Integrating sustainability across the computer science curriculum

Issues of sustainability have received considerable attention on college campuses over the last decade. However, actions taken in support of sustainability generally take the form of changing the practices of campus institutions and individuals (instituting a recycling program, for example). This paper describes experiences with incorporating sustainability topics into the computer science curriculum, at both the introductory and upper-levels. The results support the hypothesis that leveraging what the university does best -- teaching and learning -- can be an effective way to make students aware of these important issues, and possibly to motivate modified behavior. Moreover, computer science is an ideal discipline in which to embed sustainability lessons.