News Archives:
2011
2010
2009
2008
2011
Inactive Institutions Removed from American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment
After missing three consecutive reporting requirements, 10 institutions are removed from the ACUPCC, underscoring the importance of public reporting to the success of individual institutions and the network.
July 1, 2011 | Boston, MA
Second Nature President Anthony Cortese Delivers UMPI Commencement Address
Cortese encourages University of Maine Presque Isle Class of 2011 to to join him in a journey of hope toward a sustainable future.
May 14, 2011 | Presque Isle, ME
Radio Green Talk™ Features Second Nature President Anthony Cortese (audio)
Cortese discusses the crucial role of higher education in creating a healthy, just, and sustainable society. Visit the website of Radio Green Talk™.
April 28, 2011 | Nashua, NH
Colleges and Universities Report Significant Progress in Confronting Climate Disruption
2010 ACUPCC Annual Report: Critical mass of colleges and universities continued to provide crucial leadership on sustainability in 2010 despite challenging economic and political environment.
April 5, 2011 | Boston, MA
Second Nature invites signatory institutions to submit applications for Climate Leadership Awards
Winners will be announced at the 5th annual Climate Leadership Summit of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) on June 23-24, 2011 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Submission Deadline: April 15, 2011
March 8, 2011 | Boston, MA
A Blueprint for Advancing Education for Sustainability
Leading National EfS Organizations Map Out Opportunities for Collaboration
February 4, 2011 | Boston, MA
Kresge Foundation and Second Nature Team Up to Build Capacity on Climate Action at Financially Challenged Colleges and Universities
The Kresge Foundation has re-invested in Second Nature to promote innovation and leadership among financially strained and minority-serving colleges and universities.
January 13, 2011 | Boston, MA
Second Nature and ACUPCC Announce 2010-2011 Steering Committee
With addition of new members, ACUPCC leadership further embodies broad representation of higher education sector in US.
November 1, 2010 | Boston, MA
Anthony Cortese, President of Second Nature and Lead Organizer of ACUPCC, Delivers Rousing Speech to Thousands at Bioneers 2010
View the speech in its entirety on the Second Nature blog.
October 17, 2010 | San Rafael, CA
Second Nature President Anthony Cortese One of Boston Globe's 'Earth Angels'
Cortese highlights need for systemic thinking in addressing climate change, successes of American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment and Advancing Green Building in Higher Education initiative.
October 10, 2010 | Boston, MA
Fifteen Inactive Institutions Removed from American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment
Remaining 673 signatory institutions continue to build critical mass, provide leadership to move society toward
more sustainable future.
July 1, 2010 | Boston, MA
37 College and University Presidents Urge President Obama’s Leadership in Passing Legislation this Year to Put a Price on Carbon
Letters to President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid demonstrate support of key group of non-partisan thought leaders for national leadership in this shift.
June 7, 2010 | Boston, MA
2010
Second Nature Announces Climate Leadership Awards for Excellence at Signatory Institutions of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)
Awards will be presented in two categories at the 2010 Climate Leadership Summit in Denver, CO. Nominations will be accepted through June 30.
May 28, 2010 | Boston, MA
Second Nature Task Force Urges Congress, Obama Administration to Overhaul Transportation Policy
Fifteen college and university presidents call for policy shift to advance clean energy goals, build healthy communities, and assure global competitiveness.
May 11, 2010 | Washington, DC
Recipients of Second Nature's 2010 Kresge Fellowships for Green Building Announced
Campus executives at twenty-five institutions will receive training and networking opportunities to become champions of sustainable, 'green' campus building.
April 29, 2010 | Boston, MA
New Report Shows Higher Education Sector Could be Model for Governments on Climate
While the US government and the global community have been slow to address severe climate disruption, colleges and universities are stepping in to boldly slash their carbon emissions, research and develop new technologies, and prepare students to create a safer, clean energy economy.
March 23, 2010 | Boston, MA
Second Nature President Anthony Cortese Speaker at The National Council for Science and the Environment’s Annual Conference
Cortese joins EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson among other well-known speakers for focus on “The New Green Economy: aligning science, education, and markets.”
January 20, 2010 | Washington, DC
Second Nature Announces New Mini-Grants Available for Under-Resourced Schools to Train Contractors in ‘Green Building’
Colleges and universities in states with low numbers of 'green building' projects invited to apply for technical assistance grants of up to $2000 each. Schools will use the funds to send external building professionals (i.e. construction contractors, architects, designers, etc) who work with their schools to attend green building training opportunities. The deadline to apply is February 12, 2010.
January 11, 2010 | Boston, MA
Second Nature Signs Joint Letter to Senate Opposing Amendment to Limit EPA’s Clean Air Act Authority
Thirty-eight major organizations signed letter registering deep concern for Senator Murkowski’s proposal.
January 8, 2010 | Washington, DC
2009
Second Nature Board Chair David Hales Publishes Article on WashingtonPost.com Planet Panel
David Hales, President of College of the Atlantic, says Not enough, Mr. President, not nearly enough in regards to President Obama’s speech and commitments in Copenhagen.
