Contact: Stephen Collins
(sbcollin@colby.edu)
p: 207-859-4352 | The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named Colby College the 2007-08 Individual Conference Champion for purchasing more green power than any other school in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). EPA has been tracking green power purchasing among collegiate athletic conferences through its College & University Green Power Challenge, which concluded April 28 with 40 schools and 18 conferences participating nationwide.
Because Colby purchases all of its electricity from renewable resources within Maine (low-impact hydro and biomass) and also purchases Green-E-certified wind power Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset energy use in its LEED-certified buildings, the EPA lists Colby as using 115-percent green electricity -- the highest percentage among the 40 participating colleges and universities.
Colby used more than 17 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power -- more than any other NESCAC school -- during the competition. The college generates about 10 percent of its electricity with a co-generation turbine driven by exhaust at the on-campus steam plant used to heat buildings.
EPA estimates that Colby's purchase of green power is equivalent to electricity for more than 2,000 average American homes for a year, and that the resulting reduction in CO2 emissions is the equivalent of taking nearly 2,000 passenger cars off the road for a year.
"EPA applauds this year's College & University Green Power Conference Champions for their leadership in green power purchasing," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By switching to green power sources, Colby College is proving that doing what's good for the environment is also good for education."
A third year of the EPA College & University Green Power Challenge will conclude in spring 2009. EPA's Green Power Challenge is open to all U.S. colleges, universities, and conferences. For information and 2007-08 results, visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Green power is considered cleaner than conventional sources of electricity and has lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a greenhouse gas linked to global climate change. Purchases of green power help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.
About the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership
EPA's Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to purchase green power to reduce environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Green Power Partnership currently has hundreds of partners, including Fortune 500 companies, small and medium-sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and trade associations, as well as colleges and universities. For information visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.
| | — April 28, 2008 |
News Home Page | | | | Colby News Wire |
Clinton, Obama spar over long Democratic contest
Should Clinton stay or should she go? "'Each [candidate] is making the best political argument for themselves and stating it in terms of some universal principles that don't exist,' said Sandy Maisel, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs at Maine's Colby College. 'Her side says, 'Every vote counts,' and his side says, 'It's over, why doesn't she admit it?'' Maisel said. 'In fact, it isn't over, and there have been lots of cases in the past when every vote didn't count.'
http://www.hindustantimes... | Helping girls to master the media
Professor Lyn Mikel Brown (education), coauthor of Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes, will speak to parents about understanding marketing to girls and how to counter its effects, which include promoting unhealthy competitiveness, rather than solidarity, among girls.
http://www.concordmonitor... | Repaying campaign debt hard for losing side
Senator Clinton, deep in debt, may be able to expect support from Senator Obama. "'It's not atypical for a winning candidate to assist financially in relieving some of the opposing campaign's debt,' said Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Maine who is not affiliated with a campaign. 'I would expect Sen. Obama to extend support.'"
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-14-campaign-debt_N.htm
For additional Corrado commentary, see:
Politico.com, May 15
"GOP can't rely on money advantage now"
Wall Street Journal, May 13
"Carrying Fight Into Convention Can Bruise Party in November"
Boston Globe, May 13
"Finance law may keep Clinton in"
National Public Radio, May 8
"Clinton Stretches Her Dollars as Race Stretches On"
Bloomberg News, May 11
"Clinton Deadline Looms for Recouping $11 Million Personal Loan"
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