Scavenger Hunt

1970s

1970: the first Earth Day was held with a week of activities including demonstrations, panel discussions, and teach-ins. This included a speech by Senator Edward Kennedy. 1972: Yale Forest School changes its name to Yale School or Forestry and Environmental Studies.

1980s

1984: the Environmental Studies major is lauunched at Yale College. 1986: the Yale Student Environmental Coalition is founded (students pictured).

1990s

1990: the Recycling Office is founded as a full-time department. 1994: the Campus Earth Summit was hosted at Yale (Cross Campus pictured).

2000s

2001: Advisory Committee on Environmental Management is founded 2005: Yale’s first Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committment (West Campus solar panels pictured). 2005: The Office of Sustainability is created. 2008: Yale hosts the Conference of Governors on Climate Change.

2010s

2010: The first Yale Sustainability Strategic Plan is created. 2013: President Peter Salovey announces the second Yale Sustainability Plan. 2015: Inaugural Yale Environmental Sustainability Summit. 2016: Yale Sustainability Plan 2025 is announced. 2018: Yale professor William Nordhaus wins the Nobel Prize in Economics (pictured).

2020s

April 19th - 25th, 2020: Yale celebrates its first ever virtual Earth Week celebration, serving as a model for future events with low carbon impacts and broad international reach