My brackets were busted before the first point was scored in March Madness 2013. My commissioner failed me and The Hulk Hogan Hair Club for Men (don't judge me by the company I keep) failed to host a pick'em pool. Apparently traveling for work trumped getting the group page up and going, and there were promises up to the 11th hour that there would be a pool, yet here I sit--at my desk late in March with no score feeds downsized on my computer screen for the first time in 12 years. Hell, there are games on right now--AND I'M WORKING! All is not right with the world.

The most exciting thing I have going for me is our friends over at the Alliance to Save Energy came up with the EE Eight, the eight most energy efficiency campuses in the NCAA tournament. I would not have chosen any of these to go to the Big Dance, but it's a nice list all the same.

For the record I would have seated Gonzaga and Louisville--I always send Gonzaga beyond where a reasonable person should and I don't even have good cause for it, but this year--THIS YEAR! they're going in ranked #1 in the West. As for Louisville, well come on now, wouldn't you? Oh wait...you probably did and you're probably loving it.

Photo Credit: Gonzaga University

March Madness is usually associated with college basketball, but this year it also refers to the Sustainable 16 - campuses that are being honored for their environmental awareness.

Environmental software provider Enviance, Inc. and Environmental Leader said the 16 universities "exemplify excellence in environmental academics," according to this press release from Enviance. The campuses are vying to be "National Champion" in the first-ever March Madness Tournament for Environmental Studies. To qualify, they filled out a survey detailing their credentials, which was then evaluated by a panel of expert judges.

Two California schools - University of California, Davis, and Humboldt State University - are among the 16. Here and here are ways the two campuses are leading the green charge. However, they are hardly alone. This special edition from CSU Leader outlines how the California State University system is helping train the green workforce. And here is an update from the UC system.

Corporations also are getting into the act, creating sustainability departments (green teams) and pledging to reduce their carbon footprints. And then there is the military: The Department of Defense is swiftly greening up its act, in part because its dependence upon oil is deemed a security risk and because going green saves lives and money. Read more here, here and here.

Like many initiatives, the green movement will grow in fits and starts, influenced by politics and economics. Still, the cost of renewable energy such as solar is dropping so fast that parity with fossil fuels is within reach, and governments in the western U.S. have unified support of green jobs, according to this post.

How will higher gas prices and the specter of climate change fit into all this? That's something that I, a resident of California's Central Valley, would love to know. The Valley is a main character in climate expert Heidi Cullen's book, "The Weather of the Future. You think the Valley is hot and dry and has bad air quality now....

Today's young adults have a lot on their plate, but they also know they have to lead. As my favorite environmental rap superhero from Cal Poly told us: "We are at the point in time where we are on top of a mountain. If we continue our path, we will fall down and kill the earth. If we rethink our path, we can safely travel back down the mountain..."

Photos: Humboldt State University by Humboldt.edu

Greenhouse at UC Davis environmental garden by UC Davis

Energy Efficiency in March Madness

A different kind of March Madness