During the event, the committee overseeing the Green Campus Commitment
initiatives convened and area business leaders were given the
opportunity to see first hand some of the initiatives DCTC has
already put into place.
Following the presentations, guests moved to the new greenhouse,
where a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held. At the conclusion of
the ribbon cutting, guests enjoyed a wonderful reception in the
west library atrium.
•The Instructional Action Team is looking
at ways to integrate sustainability into selected aspects of
program curriculum.
• Solar panels have been added to our new greenhouse.
The panels will be used to heat the greenhouse during the day
and supplement the heating system, which will save on natural
gas costs.
• A baseline emissions inventory is underway. A report
will be prepared with the results along with an explanation
of the findings.
• U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing
Buildings is being reviewed and discussed for possible implementation
at DCTC and the college is working toward LEED certification
for all new construction.
• The college is installing 100% post-consumer recycled
paper towels and toilet paper with no chlorine or chemicals
used in its production throughout the building.
• The Student Senate has taken the leadership role to
promote the new recycling program at DCTC. They have purchased
45 recycling containers, which have been distributed throughout
the campus. TKDA and Allied Waste provided the students with
two days of onsite training.
• The Instructional Action Team is investigating additional
program majors in the areas of environmental technology.
• The college has installed new occupancy sensors, lighting
controls, and has updated the energy management system.
• The college is investigating photovoltaic panels, which
turn sunlight energy into electricity.
• The college is working with the Clinton Initiative
and looking into wind energy..
• New green purchasing guidelines are being implemented.
• The college has recently purchased a Toyota Prius and
a Mercedes Smart Car to increase the fuel efficiency of the
vehicles in our motor pool.
• Architectural Technology instructor Beverly Claybrook
has completed a sabbatical, and as part of her experience she
received course certification at the Greenbuild International
Conference and Expo in Chicago in November. Her areas of completion
were in "Carbon is the New Gold," "Solar: Integrating
Green Curriculum for Tomorrow's Professionals," "Solar
Umbrella House: Responsible Living for the 21st Century,"
and "Ecoliteracy in Architectural Education."
• The Instructional Action Team is submitting proposals
to receive funding from the Perkins IV New Program Development
grant program for an Environmental Studies A.S. and a renewable
Energy Technology A.A.S. program.
• The Instructional Action Team has developed the "Sustainability
Across the Curriculum Survey," which should be distributed
to faculty soon.
Winter heating bills will be even worse than initially thought
this year, as surging oil prices are pushing up costs for a variety
of heating sources. The average U.S. household will pay $986 in
heating costs this winter, up 10.9% from the 2006-07 season, according
to the Energy Information Administration, the analytical arm of
the Energy Department.
WCCO-TV
Chief Meteorologist Paul Douglas provided an outstanding presentation
on climate change and global warming and Dean of the College of
Biological Sciences for the University of Minnesota Robert Elde
spoke to the biological aspects of climate change on the planet.
