Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon

Read on to find out what the Hibbing Community College Green Team and student TASC group accomplished this past year…

• Sent a delegation to the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) Conference at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa
• HCC becomes a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
• Sponsored the first annual Northeast Higher Education District (NHED) Sustainability Conference
• Presented a poster on NHED sustainability at the MNSCU Realizing Student Potential/ITeach Conference at MCTC
• Purchased and distributed paper and co-mingled recylcle containers throughout the campus and dorms
• Fostered the formation and growth of a new student group at HCC: TASC (Towards a Sustainable Campus)
• TASC was awarded a $500 grant through the Schools Cutting Carbon project and will compete for $20,000 next fall
• Members participated in a campus energy audit by Environmental Resource Management (ERM)
• Purchased light meters, Kill-a-watt meters, and thermal imaging devices for classroom/student energy audits
• Held the annual May Day Sustainability Fair at HCC, highlighting groups and organiztions that promote sustainability
• Provost Simberg and President Collins sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), setting a path to carbon neutrality at HCC

We have many projects ready for next year and we hope that more of you will join our efforts. The main projects for next year include the following: working on the requirements to achieve campus carbon neutrality as part of the ACUPCC; Planning strategies to make the HCC campus grounds more sustainable; working with Culinary Arts to make our food service more sustainable and establishing a community garden.