Connecticut College to conduct ´green´ audit
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October 02, 2008
NEW LONDON, Conn. - This fall, Connecticut College is putting its long-standing reputation as an environmental leader to the test with a third-party environmental sustainability audit that will assess everything from the amount of water flushing down the pipes to the post-consumer content of paper purchases.
The college is collecting detailed information about nearly every aspect of its operations and activities. The audit, or the Environmental Sustainability Baseline Assessment, is being conducted by Woodard & Curran, a 500-person, integrated engineering, science and operations company. It will cover the college´s: energy usage, water demand, purchasing procedures, recycling habits, hazardous materials, pest control, air emissions, food preparation, transportation procedures, building methods and even curriculum. Consultants from Woodard & Curran will be on campus for the audit on Oct. 29, 30 and 31.
-The purpose of this audit is to more fully assess the campus´ current environmental impacts in order to identify opportunities for improvement and cost-savings, with development of a comprehensive, far-reaching sustainability plan that meets the college´s needs for the future,- said Amy Cabaniss, the campus environmental coordinator. -It´s a smart way to go about advancement of sustainability on campus - knowing where we are to see where we should go.-
The college has tracked its energy usage since 1990 and was one of the first schools in the country to offer an environmental studies major, which was then called human ecology.
This study will serve to assess and complement other energy-saving initiatives already in place. These include:
? In January 2007, President Leo I. Higdon Jr. became a Charter Signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. This nationwide effort for campuses to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions recognizes the role America´s higher education institutions can, and should, play in decreasing contribution to global warming.
? Last year, Connecticut College launched an on-campus composting initiative to reduce food waste and generate compost for organic gardens on campus and in the community. The college´s two Earth Tubs - commercial compost bins - can reduce the college´s food waste by up to 35,000 pounds a year.
? A student-initiated light bulb exchange program at Connecticut College provides students with opportunities to exchange inefficient light bulbs for energy efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs.
? Since 2001, the student body at Connecticut College has agreed to pay an extra $25 a year tuition surcharge to support renewable energy. With the surcharge, the college purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to offset 100 percent of its electricity purchase with wind energy.
? Since 1999, Connecticut College has worked with farmers in Costa Rica through Reforest the Tropics (Mystic, CT) to plant enough fast growing trees to sequester carbon in compensation for the 593 tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually by the campus´s college center over the next 30 years.
? In 1999, a 10kW array of solar panels was installed on a residence hall at Connecticut College to offset the power required by a boiler plant that was installed that same year. Savings from the combined reduction is approximately what one dorm would use in an academic year.
Situated on the coast of southern New England, Connecticut College is a highly selective private liberal arts college with 1900 students from all across the country and throughout the world. On the college´s 750-acre arboretum campus overlooking Long Island Sound, students and faculty create a vibrant social, cultural and intellectual community enriched by diverse perspectives. The college, founded in 1911, is known for its unique combination of interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.
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The college is collecting detailed information about nearly every aspect of its operations and activities. The audit, or the Environmental Sustainability Baseline Assessment, is being conducted by Woodard & Curran, a 500-person, integrated engineering, science and operations company. It will cover the college´s: energy usage, water demand, purchasing procedures, recycling habits, hazardous materials, pest control, air emissions, food preparation, transportation procedures, building methods and even curriculum. Consultants from Woodard & Curran will be on campus for the audit on Oct. 29, 30 and 31.
-The purpose of this audit is to more fully assess the campus´ current environmental impacts in order to identify opportunities for improvement and cost-savings, with development of a comprehensive, far-reaching sustainability plan that meets the college´s needs for the future,- said Amy Cabaniss, the campus environmental coordinator. -It´s a smart way to go about advancement of sustainability on campus - knowing where we are to see where we should go.-
The college has tracked its energy usage since 1990 and was one of the first schools in the country to offer an environmental studies major, which was then called human ecology.
This study will serve to assess and complement other energy-saving initiatives already in place. These include:
? In January 2007, President Leo I. Higdon Jr. became a Charter Signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. This nationwide effort for campuses to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions recognizes the role America´s higher education institutions can, and should, play in decreasing contribution to global warming.
? Last year, Connecticut College launched an on-campus composting initiative to reduce food waste and generate compost for organic gardens on campus and in the community. The college´s two Earth Tubs - commercial compost bins - can reduce the college´s food waste by up to 35,000 pounds a year.
? A student-initiated light bulb exchange program at Connecticut College provides students with opportunities to exchange inefficient light bulbs for energy efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs.
? Since 2001, the student body at Connecticut College has agreed to pay an extra $25 a year tuition surcharge to support renewable energy. With the surcharge, the college purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to offset 100 percent of its electricity purchase with wind energy.
? Since 1999, Connecticut College has worked with farmers in Costa Rica through Reforest the Tropics (Mystic, CT) to plant enough fast growing trees to sequester carbon in compensation for the 593 tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually by the campus´s college center over the next 30 years.
? In 1999, a 10kW array of solar panels was installed on a residence hall at Connecticut College to offset the power required by a boiler plant that was installed that same year. Savings from the combined reduction is approximately what one dorm would use in an academic year.
Situated on the coast of southern New England, Connecticut College is a highly selective private liberal arts college with 1900 students from all across the country and throughout the world. On the college´s 750-acre arboretum campus overlooking Long Island Sound, students and faculty create a vibrant social, cultural and intellectual community enriched by diverse perspectives. The college, founded in 1911, is known for its unique combination of interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.
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