December 18, 2009 | Bar Harbor, ME
Second Nature, AASHE, and ecoAmerica Receive Prestigious Award
Founding organizations of ACUPCC presented with US Green Building Council’s 2009 Leadership Award.
November 17, 2009 | Boston, MA
Second Nature Fellow Jim Elder Receives the Conservation Award of the National Wildlife Federation
Elder, Founder and Director of Campaign for Environmental Literacy, receives Conservation Achievement Award for Education for his work to advance sustainability education.
November 13, 2009 | Washington, DC
Second Nature and UNCF Announce $1.8M Kresge Grant to Boost 'Green Building'
United Negro College Fund, with support from Second Nature, receives grant from Kresge Foundation to help minority-serving colleges and universities build and renovate sustainably.
November 12, 2009 | Fairfax, VA
Financing Sustainability on Campus Book Now Available
Written, edited, and introduced by Second Nature Staff and published by National Association of College & University Business Officers.
November 6, 2009 | Washington, DC
Second Nature Launches Web Portal to Help Colleges and Universities Build 'Green'
Campus Green Builder free, interactive portal provides hundreds of links to green building-related web sites, directories of experts, and resources for training and funding opportunities.
November 3, 2009 | Boston, MA
Second Nature Editorial Published in Sustainability: The Journal of Record
A New Era in Higher Education (PDF) written by Second Nature's Peter Bardaglio and Andrea Putman
Posted with permission of Sustainability: The Journal of Record.
October, 2009 | New Rochelle, NY
Several College and University Presidents Urge US Secretary of Education to Ensure that President's FY2011 Budget Requests At Least $50 million for University Sustainability Program
September 23, 2009 | Washington, DC
Climate Neutral Campus Report Released by ACUPCC, Second Nature, and Kyoto Publishing
14 August 2009 | Boston, MA
President Clinton Presented Keynote at American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment Summit Aug. 13-14
August 13, 2009 | Chicago, IL
Nearly 250 leaders in higher education attended Climate Leadership Summit and heard President Bill Clinton’s remarks. Other speakers included: Martha J. Kanter, US Undersecretary of Education; S. Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chairman of the US Green Building Council; Peter M. Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline and founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning; and Janine Benyus, biologist and author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.
Second Nature and Several Colleges & Universities Join the UN's Climate Neutral Network
July 23, 2009 | Nairobi, Kenya
Six universities from the US, UK, Spain and China have become the first academic institutions to come on board the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) - an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global action to de-carbonize our economies and societies.
More than
150 College and University Presidents Tell Senators that Education is the Missing Link in Federal Climate Legislation
July 21, 2009 | Boston, MA
Presidents send letter calling on the Senate to help prepare the American people for a clean energy economy by including in the climate bill funds for education - at all levels - to help Americans make well-informed decisions as consumers, workers, business-owners, and investors.
Presidents who would like to add their name to the letter should contact Second Nature by email at policyalert@secondnature.org.
Second Nature Takes Lead in Managing Support of American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment
July 8, 2009 | Boston, MA
Second Nature has taken the lead in managing support of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment as the ACUPCC expands its bold and vital activities to make US higher education sustainable and climate-neutral.
Furman University Honored by Clean Air-Cool Planet for Sustainability Efforts
October 7, 2009 | Greenville, SC
Is LEED Worth it for College and University Buildings
Today's Campus Magazine Publishes Article by Second Nature Senior Fellow Peter Bardaglio (p. 18-23).
September, 2009 | Ithaca, NY
Second Nature to Support Sodexo’s Sustainability Efforts on Campuses Nationwide
August 19, 2009 | Gaithersburg, MD
Second Nature Calls on Leaders in Higher Education to Sign letter to Senators Urging "1% for Education" in new Climate Bill
July 2009 | Boston, MA
Second Nature and others call on leaders in Higher Education to sign a letter to Senate leaders urging them to set aside at least 1% of the proceeds of emissions allowances being considered in a new climate bill for a range of educational activities that will prepare the American workforce and public for a clean, green energy future. Deadline for signing this letter is Tuesday, July 7.
Dr. Anthony Cortese, President of Second Nature, receives Honorary Doctorate at Allegheny College
May 2009 | Meadville, PA
Second Nature has selected 15 under-resourced higher education institutions
for Kresge Green Building Fellowship Awards.
May 15, 2009 | Boston, MA
Second Nature congratulates the 15 institutions awarded the 2009 Kresge Green Building Fellowship Awards. With funding from the Kresge Foundation, Second Nature has presented these fellowships as a way to provide under-resourced institutions with information and networking opportunities that will develop champions for green building on campus. There were 82 applicants for the fellowships. Please click HERE to learn if your institution is one of the awardees.
