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a Guide to Carbon Neutrality at Middlebury College

The MiddShift Implementation Working Group recently produced a short Guide to Carbon Neutrality at Middlebury College. The eight page document provides an overview of the the College's carbon footprint, its goal to be carbon neutral by 2016, why it set this goal, and how it is approaching the development of a roadmap for achieving it.

Powershift Vermont

On April 19th-21st, 2008 hundreds of high school and college students from across Vermont will converge on Middlebury College 's campus for the Power Shift Vermont conference. On Monday, the group will subsequently travel to Montpelier to demand climate solutions from legislators in the statehouse and Governor Douglas' office!

Power Shift Vermont 2008 will focus on providing Vermont college and high school students with the knowledge and tools they need to take action and find climate solutions. Through informative panels, interactive workshops, intense discussions, speeches by distinguished leaders, and our Action Day in Montpelier , we will take important steps towards a securing clean energy future and continuing sustainability efforts in the Green Mountain State .

Middlebury switches to 100 percent recycled paper

In keeping with its leadership in sustainability, Middlebury’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Alison Byerly, announced that the College has adopted a policy  to use 100% recycled content (aka post consumer waste – PCW) , process chlorine free paper (PCF) in all printers and copiers and outsourced publications. The College has begun purchasing 100% PCW-PCF paper in place of the 30% PCW-PCF that it previously used for printers and copiers. The shift will see Middlebury reducing its consumption of trees, water and electricity by 300% compared with the 30% recycled content paper it has been using. The increase in cost would be as little as $100. This small difference in cost could be easily offset by a 1.5% decrease in current usage.

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Food Mapping

Originally the vision of a former student, the Food Mapping Project  is a cooperative effort between the Environmental Studies Department, Geography Department, Dining Services & the Middlebury College Organic Garden. The primary goal of the project is to help people visualize connections of their food system to the environment and help understand that the choices they make during meals everyday has an impact not only on the environment but also the local and national economy.

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Environmental Council Request for Proposals

The Environmental Council is seeking proposals from Middlebury College students, faculty and staff for projects that will advance the College's efforts to create a more sustainable community. Proposals can be for as little as $25 and as much as $2,500. Any sustainability related proposal is welcome.                        
                                     
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ZipCar Comes to Middlebury

Middlebury College has signed an agreement with ZipCar, the world’s largest car-sharing company, starting a program on campus designed to expand the transportation options available to students, faculty and staff.

Carbon Neutrality Commitment Adopted

The Middlebury Board of Trustees set a new carbon reduction goal for the College at its May 4, 2007 meeting: to become carbon neutral by 2016. The resolution challenges the entire College community to actively participate in efforts to achieve the new goal. The Trustees' resolution also states that the preferred approach to carbon neutrality be through a combination of energy conservation and efficiency, renewable fuel sources, technology innovation, educational programming and learning, and, as a last option, purchase of carbon offsets.

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Middlebury Snow Bowl Goes Carbon Neutral

The National Ski Area Association has confirmed that the Middlebury College Snow Bowl is the first carbon neutral ski area in the United States. Beginning in the 2006-07 ski season, the Middlebury College Snow Bowl will be a carbon neutral ski facility. To achieve carbon neutrality, the college purchased carbon offsets its operations in the amount of $7,138 to compensate for a total of 679.9 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The college bought the offsets from Charlotte-based NativeEnergy, a privately held renewable energy company that helps reduce CO2 emissions by funding Native American owned and operated wind turbine farms and family-owned farm methane projects.                                                                ....more

Middlebury Joins Slow Food Terra Madre University Network

Middlebury College is one of 11 American universities and colleges that are part of the new Terra Madre University Network which is linked with the Slow Food University Network.

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