Chesapeake College Sustainability Roundtable Monday, March 23, 2009 Presentation by William E. Kirwan Chancellor, University System of Maryland

Sustainability Ethos Every year we are burning fossil fuel carbon that took 1 million years to deposit –rate is rapidly increasing Even without considering the impact on the Earth’s climate –we will soon hit the point of maximum extraction - - “peak oil” –we will soon be running out of this precious resource –we need alternative sources of energy The world’s natural resources are limited Human sustainability requires natural resource sustainability

Environmental Sustainability Initiative Reducing the rate of climate change represents a great challenge for this and future generations The science is clear: –Greenhouse gas emissions increasing faster than worst-case scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change –Changes in climate, rise in sea levels, and the melting of the polar ice caps occurring faster than scientists forecasted Vast majority of scientists and public believe action is required Higher education, which generates knowledge and understanding, must lead, address doubts, and take direct action

USM’s Environmental Sustainability Initiative The Three Pillars Programs –Undergraduate curriculum / general competence –Graduate programs / innovation and coherence –Environmental research Practices –Campus-based mitigation efforts –Green design for new facilities and renovations Policies –State’s Climate Change Commission –Chesapeake Bay restoration –Clearinghouse for policy expertise

Programs Programmatically we are striving to: –Provide instructional programs and experiences for students to prepare them to be good environmental stewards –Provide specialized education for the experts of the future –Enhance research in global science and sustainability Pleased that Building a Sustainability Curriculum is a topic for discussion at this Roundtable –This curriculum must extend to all students from K-12 to graduate schools

University of Maryland, College Park –Joint Global Change Research Institute –Center for Environmental Research Nation's first Master’s in Sustainable Energy Engineering University of Maryland, Baltimore County –Center for Earth Systems Technology –Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center Degree in Environmental Studies/Environmental Science Towson University –Center for Geographic Information Sciences Frostburg State University –Sustainable Energy Research Facility Programs: Examples

Practices Institutions committed to “Going Green” Require new buildings to achieve at least a LEED Silver certification. –The Kendall Center at the Universities at Shady Grove is LEED Gold –The new Law School at University of Baltimore will be LEED Gold The Presidents of all 13 USM institutions have endorsed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment –One of the few university systems 100 percent aboard –Most institutions have completed their greenhouse gas emission inventories –Currently developing their Climate Action Plans Campuses are also a driving force for Smart Growth in Maryland –Making their communities livable

USM campuses achieving greater energy efficiency and implementing “green” practices: –Salisbury University Partnership with Pepco to implement campus-wide energy conservation measures –UMCP Campus shuttles run on a mixture of biodiesel fuel manufactured from waste cooking oil “Buy green" program targets purchasing energy efficient and environmentally friendly products –Frostburg Employs alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind Practices: Examples

Policy To advance effective policies, USM experts are working at local, state, national and international levels I served on the Maryland Commission on Climate Change that submitted its report last year. –Numerous USM experts contributed to the working groups –UMCES President Don Boesch led the Scientific and Technical Working Group that produced the Assessment of Impacts of Climate Change in Maryland USM faculty participating in National Academies America’s Climate Choices study and its summit in Washington next week USM faculty serve on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

UMCP and Towson economists conducted study that paved the way for Maryland to join in the Northeastern Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative –implemented a cap-and-trade system to reduce emissions from power plants UMCES and the Wye Center’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are key participants in Governor O’Malley’s BayStat program –Monitoring and accelerating efforts to restore the Bay Policy: Examples

Conclusion USM uniquely suited to help tackle this issue –Outstanding research universities –Committed and involved faculty, staff and students –University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, known for cutting- edge research on environmental issues Don Boesch, President of UMCES, leading USM initiative –Vice Chancellor for Environmental Sustainability USM—and partners in higher education—will play pivotal role in advancing sustainability –Environmentally friendly practices on our campuses –Environmentally focused educational and research programs –Environmental expertise provided to policy makers