STARKVILLE — As part of Mississippi State University”s continued effort to go “green,” President Mark Keenum on Wednesday will sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.
The commitment is an effort to get institutions of higher learning to reduce greenhouse emissions and push for research and development of energy efficient living.
The ceremony will take place at noon on the lawn fronting the State Fountain Bakery and Bistro, and coincide with the university”s 2009 Earth Day celebration.
Residents of the Golden Triangle are invited to the Earth Day events, which will take place at Old Main Plaza, in front of the adjoining Marketplace at Perry. Exhibits, live music, a research showcase and a recycling drive will greet patrons.
MSU”s Environmental Collaborative Office is joining with the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program and Green Starkville to host the Earth Day event, with a goal of fostering a greater awareness of sustainability and environmentally friendly practices.
Jeremiah Dumas, ECO director, said the commitment signing represents a significant campus milestone for the state”s largest university.
“We have been laying the foundation for a university-wide sustainability effort for months, and now that all of the pieces are in place, we”re excited about launching it officially on Earth Day,” he said in a release.
“Dr. Keenum”s signing of the climate commitment is an excellent example of how MSU is taking a proactive, long-range approach to environmental challenges,” he added.
Dumas, an MSU-educated landscape architect who also is a GeoResources Institute assistant research professor, said the ECO is coordinating a wide range of efforts designed to help the university “go greener.”
For more information on Earth Day activities, visit www.eco.msstate.edu, or contact Dumas at 662-325-3852 or jdumas@gri.msstate.edu.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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