A Letter from President Bollinger on Campus Sustainability Day
Date: October 25, 2006

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, Columbia joins other colleges and universities around the country in marking Campus Sustainability Day--an event designed to spark discussion and action to reduce the environmental footprint of college campuses. Columbia's students, faculty, and staff have a long-standing commitment to responsible environmental stewardship--and this day is an opportunity not only to reflect on our accomplishments to date, but to build on them for the future.

The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Low Plaza and will feature information tables, sustainability kits, and a live Webcast from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. linking us with campuses nationwide.

Columbia researchers have led the way on environmental issues worldwide--from El Nino to asthma in urban neighborhoods, climate change, and environmental policy making. Locally, Mayor Bloomberg recently announced an expansion of Columbia's efforts to advance environmental protection--New York City's engagement of the Earth Institute to advise its new Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.

This semester, working together as a community, we are taking a fresh approach to thinking about and managing our own environmental impact, with the establishment of the Office of Environmental Stewardship, under the direction of Nilda Mesa. We have a number of new initiatives getting underway. Among these are:

*  Examining ways to reduce our energy consumption, limit our greenhouse gas emissions, and obtain power from renewable energy sources in the future;

*  Incorporating environmental and energy enhancements in new construction projects at Columbia;

*  Improving our recycling practices and establishing composting programs;

*  Launching a Sustainability Advisory Council that will include academic, administrative, and student members;

*  Expanding the Environmental Stewardship Web site to serve as a virtual forum for exchanging ideas and tips related to the environment and our daily lives.  The address of the site is www.columbia.edu/cu/environment.

I invite you to join our celebration of Campus Sustainability Day.
It is a good step toward working together as a University to help preserve and enhance the environment of our campus, our community, and our planet.

Sincerely,

Lee C. Bollinger