The blog has been dormant for the past 9 months, but now it’s back! I’m working this summer as the Environmental Advisory Committee’s summer intern and I want to let you know what has been going on sustainability-wise at Carleton recently.
To fulfill President Oden’s President’s Climate Commitment pledge to go carbon neutral by 2050, we have hired outside consultants to gather data and create a Climate Action Plan. These consultants, from Energy Strategies out of Salt Lake City, Utah, have already been hard at work collecting and analyzing data in order to provide us with the most comprehensive plan possible. They’re also partnering with Affiliated Engineers. The current timeline is to have a comprehensive Climate Action Plan by the end of the year. I’ve spoken with members of CSA and we hope to have an open meeting early in Fall term to let students talk to the consultants and give their opinions on what they want to see in a Climate Action Plan. More on that later!
As you may know, our previous Director of Energy Management, Rob Lamppa, left Carleton at the beginning of last year. Facilities is in the final stages of hiring a new Manager of Energy and Sustainability (new title, too!) There will be an announcement soon!
As the EAC’s summer intern, I’ve done some reorganizing of the Sustainability website. Now you can suggest a sustainability idea, meet next year’s Sustainability Assistants, and look at some updated wind turbine data! I’ve also updated information on various pages of the site and added a page that highlights convocation addresses related to the environment/sustainability.
Additionally, I have been working on a “Green Guide to Carleton” for new students. I’ll post it up on the website as soon as it’s complete, but it includes information on behavioral changes (adapted from the Sustainability Pledge), transportation options, waste disposal (trash versus recycling versus compost), the Sustainability Revolving Fund, a complete listing of student organizations related to sustainability and the environment, and more! Although most of the information is located on this website and across Carleton’s website, SOPE (where the idea was created) felt that new students would prefer to have all of the necessary information available to them in one spot.
There are just a few of the things I’ve been working on already this summer. I’ll give you periodic updates as the summer goes on! We also have a few other STAs around Northfield this summer, so hopefully we’ll be hearing updates from the Carleton Farm as well as Arb Crew!