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