LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
hen College of the Atlantic opened its doors in 1972, it was designed to be a very different higher educational experience. With one major—human ecology, no departments, no tenure, a very low student-teacher ratio and an interdisciplinary approach, COA was an experiment in progressive education. We are no longer an experiment; in 2008 COA is an acclaimed institution of higher education whose focus on the study of the relationships between human beings and their environment has never been more relevant. COA draws students from around the world who are committed to applying their learning to improving prospects for a sustainable, peaceful and just society. “Life changing, world changing” speaks to the hope and promise that an education in human ecology can help solve some of this century’s most complex problems: from climate change to social justice to the disparity between the world’s richest and poorest peoples. By all measures, COA has succeeded. It is precisely because of this success that we are in a position to systematically assess and strategically improve our academic program. Over the next sixteen months or so, College of the Atlantic will engage in a process of academic renewal to ensure that we meet the needs of our students, and that they understand the world as it is and the changes occurring in it as they develop the knowledge, skills and methods to positively influence those changes. As part of this process, we will explore the intellectual foundations—and the myriad challenges—of seeking sustainability, peace and justice in this century. Faculty-led working groups will examine our current curriculum, focusing on the skills and knowledge we need to impart to our students to enable them to understand and be effective in the twenty-first century. Concurrently, we will invite others to join us in this exploration of the future of human ecology. It is clear that the twenty-first century will be characterized by massive and rapid change—a time of great danger and great opportunity. Educational institutions will be the crucible in which both individual and societal responses to this challenge are shaped. No other societal institution can play this role. Higher education must move beyond the responsibility to prepare students to live in the world as it will be; we must embrace the responsibility to prepare students to shape the world in which they will live. We will report frequently on our progress in our publications and on our website. We intend for this effort to be as inclusive as possible, and we invite your interest and participation.
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David Hales
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COA Leads the World
COA BEAT
by going carbon neutral for greenhouse gas emissions
ollege of the Atlantic is now NetZero for greenhouse gas emissions. COA’s pledge to become carbon neutral, made October 8, 2006 at the inauguration of President David Hales, was fulfilled December 19, 2007. As the first college or university to become NetZero, COA’s leadership was applauded around the world, in articles and comments from such global leaders as Mohamed El Ashry, chair of the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century, REN21. Wrote El Ashry to Hales, “I always say we know the causes as well as the solutions to most of our environmental problems—what we lack is leadership.” COA’s process was painstaking, but doable. A team of faculty, staff and students spent the year calculating the college’s greenhouse gas emissions, while also researching ways to reduce, avoid and offset them. The 2,488 tons of greenhouse gases emissions COA could not reduce or avoid this year have been offset by investing in a project operated by The Climate Trust of Oregon. COA has now also switched to a low-impact hydroelectric generator for electricity, reducing its emissions by 22 percent or about 450 tons. Incandescent lightbulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescents where possible, carpooling and biking are being promoted, as are flexible work plans so employees can work from home at times. “We have much more to do to directly reduce our emissions,” noted Hales, “but it is satisfying to know that our contribution to the increase of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere over the last fifteen months adds up to zero.” The decision to go with Climate Trust was based on months of student and staff investigation into the complicated and at times controversial carbon offset market. The project chosen will optimize traffic signals and manage traffic flow in Portland, Oregon, limiting the time cars spend idling at traffic lights. The entire project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more
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Dick Cough (right, son of founding trustee Bernard “Sonny” Cough), at the launch of Green Lights Bar Harbor, in which COA and the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce linked up to replace member businesses’ incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescents. As Cough, part-owner of Atlantic Oakes, switched to a cfl bulb, the entire room wondered, How many ecologists does it take to change a lightbulb? Three, it seems. One to change the lightbulb and two more (COA sophomores Jordan Motzkin and Leland Moore, who are managing the lightbulb exchange for COA and the chamber) to note the carbon footprint reduction.
than 189,000 tons over five years—equivalent to taking more than 34,000 cars off the road for a year. It can also serve as a model for other cities. COA has also been working nationally and locally to help other institutions further carbon reductions. It is a founding member of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, a member of the Maine Governor’s Carbon Challenge and has recently teamed up with the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce to replace member businesses’ incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The urgency of these actions cannot be underestimated. Upon his return from the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (see page 8), COA sophomore Matthew Maiorana called climate change “the challenge of our generation,” adding, “After the conference, I realize that COA is a world leader in addressing the climate crisis. While the United Nations and the United States are taking small steps toward creating a just climate future, COA is taking giant leaps.” To read more about the process and see our calculations, please visit the web site at www.coa.edu/html/carbonzero.htm. COA | 5