NMU’s recycling program started in 1992, 380 tons of material are diverted from the landfill each year. In the last year, campus electrical consumption has been reduced by nearly 20 percent. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (many of which have just recently left Lake Superior). New trees and flowerbeds are gracing campus and serving as visual reminders of NMU’s commitment to seeking equilibrium with our natural world.

What is sustainability anyway?

Did you know that clothing is the second-most polluting industry on the planet? That garlic mustard isn’t a condiment? That pigs can get sunburned? That cob construction is an ancient building technique? That legal marijuana sales neared $9 billion last year? It’s all related!

Up close photo of a couple of pigs

Northern: Where Green Is Gold

Combining core values of connections, community and environment.