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April 17, 2007
Contact: Bob Adams
(425) 564-3081
badams@bcc.ctc.edu
BCC becomes charter signatory of
‘College & University Presidents Climate Commitment’
BELLEVUE, WASH. – Bellevue Community College (BCC) has become a charter signatory to the “American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment,” a broad effort by higher education institutions nation-wide to neutralize their greenhouse gas emissions and expand their educational focus on what it will take to re-stabilize Earth’s climate.
"We at BCC are proud to be part of this important effort. We realize that it’s critical that each and every one of us becomes actively involved in measures to protect our environment,” said BCC President Jean Floten. “What could be more precious than the environment that sustains us? How have we gotten so far off track in protecting it, and what do we need to do to restore it? These are questions we intend to explore more fully with students and the community,” Floten said.
Signers of the commitment pledge their institutions to reduce and offset carbon emissions until they are neutralized.
More than 170 colleges and universities across the nation have signed the commitment, which was introduced earlier this year by Second Nature, ecoAmerica and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
In carrying out its pledge, BCC will identify all of its carbon emissions sources and create an action plan for reducing those emissions or off-setting them with pro-environment measures, such as planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide and purchasing ‘green’ energy.
BCC also will put additional focus on climate protection both inside the classroom and in public events.
One such educational event is going on this week – the eighth annual Earth Week put on the by BCC’s Student Science Association.
Historically the largest Earth Week celebration in East King County, the free, public event this year offers more than 20 lectures, films and demonstrations from Monday, April 16, through Friday, April 20.
The full schedule of Earth Week events is available on-line at http://www.scidiv.bcc.ctc.edu/rv/earthweek/
Since signing the commitment, BCC has taken the first steps toward assessing carbon output and other environmental impacts by forming an Environmental Advisory Committee of faculty, staff and students.
BCC also intends to design new buildings to LEEDS environmental standards, as it did in 2001 in constructing its 68,000 square-foot R Building. This classroom and office building uses geothermal heating and cooling derived from a grid of 97 wells installed below the main entry plaza, each 100 yards deep, which along with other ‘green’ techniques make it one of the most environment-friendly structures in the area.
About Bellevue Community College
Serving 35,000 students annually, Bellevue Community College is Washington state’s third largest institution of higher education. BCC offers transfer study (the first two years of college) as well as career-related training in 90 fields including information technology, health sciences and business. BCC’s Continuing Education division offers hundreds of programs in computing, various work-related topics, art, travel, languages and personal enrichment, as well as business contract training and small business development. Visit BCC on the web at www.bellevuecollege.edu.
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