By Elizabeth Davey, Program Manager
Center for Bioenvironmental Research, Tulane University

President Scott Cowen launched this year’s work on the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment with a personal e-mail to the Tulane University community.

We’re used to hearing from President Cowen on important issues that affect the university. Since 2001, he has sent an e-mail weekly. He often describes his week—reflections on events he has attended, and upcoming matters that are significant to the school. Since Hurricane Katrina, he has shared important news on our university and our community’s recovery, as well as insights this experience has given him into how a university community should face the challenges of our times.

His discussion of the climate commitment would have been one of his first e-mails of the new academic year, but it was pre-empted by a climatic event. We closed on the third day of classes to evacuate for Hurricane Gustav.

Sent later in September, President Cowen’s e-mail to the campus community announced the creation of a Climate Commitment Advisory Committee and gave an overview of major areas of focus as Tulane begins work toward climate neutrality. Importantly, he asks each member of the university to think about how he or she can contribute. His e-mail gave a green light to employees in every department and office to pursue measures that will save energy and reduce waste. He also challenged us all to pursue both small steps and big ideas, and he gave examples of measures he had taken in his own daily life.

His e-mail asked for suggestions and ideas and received over 90 responses, largely from students and staff, but also from alumni and parents working in sustainability fields around the country. These responses have been shared with our Climate Commitment Advisory Committee as it begins work on a plan to reduce our emissions. We’ve created a blog to help everyone follow the committee’s work.

In the early spring semester, we will invite the campus community to gather in person to consider possible solutions and share ideas, when we hold a campus-wide climate change event in conjunction with the National Teach-in on Global Warming Solutions. By encouraging each member of the university community to address climate change in their work and daily life, President Cowen invited each of us to join and make the Presidents Climate Commitment a truly university-wide effort.