Parkland College recently unveiled its overall plan for how it will reduce its environmental footprint.
The Parkland College Climate Plan, available for public viewing at
http://www.parkland.edu/about/sustainability, is part of a nationwide effort of colleges called the Presidents’ Climate Commitment
(http://presidentsclimatecommitment.org/about/commitment). By joining the national movement in 2009, Parkland publicly proclaimed its intent to respond to climate change as an institution and “create another avenue to fulfill its mission of ‘engaging the community in learning’ by being a leading force in sustainable education and practices,” according to the document.
The Climate Action Plan describes specific actions for the college to take in working towards carbon neutrality as well as sets a time frame for reaching this goal. A project of the college’s Sustainable Campus Committee, the plan was written by Parkland Associate Professor Gregory Walburg and grant writer Joshua Birky, with contributions from staffers Michael Retzer and Hilary Valentine.