Green Digest

30 Colby Students Attend Powershift 2009

Participants/Sponsors: Colby students

Between Friday February 27th and March 2nd, 30 Colby students took part in a historic national climate change summit, Power Shift 2009. These students were among 12,000 young people who converged on Capitol Hill to lobby elected officials to be accountable for rebuilding our economy and plan for the future with bold climate and clean energy policy.

Although Mega-storm DC delayed Nancy Pelosi, it was not enough to deter the determined. Colby Power Shifters in front of Capitol Hill demanding green jobs and climate legislation in what was the largest climate change lobby day ever. They have returned campus energized and eager to work on being part of the solution here in Maine.

Added on April 8, 2009

Alum Pushes Tidal Power

Participants/Sponsors: Colby Echo, 2/25/09

In the Echo, Allison Ehrenreich '12 profiles Peter Arnold '68, who is working on sustainable tidal power generation on the Maine coast.

Added on March 10, 2009

ES Students Volunteer at Evening for the Environment

Participants/Sponsors: ES Program
Environmental Coalition

In an effort to connect with the environmental community in Maine, five students from the Environmental Coalition went down to Portland to volunteer at the Maine League of Conservation Voters annual Evening for Environment. Their responsibilities as volunteers included assisting with check-in and registration, as well as handing out programs.
In exchange they were able to enjoy the event free of charge and hear the keynote speaker, Gary Hirshberg, the Chairman, President and CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm yogurt. The speech was engaging and inspiring, as Hirshberg runs a multimillion dollar business that is completely focused on sustainability and is therefore proof that green business is not only possible but can be extremely successful. He ended his speech with a memorable quote summing up his optimism and advocating for green initiatives saying, "Anyone who thinks they are too small to make a difference has never been in bed with a mosquito."

Added on December 5, 2008

Award Winning Poster

Participants/Sponsors: ES Program

On October 24, two ES majors, J. Sarah Sorenson '11 and Zach Ezor '10 were awarded first prize in the poster competition at the conference "Climate Change 21 -- Choices for the 21st Century (CC21)", held at the University of Maine, Orono campus. Sarah and Zach worked with Professor Russ Cole on their poster, "Colby College's Greenhouse Gas Inventory: A Guide to Carbon Neutrality", which was submitted in the category for campus initiatives related to climate change. The competition judging team was led by internationally-recognized climate scientist Dr. Paul Mayewski, Director, Climate Change Institute, The University of Maine. Honorary Judge and awards presenter was Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes" -- CBS News.

Please check out the award winning poster in the display case between Rooms 207 and 208 in Diamond. Also check out more terrific student work on display on the first floor in Olin, the poster created by Becky Lipson '09 and Peter Graham '12, "Sustainability Initiatives at Colby College".

Added on December 5, 2008

Electronic President's Report

Participants/Sponsors: Office of the President
Office of Communications

Colby saved hundreds of pounds of paper and thousands of dollars for printing and postage by converting the Annual Report of the President to an electronic-only publication.

Added on November 18, 2008

Green Communications

Participants/Sponsors: Brian Speer, Director of Integrated Marketing and Design; Robert Hernandez, Senior Designer

All College materials that are produced by the Office of Communications are printed on 100-percent post-consumer papers that are manufactured with alternative fuels. See the environmental savings from last year on the communications site.

Added on November 5, 2008