Gordon College Receives Grant for Environmental Stewardship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 5, 2012

MEDIA CONTACT
Jo Kadlecek, Senior Writer
978.867.4752 
[email protected]

 

WENHAM, MA—Gordon College has long been committed to creation care and energy efficiency across campus. Now, that commitment just got a little easier with a matching grant from the Imago Dei Fund of $15,000 over the next three years, which Gordon will match with another $15,000.

The grant will establish a rotating environmental fund devoted to specific energy efficiency projects on campus. Supplemental support for larger projects will come from Gordon’s Physical Plant department’s “energy improvements” budget.

In the first year of the grant, for instance, the campus will replace the light bulbs in student parking lots, bringing the wattage in 38 lights down from 460 to 135 watts, realizing a savings of about $6,400.00. This will also save 54,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide from being discharged into the atmosphere from the saved electricity generation and will also remove the need to use mercury containing light bulbs in these 38 light fixtures.

“Over the next three years, we’ll make other improvements to campus walkway lighting and repair windows in the older residence halls, reducing heating costs,” said Provost Janel Curry, who serves as the project director collaborating with staff from Physical Plant and the student-run club Advocates for a Sustainable Future (ASF). “Future projects include helping faculty/staff offset their carbon footprint, energy management systems in campus buildings, and dorm competitions to reduce energy use. We’re committed to preserving the natural world through stewardship and environmental care, both locally and internationally." 

The campus's rich natural environment, comprising many acres of protected wetlands, serves as an excellent training ground for students interested in sustainability and environmental protection. The Imago Dei Fund in Boston was established in 2009, with the “goal of walking beside and supporting great organizations in an effective and intentional way.”

“We want to continue to provide leadership in this area, building our track record of making energy efficiency and conservation improvements to campus each year,” Curry said. “We’re grateful to partner with the Imago Dei Fund to continue educating future generations in long-term sustainability practices.”

For more information on Gordon’s long-term environmental commitment, please visit ASF or Physical Plant.  

 

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Gordon College is one of the nation's premier Christian colleges and located just north of Boston. We offer students extraordinary access to leading-edge opportunities for intellectual, professional, and leadership development to address the increasingly complex challenges of a global society. Gordon stands apart from other outstanding institutions in New England by combining an exceptional education with an informed Christian faith. 

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