Dear Implementation Liaisons,
A lot has been happening on the ACUPCC front in the past month, and I am excited to
announce both the launch of the Climate Action Planning Wiki
and the publication of the 2008 Annual Report.
As Walter Simpson describes in the lead article, below, the wiki has been created
with more than 100 pages of initial content providing detailed, "how-to" guidance
on the CAP planning process--from soup to nuts, as they say!
Instructions on how to
submit contributions to the wiki can be found on the right sidebar, and I would
like to invite and encourage you to help make the wiki the definitive source for
best practices in climate action planning. Many thanks to Walter and to our content
partners Clean Air-Cool Planet, National Wildlife Federation, and Rocky Mountain
Institute. Also, expect to find a copy of the 2008 Annual Report in your mailbox
soon. You will find inspiring examples of leadership at participating institutions,
as well as a listing of the fulfillment status of all ACUPCC Signatories. Finally,
the ACUPCC Academic Guidance Document, entitled "Education for Climate Neutrality and Sustainability,"
will be released in mid-April and will be highlighted in next month's issue of this newsletter.
I hope you will find all of these resources helpful as you move forward on the path to climate
neutrality.
Best regards,
Toni Nelson
Table of Contents
Drum Roll Please! Campus Climate Action Planning Wiki is Launched!
The momentous time has arrived, the launch of our campus climate action planning guide wiki! As you
read this, we are cracking a bottle of champagne on the bow of this heavily laden ship and sending it off
to you--in the hope that this new resource will help you and your school's climate action program
shrink your campus carbon footprint. You will find the CAP wiki right here:
http://www.aashe.org/wiki/climate-planning-guide.
The intent of this wiki is to fill a climate action planning "resource gap" by providing a guide which
is much more "how-to" oriented and comprehensive than existing campus greenhouse gas emissions
reduction resources...
Read more.
EPA Proposes Required National Reporting of GHG Emissions
On March 10, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a press release alerting the nation about a proposed rule that would require mandatory annual reporting of greenhouse gas emissions for suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of CO2 equivalent per year. The proposed rule would affect about 13,000 facilities in the US that account for 85%-90% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal has drawn the attention of the higher education sector and sparked a number of listserv and blog discussions. The question is, how will this proposed rule affect colleges and universities? Read more.
A New Program Builds Capacity for Advancing Green Building at Under-Resourced Colleges and Universities
The newly constructed library at the College of Menominee Nation was built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED "Silver" rating level.
With a three-year, $1.2 million grant from the Kresge Foundation, Second Nature has launched a new program, Advancing Green Building in Higher Education, to assist minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and other "under-resourced" schools to build green on their campuses. This program will build champions for green building and help these institutions to learn about and use the financial and technical resources available to construct and renovate campus buildings in ways that save money, reduce negative health impacts, and serve as community models for environmentally sustainable construction... Read more.
Duke University Issues Local Offsets Report
Duke University's Sustainability Office and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions recently issued a report that examines the potential role of local carbon offsets in meeting the University's commitment to become a carbon neutral campus. As part of the strategy for climate neutrality this study examines options for Duke to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions outside of its direct carbon footprint. After implementing aggressive on-campus carbon reduction strategies, such reductions may be a necessary component of a voluntary commitment to carbon neutrality... Read more.
Webster Industries
Purchase ReClaim or Webster-certified brand recycled can liners between now and 9/1/09 and Webster/Arbor Day Foundation will plant 100 trees in your
school's honor!
Greenopolis Foundation
A new micro-grant program is open for applications from ILs,
students, and faculty for sustainability education projects, such as GHG inventories or
emissions reductions projects.
Sustainable Energy Conference
The Sustainable Energy Conference is an all-expenses-paid conference focusing on solar and
wind power held at Lafayette College July 27-August 1, 2009.
Advancing Green Building in Higher Education
AASHE membership discounts available for the first 100 under-resourced schools that sign up.
Power Down for the Planet
March 23-April 17, 2009
Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming
April 15, 2009
EYP: Become a Carbon Zero Hero
March 11, 2009
EH&E: Seven Steps to Developing a Campus Climate Action Plan
April 16, 2009
Membership in AASHE provides excellent value for signatories of the ACUPCC, offering access to a rich array of online resources and numerous opportunities for networking, information sharing, collaboration, and professional development. Join now!
The ACUPCC Implementer
Issue 7, April 3, 2009