New Guidance for Universities and Colleges to Provide Students with Education on Climate Change and Sustainability
May 2009 | Boston, MA
Many in higher education are struggling to determine the right curricula, research, courses, and programs that will train students and faculty to confront the massive challenge of climate disruption and to have the marketable skills needed in a new clean, green economy. To help leaders in higher education meet this challenge, the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and Second Nature have released Education for Climate Neutrality and Sustainability: Academic Guidance for ACUPCC Institutions.
Energy Financing Toolkit now available
April 15, 2009 | Boston, MA
The American Colleges and Universities Presidents’ Climate Commitment and the William J. Clinton Foundation’s Climate Initiative, with the assistance over 35 industry experts, created a best practices toolkit as a resource for ACUPCC signatories interested in learning about and conducting an Energy Performance Contract (EPC). EPC is a contractual and financing mechanism through which building owners can undertake comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits with minimal financial exposure and maximum energy and financial savings.
"Boldly Sustainable - Hope and Opportunity for Higher Education in the Age of Climate Change" published
April 2009 | Boston
Citing real world examples of innovative solutions in higher education, Second Nature Senior Fellow Peter Bardaglio and Second Nature's Director of Sustainability Financing Andrea Putman, illustrate how building a culture of sustainability through creative leadership, a signature curriculum, and enhanced learning environment, and sustainability initiatives can help institutions to distinguish themselves from the pack, bolster their value proposition, and raise their institutional profiles. Geared to both newcomers and experienced practitioners, this book offers higher education leaders a strategy for breaking through the static and capturing the attention of a world overwhelmed with a barrage of information.
New Report on Major Strides of American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment
April, 2009 | Washington, DC and Boston, MA
The 2008 Annual Report of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment demonstrates major strides, ambitious plans, and concrete examples of the more than 600 universities and
colleges participating in the ACUPCC. A news release is also available.
Second Nature, with a $1.2 M Kresge Foundation grant, launches Advancing Green Building in Higher Education Program
March 11, 2009 | Boston, MA
This initiative will assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, and the US Department of Education’s Title III and V institutions to “build green” on their campuses.
For more information, please click HERE.
Greenopolis Foundation implements new micro-grant program
March 2009
A new micro-grant program from the Greenopolis Foundation is online and open for applications from implementation liaisons, students, and faculty for sustainability education projects, such as GHG inventories or emissions reductions projects. Both open and defined grants available. Please click HERE for more information.
U Maryland announces the Chesapeake Project: Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum
The Chesapeake Project is a two-day workshop designed to help University of Maryland faculty integrate sustainability across all academic disciplines. Participants learn about core concepts of environmental, economic, and social sustainability from resource experts who help the participants integrate sustainability into their existing courses.
Article in Scientific American
March | 2009
Top 10 Myths about Sustainability is an article published in the Scientific American with contributions from Dr. Anthony Cortese, President of Second Nature.
The State publishes Op/Ed by board member David Shi
February 22, 2009 | Columbia, SC
The State recently published an excellent opinion piece by David Shi, President of Furman University and member of the board of Second Nature, on higher education climate leadership. Dr. Shi outlined the challenges and opportunities presented by climate issues and pointed to his signing the Presidents' Climate Comittment as a pivotal decision that has led to action and cascading benefits for Furman's sustainability efforts.
2008
Letter to the New Education Secretary
December 19, 2008 | Worldwatch Institute| Washington, DC
Dr. Cortese, President of Second Nature, joined fellow prominent education and environmental leaders in an open letter urging the newly nominated U.S. education secretary, Arne Duncan, to consider the importance of education in carrying out President-elect Barack Obama's environmental agenda. View article.
ACUPCC Carbon Offset Protocol launched
November 10, 2008 | Raleigh, NC
At the 2008 AASHE conference in Raleigh, NC, the ACUPCC announced the release of the ACUPCC Carbon Offset Protocol. The Protocol will help ACUPCC institutions evaluate the complex carbon offset markets and determine if and how to incorporate offsets into their climate action plans. It was developed over a 6-month period by a Working Group of representatives from ACUPCC institutions, and chaired by David Hales, President of College of the Atlantic, and coordinated by Second Nature. Read the press release here, and the Protocol and the accompanying Guidance Document here.
Greening the Campus: How Educational Institutions Combat Climate Issues
October 1, 2008 | Aurora, IL
Michelle Dyer, Vice President of Second Nature, gave a keynote address and moderated a panel of college and university representatives who shared strategies for climate action at higher education institutions working toward the goal of climate neutrality.
Arizona State University hosts Sustainability Solutions Summit
September 19, 2008 | Washington, DC
ASU President Michael Crow convened a panel of national leaders in business, government, advocacy and academia, including Dr. Anthony Cortese, President of Second Nature. The Summit offered a lively discussion moderated by journalist Aaron Brown of what the leaders from key sectors are doing – and should be doing – to ensure our planet will be able to continue to sustain life in the future. View webcast.
ACUPCC signatory GHG inventory submissions begin
September 15, 2008 marked the first major milestone for Charter Signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Signatories commit to reporting on GHG emissions within one year of signing the Commitment. |
