Submitted on January 14, 2010; last updated on January 14, 2010
The year 2035 has been selected by the Bard Climate Commission as an ambitious deadline to achieve carbon-neutrality: a quarter-century in which to reshape Bard operations and a pace that reflects the severity of global climate change while remaining both logistically and economically feasible.
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It is understood that the path to carbon-neutrality will be an ongoing process, comprised of both short- and long-term strategies. Bards CAP is intended to be a living document, constantly evolving as new ideas, stakeholders, and research contributions bring further clarity to Bards emissions reduction strategy, and economic, technological, and environmental forces reshape society and the world. Plans to institutionalize the CAP with administrative and academic oversight will not only ensure that mitigation strategies are actively pursued and that all relevant monitoring and documentation is accurate and up-to-date, but that the goals of carbon-neutrality permeate student life and the academic experience at Bard. While changing attitudes and policy points is critical to this process, goals of carbon-neutrality will ultimately rely on considerable facility and fleet upgrades, as well as indirect changes in state and national policy and the advent of new technology. For these reasons, the year 2035 has been selected by the Bard Climate Commission as an ambitious deadline to achieve carbon-neutrality: a quarter-century in which to reshape Bard operations and a pace that reflects the severity of global climate change while remaining both logistically and economically feasible.
In recognition of the importance of environmental literacy in liberal arts education, Bard offers over 20 undergraduate classes related to the field of environmental studies Included below is a summary of current measures to restructure curriculum to embody CAP goals: Launch re-envisioned college undergraduate major in Environmental and Urban Studies: the first annual EUS Colloquium will be offered during the spring 2010. Collaborate with the Bard Center for Environmental Policy to generate CAP-related research and connect environmental policy graduate students to undergraduate experience Tie campus facilities and departments to student educational experience Leverage relationships with outside organizations and affiliations including the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities, the Cary Institute and National Association of Environmental Law Societies Campus Climate Neutral program
Utilizing Bard's academic resources to their full potential will allow Bard to procure valuable CAP-related research in a cost-effective manner. Under the auspices of the Bard Environmental Resources Department (BERD) and Climate Commission, plans to delegate CAP-related research to the Bard Center for Environmental Policy (CEP) and the Environment & Urban Studies (EUS) program are already under way. As part of graduate curriculum, CEP is now conducting its first round of CAP-related research expected to be complete in Spring '10. This round of topics includes: Full potential of large- and small-scale solar thermal hot water systems on campus Feasibility of substituting distilled oil (#2) with biodiesel and waste vegetable oil (WVO) in Bard facilities Impact of LED technology and lighting controls in Bard facilities Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program design and policy implementation Cost-benefit analysis of green construction and materials standards BERD is currently collaborating with EUS faculty to develop suitable research projects, and to create an undergraduate team to work with and be informed by the National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS)
Bard has collaborated with the Town of Red Hook on community programming and research. The surrounding community will be made aware of the institution's participation in and progress toward implementing the ACUPCC through our Public Relations department and external web presence. The College will continue to coordinate and participate in events in the greater Red Hook Community, including Red Hook Clean Up Day and local climate change events such as "Step it Up" and "350". We anticipate that CEP interns will continue to work for the Town of Red Hook Conservation Advisory Council to help fulfill the Towns commitment to Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI). We will build on the work of a team of graduates, undergraduates, and community leaders who have worked to create a Smart Energy Town weatherization and solar program for Red Hook. Other opportunities for community outreach include: Support service learning projects on climate change (Trustee Leader Scholars program) Collaborate with Red Hook Chamber of Commerce and provide logistical support for interdisciplinary community outreach projects Evaluate participation in regional 10% Challenge project of Sustainable Hudson Valley
