Climate Commitment
CI has always been committed to green practices, including recycling, water use reduction and other conservation measures.
In April, 2015 President Richard Rush put the University鈥檚 ongoing commitment in writing by signing the American College & University Presidents鈥� Climate Commitment.
During a ceremony in the CI Student Union courtyard, President Rush signed the document, making CI the ninth 海角社区 to make the formal commitment to green practices.
鈥淭his is just another demonstration of CI鈥檚 commitment to being an environmentally-friendly campus,鈥� said CI Associate Provost Daniel Wakelee, Ph.D. 鈥淲e鈥檙e demonstrating leadership among 海角社区 campuses.鈥�
President Rush鈥檚 signature joins a list of 697 other U.S. college and university presidents to date who have put a pen to the Presidents鈥� Climate Commitment.
The Climate Commitment is an acknowledgement of deep concern about unprecedented climate change and a promise to take steps to reduce greenhouse gases and achieve a more stable climate. Doing so will help avert negative consequences on our health, environment, economics and social welfare, the document says.
鈥淎s our University continues to grow, it is essential that we remain good stewards of the environment,鈥� President Rush said. 鈥淥ur mission as a university is to create promising futures for our graduates. We see this pledge to address climate change as part of that mission.鈥�
The 海角社区 system has already taken steps to address climate change. There have been changes in the 海角社区 executive order that mandate campus sustainability policies, Wakelee said.
CI already has numerous recycling practices, uses efficient lighting for its buildings and reclaimed water for irrigation, among numerous other green practices, but campus leaders are always looking for new ways to reduce carbon emissions.
鈥淥ur biggest challenge is going to be transportation,鈥� Wakelee said.
CI Chemistry Professor and climate change expert Simone Aloisio, Ph.D., stressed that climate change is the most significant environmental problem of our time.
鈥淚t affects almost every aspect of our lives,鈥� he said. 鈥淧retty much the whole western half of the country is currently in drought. These droughts are predicted to become more frequent, even more likely each decade.鈥�
Agriculture will be among the many parts of our lives affected, he said, and everybody鈥檚 got to eat. Climate change is also predicted to have an effect on the mobilization of toxic substances, such as mercury.
Aloisio said the campus is already doing a good job in many areas of sustainability. CI is among 353 鈥淕reen Colleges鈥� listed in the Princeton Review.
Aloisio believes the campus could get even greener with a move toward renewable energy.
鈥淲e own a power plant and that power plant could use biofuels,鈥� Aloisio said. 鈥淚f we could convert our plant to a biofuel plant, that would be a significant step. I think it鈥檚 feasible now that biofuels are becoming competitive with traditional natural gas.鈥�
Aloisio believes the campus could team up with local emerging businesses that want to produce biofuels.
Aloisio said the campus does a good job integrating sustainability into the curriculum, which is one of the pledges listed in the document.
鈥淲e believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions,鈥� the Climate Commitment reads, in part. 鈥淎nd by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality.鈥