Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon

The 2010 Winter Sustainability Fair has come and gone, and definitely did not go unnoticed.

Writer and director Chris Paine headlined the Sustainability Fair. On Monday night, he gave the A to Z of the electric car, including the economics, science, politics, who killed it and why it’s coming back. Members from the campus and the Duluth community alike were in attendance and filled the Weber Music Hall. On Tuesday, Chris’s talk focused on both the story of the electric car, but also how he told the story and why it was significant. Both talks included outtakes from Chris’s upcoming documentary REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR. (Don’t forget to visit the facebook page for REVENGE; once they reach 10,000 hits, the official trailer will be released!)

The fair was about more than just the electric car, it was about how businesses are embracing sustainability in their products and operations. The UMD Economics Club hosted a panel discussion on sustainable local business with members from the Duluth Grill, Duluth Public Schools and Minnesota Power. The fair was capped off by a presentation by UMD’s Sustainability Coordinator Mindy Granley, “Is Sustainability Good for our Bottom Line”, which talked about how UMD is saving electricity, natural gas, carbon emissions, and MONEY by working on energy efficiency.

Local businesses helped to make the fair a success, and not just because they tabled or presented in the panel discussion, but for all of their sustainable practices and products, helping to make sustainability the new business as usual.

Thank the fair’s co-sponsors, whose help and contributions were vital to the success of the 2010 Winter Sustainability Fair:

Labovitz School of Business and Economics, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Engineering, UMD Facilities Management, UMD Art Department, Viz Lab, Geography, Environmental Studies, GIS Lab, Center for Sustainable Community Development, Office of Civic Engagement, and UMD Sustainability. Partial funding also provided by the Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon Program