LANCASTER, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall College President John Fry has announced that he has taken a critical step to demonstrate my commitment to making Franklin & Marshall more sustainable.
In an email to campus late last week, Fry wrote, " At the recommendation of the Campus Sustainability Committee and the Sustainability Task Force, I have signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment." The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is a high-visibility effort to makes college campuses more sustainable by reducing and ultimately neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions. As a participant in the program, Franklin & Marshall will develop a plan to become climate neutral by adopting energy policies that effectively result in zero net emissions of greenhouse gases. "Becoming "climate neutral" is a highly challenging, but extremely worthy, goal," said Fry. "The pace at which we proceed will depend on two factors: the magnitude of our current greenhouse gas emissions and the resources at our disposal to reduce these emissions."
As a signatory to the commitment, Fry is directing the College to take three actions: •To develop a long-range plan for becoming climate neutral_
•To create an inventory of our greenhouse gas emissions
•To take short-term, tangible actions toward minimizing carbon dioxide emissions. "Together, these steps will enable us to understand more clearly our energy use and its implications for the environment," said Fry. "This understanding will in turn help us to adopt policies consistent with becoming climate neutral as we expand the campus footprint." Signing the Commitment requires the Colleg to take at least two tangible actions to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions during the next two years. Franklin & Marshall is exploring a variety of options to satisfy this requirement, including purchasing more renewable energy, improving building energy efficiencies, and committing itself to purchase Energy Star appliances. At the heart of the Commitment is the notion that Franklin & Marshall College is in a special position to demonstrate leadership in the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions and to educate our students and the broader community about strategies to minimize the human impact on Earth's climate. -30- |
