Climate Action Plan
In 2013, Quinebaug Valley Community College signed on to the Presidents’ Climate Commitment initiative, beginning a process whereby the college will oppose climate change, become more sustainable, and plan for a carbon neutral future.
In April 2016, QVCC adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) which was prepared by a group of faculty, staff, and students in conjunction with the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment guidelines (now Second Nature). The plan is focused on two overarching goals:
– To become a climate-neutral College by the year 2050, and
– To integrate concepts of sustainability throughout the curriculum.
QVs progress in this initiative, as well as graphs, various reports, and the most recent data can be found at the QV Institutional Profile page located on the Second Nature website.
The full text of our Climate Action Plan can be found at the following link: QVCC Climate Action Plan.
6/8/2017 – Press Release: QVCC Joins Coalition to Declare Support of Climate Action. The full text of the Coalition Statement as well as a list of signatories can be found at the following link: We Are Still In
5/2016 – President’s Climate Commitment Progress Report for 2015 can be found here.
Solar Energy Production at QV
You may have seen the solar panels atop the roofs of the buildings at the far east end of campus, well now you can see how much energy is being produced on a daily basis by accessing the following link – QV Solar.
Earth Hour
Every year, millions of people around the world join the Earth Hour movement and switch off their lights for one hour to show support for protecting our planet and stopping climate change.
On Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 8:30 pm, QV joined the global Earth Hour movement by turning off non-essential lights throughout the College campus for one hour. The College has participated in this event in past years (2018 and 2019) and hopes to make this a yearly event. For more information about Earth Hour, please visit: https://www.earthhour.org/what-is-earth-hour.
Battery Recycling initiative
When batteries reach the end of their lives, safe and proper disposal is critical for people, property, and the environment. Recent research shows that only 61% of the US population believe that batteries can be recycled – and that only 53% report recycling them. QV strongly supports recycling and has placed three recycling bins on the first floor in the atrium for disposal of the following items:
1) Household batteries,
2) Handheld electronics (cellphones, blackberries, etc.)
3) Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs).
Please feel free to recycle your personal items here and help to protect the environment.
Climate and Energy Shed
The QV Science Department has created a climate and energy lab located in a small building behind the east wing of the College. This building has been equipped with rooftop instrumentation to monitor weather conditions which allows students to explore issues such as climate change and alternative energy. The picture to the right shows the shed in the spring of 2016 prior to installation of the equipment.