{"id":12696,"date":"2017-01-17t20:51:27","date_gmt":"2017-01-17t20:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/carbon-neutrality-in-2017-a-qa-with-second-nature\/"},"modified":"2017-01-17t20:51:27","modified_gmt":"2017-01-17t20:51:27","slug":"carbon-neutrality-in-2017-a-qa-with-second-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/carbon-neutrality-in-2017-a-qa-with-second-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"carbon neutrality in 2017: a q&a with second nature"},"content":{"rendered":"
on friday, december 8, middlebury college joined the short list of schools that have achieved carbon neutrality. through investments in biomass, solar, efficiency, and conservation, the college was able to declare that it had achieved carbon neutral status. now that middlebury has joined the ranks, what more can be done to showcase environmental leadership? how can other schools get involved and join the ranks of carbon neutral campuses? i interviewed ruby woodside, a fellow at second nature, to get a better sense of what carbon neutrality will look like in the coming year, now that several major institutions have gone entirely carbon neutral. second nature is the creator of the 600-institution-strong climate leadership network, a group of schools across the u.s. that have committed to take leadership in combating climate change. below is our interview:<\/p>\n
q: hello ruby, thank you so much for answering these questions for planet forward! firstly, does middlebury\u2019s declaration of its carbon neutrality change anything for other schools? has the college \u2018paved the way\u2019 for other institutions?<\/strong><\/p>\n a: middlebury\u2019s announcement certainly pressures other schools to reach their goals. middlebury is now the largest college or university to achieve carbon neutrality, which is a pretty powerful statement. i think this especially pressures schools that are peers to middlebury, for example smaller private colleges in the northeast. schools with similar situations and climates can look at middlebury\u2019s strategies as models for their own paths to carbon neutrality. that being said, i don\u2019t think this is a major change for the majority of the network. each school has different factors influencing its emissions and different challenges to overcome.<\/p>\n q: how can schools like middlebury, that have achieved carbon neutrality, continue to show climate leadership going forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n a: schools can always continue to improve their operations, reduce energy use, and implement more renewables. maintaining carbon neutrality each year is a major task that will require an ongoing effort by middlebury. another way that schools like middlebury can continue to show climate leadership is to reach out beyond campus boundaries to drive climate action in the local community and region. many of the universities that we work with are now signatories of the [second nature] climate commitment, which means they are committed to improving climate resilience with their community. schools can act as conveners for local and regional stakeholders, and work with community partners to assess climate vulnerability. we know that many regions in the u.s. are already feeling the impacts of climate change, and i think there is a lot of opportunity for schools to step up and provide leadership in terms of adaptation and resilience.<\/p>\n q: what other schools are on the path of carbon neutrality?<\/strong><\/p>\n a: all of the schools that have signed either the carbon or climate commitment have a target carbon neutrality date and a commitment to achieve this. some are much closer to doing so than others. there are at least 30 schools that have set their carbon neutrality data as 2020 or before. you can look at our public reporting system<\/a> to see the list of schools that have upcoming carbon neutrality dates.<\/p>\n q: on january 20, 2017, the united states will inaugurate donald j. trump as president of the united states. his nominee to lead the epa, scott pruitt, has been called a \u201cclimate change denialist\u201d by the new york times. do you believe that his nomination will change anything for institutions looking to become more \u2018green’?<\/strong><\/p>\n