Dear Dr. Lang:
Larry Hornak tells me you're the administration official I should
contact about the resolution I introduced in the Senate, which was
approved unanimously. That resolution, as you'll recall, commits the
Senate to working with the administration of West Virginia University to
make the campus more nearly sustainable, e.g., enhance energy
efficiency, make use of renewable resources including energy, and
minimize waste and pollution. I'd like your advice on how to go about
working together toward this objective.
There are several universities which have made considerable
progress in this direction, so we could take advantage of their
experience and expertise. I would suggest an ad hoc committee of
appropriate faculty and administrators, who could put together a
multi-year plan and a budget for approval by the Senate and the
administration.
Last week I introduced a proposed resolution to Morgantown City
Council, to sign the multinational Urban Environmental Accords, which
have specific targets and timetables for 21 different environmental
objectives. I will be meeting with them on July 5 to answer any
questions they may have about the resolution and its implications, after
which I believe they will discuss, amend, and vote. It seems to me that
there could be a natural synergy between the university and the city,
for example in the return to use of natural gas vehicles, air quality
monitoring at several places around the city and campus, and the use of
combined purchasing power to get quantity discounts for the city,
university and citizens when purchasing such things as photovoltaic
systems for clean electrical power. I should think that the combined
efforts of the university, city and local citizens' groups in requesting
the legislature to enact incentives such as tax credits for the purchase
of low-emission vehicles and renewable energy equipment would be more
effective as well. Morgantown and West Virginia University could set a
valuable precedent for the rest of the state.
If you agree with my reasoning, perhaps it would be appropriate to
endorse the adoption of the Urban Environmental Accords. In any event,
I'd appreciate your consideration and your thoughts on these ideas.
Sincerely,
Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Physiology Department
West Virginia University Health Sciences Center
Morgantown, WV 26506
(304) 293 - 1512