Georgia Tech Earns Climate Impact Recognition
Recognized under the ACUPCC’s Celebrating Sustainability series
April 5, 2012 — The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta has been recognized by the ACUPCC during the “Celebrating Sustainability” series for its cutting-edge work in promoting environmental sustainability.
Georgia Tech was recognized for its comprehensive approach to clean energy and conservation initiatives that lower operating costs, reducing carbon emissions, saving water resources and engaging students in sustainable practices.
Georgia Tech’s efforts are underscored by its 32 on-site cisterns designed to capture water and reduce the institute’s reliance on potable water to meet campus-wide irrigation needs. Currently more than 50 percent of the areas under irrigation use water “harvested” from these cisterns. Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, the newest building on campus, is served by a 1.4 million gallon cistern. As one of the largest cisterns on a university campus, the water it captures helps conserve more than 6,000 gallons of potable water per day.
In another demonstration of its commitment to sustainability, more than 41 percent of campus students and employees take advantage of Georgia Tech’s clean commute programs. The Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee, a partnership enabling the sale of refurbished bikes on campus, earned Partner of the Year from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition in 2011. The citation came for the committee’s work in adding bike racks and lanes and for launching viaCycle, a bike-sharing program that garnered more than 200 users in just two months. In addition, Georgia Tech was recently recognized as a Bicycle Friendly University (Silver Level) by the League of American Bicyclists.
The ACUPCC acknowledged Georgia Tech’s efforts as part of its Celebrating Sustainability series, which identifies signatories that exemplify the initiative’s mission to re-stabilize the earth’s climate through education, research and community engagement. Celebrating Sustainability is formally recognizing a different institution every business day in April leading up to Earth Day on April 22nd.
“It is critically important for students to learn sustainable practices by seeing it, both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Dr. Anthony D. Cortese, president of Second Nature, the lead supporting organization of the ACUPCC. “These programs being undertaken at Georgia Tech, which are technologically advanced as well as practical, transform the college experience.”
About Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology, is one of the world’s premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report’s top public universities, the Institute enrolls more than 20,000 students within its six colleges. Georgia Tech is the nation’s leading producer of engineers as well as a leading producer of female and minority engineering Ph.D. graduates. Holding more than 780 patents and receiving approximately $570 million in sponsored awards, Georgia Tech ranks among the nation’s top ten universities (without a medical school) in research expenditures. Learn more at: www.gatech.edu.
