Campus News - Framingham State College Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2007 

CONTACT:
Mari Megias, 508/626-4047, mmegias@frc.mass.edu
Peter Chisholm, 508/626-4025, pchisho@frc.mass.edu 

PRESIDENT OF FRAMINGHAM STATE COLLEGE SIGNS NATIONAL AGREEMENT

TO  NEUTRALIZE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ON CAMPUS 

(Framingham, MA) — Timothy Flanagan, president of Framingham State College (FSC), yesterday signed an agreement to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions on campus and to accelerate research and educational efforts to restabilize the earth’s climate. Signatories to the agreement, which was drafted by the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org), represent 239 colleges across the nation, including 30 in Massachusetts.

“Colleges are in a unique position not only to model good environmental citizenship but also to educate our future leaders about climate stability,” says Flanagan. “In signing this agreement, Framingham State College pledges to become ‘carbon neutral’ as soon as possible.”

The college has already adopted many of the recommendations of the Climate Commitment. For example, the upcoming renovation of Crocker Hall will certify the building as a “green building” according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.™

The college’s first step will be to conduct a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions and to adopt environmentally-friendly policies that will tangibly reduce greenhouse gases.

FSC’s April global-warming teach-in, where 45 instructors from 15 disciplines incorporated environmental lessons into the curriculum, is an example of FSC’s strong commitment to educate students about the impact our actions have on the environment. Signing the agreement takes the college a step further in that FSC will pledge to become climate neutral within a specific timeframe.