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DePauw president signs climate commitment

Thursday, September 18, 2008
By MARIBETH WARD, Staff Writer

DePauw University recently announced the school's president Brian W. Casey joined 575 college and university presidents and chancellors across America signing the American College and Presidents Climate Commitment.

By signing, DePauw University pledges to begin the process of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and becoming climate-neutral.

The American College & University President's Climate Commitment states on their Web site, "the fight against global warming will shape the 21st century. Colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to eliminate global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality."

It continues, "Campuses that address the climate challenge by eliminating global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society."

The program is looking to have 1,000 signatures of college and university presidents by Dec. 2009.

They are in the third phase of the project, which is a public rollout in which they ask for schools to show their strength and leadership in the fight against global warming.

The Academy claims that, "Results of joining the movement early will help schools realize the benefits of funding, attracting talent, achieving long-term cost reduction and generating broad support from alumni and communities. At the same time it helps lead America to a new energy and economic future."

The document signed by Casey says, "that universities can be leaders in serving as "role models for their communities and in training the people who will develop the social, economic and technological solutions to reverse global warming."

In addition, it says, "the presidents and chancellors signing the commitment say they believe that taking action will stabilize or reduce their institution's energy costs, will attract excellent students and faculty, as well as new funding sources, and will increase the support of alumni and local communities."

Neal Abraham, executive vice president of DePauw, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculty has been charged with developing a plan to implement the pledge. He will present it to the community by Dec. 1.

Abraham has been asked specifically to determine how the University's academic program can support the University's sustainability efforts.

Additionally, Casey plans to include the City of Greencastle in the discussions and actions of the university.

The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns recently recognized the city as a 2008 Green City. This is an honor it will share with Bloomington.

For more information about the climate leadership plan go to www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

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  • What a bunch of drivel! Neal Abraham is going to come up with a plan? What a joke. Our great university (and Abraham especially) has no idea who is in charge of this world and our climate. For your information, people --- God is in charge, not us. Notice that DePauw is still using the out-dated phrase "Global Warming". The PC term is now "Climate Change". That way, whether it gets colder or hotter, the environmentalists have it covered.

    -- Posted by not gullible on Thu, Sep 18, 2008, at 8:50 AM
  • *

    The document signed by Casey says, "'that universities can be leaders in serving as role models for their communities and in training the people who will develop the social, economic and technological solutions to reverse global warming.'"

    Just my $.02, but maybe DePauw should tackle the social and economic solutions and farm out the technological portion.

    According to Newton's Law of Cooling, those buildings with the enormous glass faces the university has built in the last generation will never be energy efficient. They sure look pretty on the surface, but don't really work all that well in the real world. Just like this pledge, as it turns out.

    -- Posted by tackleberry65 on Thu, Sep 18, 2008, at 9:00 AM

  • As the science becomes more and more discredited, the bandwagon just keeps rolling.

    I do wonder why.

    -- Posted by FAW on Thu, Sep 18, 2008, at 9:04 AM

  • There are a few theories going around now as the cause of global warming (or climate change depending on who's side you think you're on).

    First, is carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels. This is the most commonly heard one. However, carbon emissions also come from other places than just fuel. Carbon is locked within the surface of the earth and is let out from time to time naturally. What the concern is, is the humans involvement with extracting the carbon fuels and burning them at alarming rates. There are few who will say this is the sole contributor despite what people are believing.

    The second theory is a natural shift in the tilt and ellipses of the earth. This happens and is something that can't be changed.

    The third is similar to the second in that there is current belief that the magnetic poles are shifting as well as the magnetic field diminishing - which would somewhat coincide with "smaller"'s statement because the field helps deflect the radiation put off by the sun.

    Lastly, the belief that this whole ordeal is a liberal, environmentalist's way of stirring up drama and money for their organizations. That belief is still held by some and they are entitled to that just as those who believe the earth is still flat and the center of the universe.

    All that said, the one we have control over is the first. What is being done by governments, private agencies, universities, schools and individuals is to do what can be done on the first theory. Because if the first one turns out to be factual and we've done nothing, then shame on us. It doesn't make anyone liberal or granola. It makes them well-informed and proactive.

    Congratulations DePauw. For those who think this is a liberal decision, please note Ball State, Indiana State and Rose Hulman have also signed.

    -- Posted by kevincrafton on Thu, Sep 18, 2008, at 11:34 AM

  • Thank you for an article that is not about food...

    -- Posted by can't_understand on Fri, Sep 19, 2008, at 12:17 AM

  • Kudos to Depauw! I am so glad to hear many of Indiana's colleges are doing this. Now if we all just start doing something to make Earth a cleaner planet, so that our offsprings will have a planet that is a much safer and cleaner than what we have now.

    -- Posted by savethekids on Fri, Sep 19, 2008, at 12:28 PM

  • What a joke... This earth has gone through its climate changes before. Last time though, we didn't even have these 'greenhouse gases', carbon monoxide producing vehicles, or factories. It's all a scam to get you, the tax payer to put more money in our owners pockets. When I say 'our owners', I mean the people that are really in charge. The ones that feed us this propaganda. The ones that don't care if you eat or starve, live or die. They say we have a problem, then BOOM, we must have a problem and we must act now!!!

    Wake up people! Do your own research. Don't eat from a spoon that comes from someones hand that doesn't care about you.

    -- Posted by hoop2077 on Fri, Sep 19, 2008, at 10:05 PM

  • Well put hoop...

    I feel sorry for the people that are not capable of thinking for themselves. This Global Warming, as well as many other things, has got to stop. It is a large load of crap.

    Poor General Motors and Ford, they have been run into the ground all because of this LIE!!!

    Global Warming does not exist.

    -- Posted by kapem on Sat, Sep 20, 2008, at 11:22 AM
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