Campus News: October 9th, 2008

From Kim Schmidl-Gagne, Academic Affairs: Just a quick reminder to encourage you to enroll in the TRIP Incentive program when you carpool (see below for instructions), walk, or ride to campus. We have some nice incentives when you complete the TRIP Tracking forms (Contact Valerie Hodge for details at vhodge@keene.edu), and you’ll be helping to reduce your and the campus’s carbon footprint! You don’t need to carpool, walk, or ride everyday — just one day a week or every other week can make a difference.

Based upon the 2007/08 Faculty and Staff Transportation Survey, average estimated total miles traveled (including commuting miles and travel throughout the work day) by faculty and staff is 2,435,722 miles per year, representing an estimated use of 110,214 gallons at an approximated cost of $407,791 (assuming $.3.70 per gallon of gasoline). Clearly, these figures are staggering!

Carpool Instructions: All KSC faculty and staff are invited to take advantage of carpooling through erideshare.com. This free, easy-to-use, web-based service can match you up with other KSC employees from your area — allowing you to carpool to and from Keene State College.

To sign up for erideshare, go to http://keene.erideshare.com. Use the password trip. You will need to set up a membership account, but you can immediately start using the service. You may want to check to be sure that you actually post your ride request to the Keene State College site (check out the toolbar at the top of the page). Otherwise it will be posted to the general Keene site (which might be fine if you want to look for any driver who works in Keene to ride with). If you need to change or delete your listing, look under the “membership and tools” tab.

By completely filling out your erideshare electronic form, KSC will be able to track faculty and staff miles including the reduction in our carbon footprint, trips taken, miles saved, and more.

To facilitate your bike ride to work, green bikes are available through the Mason Library with your Faculty/Staff ID. The bike trail has recently been paved and borders the campus off Butler Court, with easy access to campus and the adjacent shopping areas. In addition, the KSC Community Bus and City Bus service is also available for travel throughout the work day.

Please send any questions, comments, and concerns to Mary Jensen, sustainability coordinator at mjensen@keene.edu

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From Mary Jensen, Campus Sustainability and Recycling: The Source to Sea Clean Up is scheduled for this Saturday, October 4, from 9 a.m. to noon. KSC members will meet at 9 a.m. by the Joyce Athletic Field Bridge near the Whitcomb Building.

For many years, campus community members have partnered to clean the Ashuelot River from the trestle bridge to the athletic fields. There were enough volunteers last year to also clean part of Beaver Brook. It would be great to have as many people help out as possible. Please encourage all of your organizations and friends to participate! For more information, visit the Conneciticut River Watershed Council website.

Filed under: EcoNotes, Environmental, Sustainability | No Comments »

From Frederick Wolf, Physics: On Thursday, October 2, Professor Laurence Gould of the University of Hartford will present “ A Convenient Falsehood: Myths, Methods, & Consequences of the Global Warming Hoax,” at 8 p.m. in the Mabel Brown Room.

A physicist, Professor Gould is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in all of New England, outside a handful of climatologists, on the subject of global warming. He will present a side of the issue that is rarely heard within the context of political verbiage and the mainstream media. The lecture is free and open to the public. A question and answer session will follow. For more information, contact Frederick Wolf at 8-2584.

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From Mary Jensen, Sustainability Coordinator: All KSC faculty and staff are invited to take advantage of an exciting new opportunity: carpooling through erideshare.com. This free, easy-to-use, web-based service can match you up with other KSC employees from your area, allowing you to carpool to and from Keene State College.

To sign up, go to erideshare and use the password ‘trip‘. You will need to set up a membership account to immediately start using the service. However, you will not get spammed nor will your address be sold by setting up this membership account. We encourage you to read all the information on the site, especially the terms of service, safety, and carpool tips sections. By completely filling out your erideshare electronic form, KSC will be able to track faculty and staff miles, including the reduction in our carbon footprint,* trips taken, miles saved, and more.

Based upon the 2007/08 Faculty and Staff Transportation Survey, the average estimated total miles traveled (including commuting miles and travel throughout the work day) by faculty and staff is 340,000 miles per month representing an estimated use of 13,600 gallons at an approximated cost of $50,300 assuming $3.70 per gallon of gasoline!** Clearly, these figures are staggering!

Human Resources is now offering prizes for employees interested in tracking the number of rides they share each month and for those of you who walk or bike to work, in an attempt to reduce staff and faculty commuting miles and their increasing costs. Contact Valerie Hodge for details at vhodge@keene.edu.

To facilitate your bike ride to work, green bikes are available through the Mason Library with your faculty or staff ID,. The bike trail bordering the campus off Butler Court has recently been paved and offers easy access to adjacent shopping areas. In addition, the KSC Community Shuttle and City Express Bus service is also available for travel throughout the workday.

Members of the faculty, PAT and Operating Staff councils, the Sustainability Council, Human Resources, the President’s Commission on the Promotion of Wellness, and the President’s Office, all of whom support this initiative, hope that erideshare will be a beneficial service to faculty and staff at Keene State College. Please send your questions, comments, and concerns to Mary Jensen, sustainability coordinator, at mjensen@keene.edu.

*Keene State College has made a commitment to climate neutrality through the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment.

**Average month is based upon the academic year assuming an average four-week per month. Fuel figures derived from average fuel economy of vehicles reported in the survey.

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Keene State College’s Grounds Department is hosting “Landscaping at the Water’s Edge: An Ecological Approach to Landscaping Shoreland Property,” a two-day workshop presented by UNH Cooperative Extension.

This program is intended for people who are policy makers or are in the business of developing, maintaining, or preserving shoreline properties, and others who are concerned about the impacts of landscaping on water quality, including landscape designers, contractors, maintenance professionals, members of lakes and rivers associations, and other decision-makers who need to understand ecological approaches to landscaping for water quality protection.

Registration includes the two-day program, a book, lots of additional resource materials, lunches, coffee breaks, and a certificate of completion. The program will be held at the Keene State College Camp on Wilson Pond in Swanzey, New Hampshire, on October 8 and 15, 2008.

For more program information, please contact Suzanne Hebert at 603-862-3200 or e-mail suzanne.hebert@unh.edu.

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