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Guide created to help campuses develop climate
action plans
As the green movement grows, more colleges and universities are
being
driven--either by their own initiatives or outside forces--to make a
greater effort to reduce carbon emissions.
So the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology
program has decided to help campus administrators determine the best
way
to improve their environmental performance and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The result? The "Guide to Climate Action Planning: Pathways
to a Low-Carbon Campus," sponsored by the Society for College and
University Planning, the Association for Advancement of Sustainability
in Higher Education and The Energy Action Coalition.
"By drawing upon the experiences and expertise of leading
campuses, (the guide) outlines some steps for creating effective
climate
action plans," it says.
The guide cites several factors that have compelled
education administrators to make their campuses part of the
sustainability movement: student activism, sustainability in
professional management associations, top-level commitment to campus
climate action (most notably the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment), government mandates and financial
incentives.
To have an effective climate-reduction plan, schools should
strive to make it an integral part of their campus master plans.
"The most reliable long-term strategy to turn commitment
into effective action is integrated, comprehensive planning for
emissions reduction and the alignment of the climate action plan with
other campus plans, especially the master plan and strategic plan," the
guide says.
The guide uses the experience of seven colleges and
universities to provide examples of how higher-education institutions
can go about developing and carrying out a climate action plan. The
schools: Brown University, Providence, R.I.; Middlebury College,
Middlebury, Vt.; Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio; University of
California, Berkeley; University of California, Santa Barbara;
University of Colorado at Boulder and Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
The authors spell out six key steps to achieving a
low-carbon campus:
- Commitment to emissions reduction. "This step can occur openly
through public statements or policies set forth by top leadership...or
it can happen more internally, through guidelines
for energy conservation and other emissions-reducing activities."
- Institutional structures and support. "Developing and implementing
effective climate solutions is a people-intensive team process...(that)
requires coordinated effort and creative input from staff, faculty,
administrators, students and other on- and off-campus
stakeholders."
- Emissions inventory. "A key step early in the process is to
calculate the baseline level of campus greenhouse gas emissions." All
campus inventories should at least count Scope 1 (on-campus heating and
cooling, fleet vehicles) and Scope 2 (Purchased electricity and steam)
emissions, the guide recommends.
- Developing the plan. "Exploring and vetting options for cutting the
campus emissions footprint is the heart of the climate action planning
process. Whether or not inventory data is ready, the work teams of
staff, students and faculty can get rolling right away."
- Recommendations, approval and implementation. "Implementation is an
iterative process and adjustments will be needed over time. Any really
useful plan is not set in stone, it is a living document. Partly, this
is because not all of the implications are apparent in the planning
phases."
- Climate action planning over the long haul. "For most schools,
winning approval of their first plan will be just a step in what is
likely to be a decades-long series of related climate action planning
exercises. Changes in budgets, personnel, campus priorities and
energy-saving technologies and opportunities will likely prompt
revisions to earlier plans."
"Higher education's pioneering work on climate action
plans
will play an important role in achieving a more secure, just and
sustainable future," the guide says.
The entire guide is online at www.nwf.org/campusecology/pdfs/climateactionplanning.pdf.
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Authentically Green products embrace Green Seal standards,
the most stringent and comprehensive in the industry. The certification
guarantees buyers that products bearing the Green Seal are manufactured
and processed in a way that uses less water and energy, produces less
air pollutants, and diverts the most waste from our landfills.
Our Authentically Green brands are EcoSoft Green Seal and
Dubl-Nature®.
Visit www.wpbaywest.com/green
for more information.
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Schools pushing pedal power
Colleges and high schools are urging students to leave their
cars
at home and save money on gas, protect the environment and promote
physical fitness, USA Today says. To read more, click
here.
The Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield,
Iowa is designing its new sustainable living program building to be
greener that any structure of its kind, The Boston Globe says. To read more, click
here.
Woodland Elementary School in Olathe, Kan., opening
this week, is the first facility in the Olathe district designed to
receive LEED certification, The Olathe Daily News says. To read more, click
here.
The University of Oregon has begun installing newly
designed solar awnings on its Eugene campus that will
provide solar energy, passive cooling and daylighting all in one
package, The Eugene Register-Guard says. To read more, click
here.
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SCA Tissue provides environmentally friendly sanitary paper solutions
to
schools with its Tork® tissue, towel and napkin dispensing systems.
Tork® Xpressnap®, for example, produces significant reductions
in usage and waste by always delivering only one napkin at a time. SCA
Tissue products and processes meet strict EcoLogoM
certification requirements. www.torkrevolution.com.
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Pedal power
- 60: Percentage of incoming students at Ripon College
in Ripon, Wis., who have signed up for free mountain bikes,
helmets and locks in exchange for a promise not to bring a car to
campus.
Source: USA Today
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Green Cleaning Award
AS&U's Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities
recognizes
and honors education institutions and their partners that embrace green
principles and practices in their maintenance operations. Created in
conjunction with the Green Cleaning Network and Healthy Schools
Campaign, individual schools, school districts, colleges and
universities are invited to submit their green cleaning program. Submit your program
today!
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Take advantage of AS&U's extensive green
archives
THE BIG TOP: Schools and universities throughout the United States
now appear to be embracing green roofs as one of many environmentally
friendly initiatives. This living rooftop, with all its associated
benefits, has been something many have long wished for and has finally
become a reality....
To read the
entire
AS&U article, click here.
FLOOR SCORES: The flooring that school officials choose for their
facilities can earn a project LEED points and enhance the
sustainability
of a facility....Commercial flooring can contribute points in two
categories: Materials & Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.
One
popular type of flooring is rubber flooring. It comes in three basic
types: natural, synthetic and recycled....
To read
the entire AS&U article, click here.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS--WINDOWS: Schools and universities that have
not upgraded their windows in many years will find that there are new
systems available to help conserve energy and cut down on building
heating and cooling loads....
To read
the entire AS&U article, click here.
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Green calendar
Sept. 5-6: 2008
GreenSummit, Phoenix
Sept. 11-12: Greentools for Healthy
Schools, hosted by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools,
Sacramento, Calif.
Sept. 16-18: Laboratories for the
21st Century 2008 Annual Conference, San Jose, Calif.
Sept. 23: Lighting for a
Green World, sponsored by the Philadelphia section of the
Illuminating Engineering Society, Philadelphia
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