APPA Library

"Cool Campuses?!"
Author: Simpson, Walter,
Published In: Facilities Manager
Date: March/April 2012

When the author is invited to speak about climate change, he always makes these four basic points: (1) Climate change is real and occurring; (2) It's principally caused by burning fossil fuels, which releases the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide; (3) The consequences are serious; and (4) It's not too late to do something about it. These points are well established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the largest international peer-reviewed scientific exercise in history, as well as by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences and virtually every other prestigious scientific organization. The good news is Americans know what to do. But knowing what to do is not enough. They need to act. They need to quit their extravagant use of fossil fuels and by mid-century be living in a much more resource-conserving world powered by solar, wind, and other carbon-free renewable energy sources. Who will lead this energy revolution? One hopeful possibility is higher education. As one example, many institutions of higher education are already involved through the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). (Contains 6 endnotes.)

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