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President Chabotar commits to climate control
Trustees-approved
measure recognizes
plans already in place
Tim Cox I StaffWriter
This May, President Kent Chabotar
signed the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment, pledg
ing Guilford College to increased efforts
in reducing it's climate impact.
To date, 347 col
lege and university
presidents have
signed the agree
ment. Guilford
College was the
fourth North
Carolina institution
to sign and the first
Quaker-founded
institution.
According to
www.presidentscli-,
matecommitment.org, the agreement's
official Web site, the Presidents Climate
commitment is a "high-visibility effort
to address global warming by garnering
institutional commitments to neutralize
greenhouse gas emissions, and to acceler
Kent Chabotar
President
ate the research and educational efforts
of higher education to equip society to
re-stabilize the earth's climate."
The commitment requires that Guilford
create a comprehensive inventory of car
bon gas emissions within one year and
develop an action plan for achieving cli
mate neutrality within two years.
The commitment also requires that
Guilford initiate at least two efforts to
reduce emissions while the comprehen
sive plan is under development. Such
efforts could include the purchase of
ENERGY STAR products, which are gov
ernment-certified to use less energy.
"We're one of the only schools that had
the trustees approve it before I signed
it," Chabotar said. "We're making a long
term commitment; it's got to transcend
presidents."
Passing and implementing the efforts
called for by the commitment has required
cooperation from staff, faculty, and stu
dents.
"Being green is being a good steward
of the environment and our resources,
and everyone should be part of that,"
said Project Sustainability Manager Rex
Harrell.
"The key thing to remember with the
Presidents Climate Commitment is that
it's not anything so much new, it's taking
and pulling together all the things we
Jon Varnell
Associate Vice President of
Operations and Facilities
“Tht bjjijiest issue thut is different is tiie greenhouse gus
inventory, where we hove to figure out whot our curhou
footpriut is, ond hosed ou thot footprint, how do we then
begin to bring the reductions thot the plon tolis for to
become corbon-neutrul.”
were already doing," said Jon Varnell,
associate vice president of operations ancL,
facilities.
Last year, Guilford undertook sustain
ability projects such as the installation of
waterless urinals and increased recycling
efforts. Solar panels were installed on'
Shore hall as another green project.
"The biggest issue that is different is
the greenhouse gas inventory, where we
have to figure out what our carbon foot
print is," said Varnell, "And based on that
footprint, how do we then begin to bring
the reductions that the plan calls for to
become carbon-neutral."
"The part that I'm most interested in is
seeing how students can help the campus
meet the requirements," said Assistant
Professor of geology and environmental
studies coordinator Angie Moore.
One way is Moore's Environmental
Pollution course, in which students will
in catalogue Guilford's carbon gas emis
sions.
President Chabotar is not worried
about the financial aspects of increased
sustainability efforts.
"You can in fact save money by invest
ing early on in environmental protection
and energy conservation and the payback
period is not that long," Chabotar said.
"The idea of saving money and pro
tecting the environment, I mean who can
be against that, right? At this day in time,
being an environmental advocate is a no-
brainer in my view."
^tfentipn wgrfdtmvefers!
Guilford will hold a study abroad fair Wednesday, September 12, from
2 to 4 p.m. on the Founders Porch (rain location, Boren Lounge)
like what you see?
"4
Come talk to faculty represen
tatives and student participants
from six Guilford-led pro
grams (Brunnenburg, Ghana,
Guadalajara, London,
Munich, and Siena [pilot
program Spring 2008])
and other programs
in Japan, Spain, China, and
France; as well as representa
tives from other Guilford-affili
ated programs across the globe.
Refreshments will be served!
Join the
staff!
Email Josh at
jcohen@guilford.edu