{"id":6849,"date":"2013-11-30T12:37:01","date_gmt":"2013-11-30T17:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=6849"},"modified":"2013-11-30T13:10:30","modified_gmt":"2013-11-30T18:10:30","slug":"i-am-committed-to-developing-a-culture-of-sustainability-on-this-campus-vsu-president-mckinney-save-2013-11-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/11\/i-am-committed-to-developing-a-culture-of-sustainability-on-this-campus-vsu-president-mckinney-save-2013-11-15.html","title":{"rendered":"I am committed to developing a culture of sustainability on this campus –VSU President McKinney @ SAVE 2013-11-15"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nAt\r\n\r\ninstallation of VSU’s solar canopy<\/a>,\r\nthe president of VSU answered\r\n\r\nSAVE’s question<\/a>:\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nYou’ve heard about how these kinds of projects\r\ncan yield a relatively quick return on investment.\r\nAnd you all need to know that, so long as I am president,\r\nI am committed to developing a culture of sustainability on this campus.\r\nI do not believe for a moment that environmental sustainability\r\nand the long-term economic well-being of the university are\r\ncontradictory goals.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nHe offered an\r\n\r\nautobiographical<\/a> tidbit:\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nI began my career in academia… as\r\n\r\na professor of environmental ethics<\/a>.\r\nI didn’t leave that behind when moved into the role I’m in now.\r\nI still hold dear to that kind of thinking.\r\nI still hold dear that kind of open dialog.\r\nAnd I remain committed to these kinds of projects.\r\nThe sun is something we have in abundance here.\r\nAnd I think it is something we can continue to take advantage of.\r\n

\r\n\r\nNow I will take a little bit of credit.\r\nI remember probably the most opposite of the day we have today.\r\nBack over the summer, and early in the morning, and it was already\r\nextremely hot, and we were walking around trying to decide\r\nwhere we were going to put the array, and we looked a couple of spots,\r\nand then we came back here.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"Smokestack\"<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nAnd the first thing that struck me from an academic perspective\r\nwas the juxtaposition of having a solar panel and the old physical plant.\r\nJust from a metaphorical perspective, I just thought that was unique.\r\nBut then we started talking about the \r\nfact that we could have shelter, power, for what is in many ways\r\nan academic hub of the university, the library.\r\nAnd generate some power in the process.\r\n

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nAnd be able to have not only the event that we have today,\r\nbut I would hope other kinds of events, because\r\nI really do see this as a starting point.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nHe thanked everybody involved, especially SAVE\r\nand\r\n\r\nits president Danielle Jordan<\/a> for her leadership,\r\nand in absentia plant operations.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"VSU<\/a>\r\n

\r\nHere’s\r\n\r\nthe video:<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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