A Special Message from the Office of Sustainability & Energy Management
Welcome to our inaugural quarterly e-newsletter for campus! Our newly created office has several exciting
endeavors that we plan to embark on in the coming years. We often hear that the community would like to learn
more about what we are doing to create a sustainable and resilient WCU. I hope this communication achieves this
goal.
Most recently, I am pleased to announce that in February the UNC Board of Governors approved the Sustainable
Energy Initiative (SEI). This is $5 per semester student fee that will go toward sustainability related projects,
research, and student internships for WCU. This endeavor took an extraordinary amount of time over several years
from student organizations such as SGA and the Eco CATS. This accomplishment has been no small feat for our
student leaders and it all started back in 2006. Words cannot express how proud I am of these individuals that
made this grass-roots effort possible. We will include more details in the upcoming newsletter about the SEI and
how you can support it or get involved. More importantly, this milestone indicates a cultural shift that our student
body is changing from one of apathy to empathy in regards to sustainability. They are becoming active in these
efforts and that is a great sign. It not only prepares them for the future, but also provides an opportunity for them
to be engaged in a living laboratory learning experience while attending WCU.
Best regards,
Lauren R. Bishop, Chief Sustainability Officer
Climate Change vs. Global Warming – What’s the Difference?
Contributed by: Mr. Andy Coburn, Associate Director Program for the Study for Developed Shorelines
Dr. Jay Gerlach, Assistant Professor Political Science
Ms. Amanda Marshall, GA Office of Sustainability & Energy Management
Have you found yourself wondering how we can experience a snowstorm and summer temperatures, all in the
same week? Or, why our seasons have gradually been feeling commingled, or as if they’re shifting? When people
begin talking about the peculiar weather patterns the world has been having recently, they often refer to the
phenomenon as ‘global warming’ (2Wayne, G. (Aug, 2013 01) Global warming vs. climate change).
First used in the mid-1970s by geochemist Wallace Broecker, the term “global warming” refers to a long-term
trend of rising average global temperatures (Conway, B. (Dec, 2008 05) What's in a name? global warming vs.
climate change). What causes this change you might ask? Rising levels of human emitted greenhouse gases, such as
methane and carbon dioxide (also known as CO2).
However, while the earth as a whole is steadily warming, many places will actually see colder winter temperatures
and more snow due (caused by more atmospheric water vapor resulting from warmer oceans). Because many
places will actually experience more extreme winters – along with other acute and chronic climatologic changes
such as drought, floods and heat waves - the term “climate change” is used to describe the weather-related changes
brought on by our rapidly-warming Earth.
So, despite being effectually-related, global warming and climate change are not the same. Many assume that the
two terms may be used interchangeably but, from a scientific standpoint global warming is the cause, while climate
change is the result.
Climate change presents unique policy challenges which deal with disaster management and relief, mitigation, and
alternative energy practices. Meeting these challenges will require the cooperation of the scientific community,
policymakers, and the general public to move beyond inflammatory rhetoric toward viewing climate change as an
accepted societal problem which requires swift policy action.
April 4 – 25: Third Annual Battle of the Plug
The third annual Battle of the Plug competition in which Western Carolina University and Appalachian State
University compete to see which university’s residence halls can conserve the most energy will be held Friday,
April 4, through Friday, April 25. Each institution will measure which of its residence halls saves the greatest
percentage of energy as well as how the percentage of energy reduction in participating buildings overall compares
with the percentage of energy reduction at the rival institution. WCU won the title the first year of the Battle of the
Plug contest in 2012, and ASU won last year.
Campuswide Battle of the Plug events at WCU include a “Be Ready for the Battle” kick-off to be held in Courtyard
Dining Hall on Thursday, April 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. as well as a “Whee Do It in the Dark” dance party in the Cats Den
on Saturday, April 26, from 7 to 11 p.m. The dance will feature a live deejay, games and food, and attendees are
encouraged to wear white T-shirts and bring glowsticks.
To help celebrate WCU’s 125th anniversary, the competition also will have a “Livin’ 1889” component in which
students are encouraged to turn off electronic devices and live like Western Carolina’s students did 125 years ago.
Let’s win back the Battle of the Plug title this year and beat APP! For more information visit our website.
April 15: WCU Earth and Wellness Celebration
Western Carolina University’s annual Earth and Wellness Celebration will be hosted on April 15, 2014. This
celebration is co-host by the Office of Sustainability and Energy Management and Campus Recreation &
Wellness. It combines the celebration of Earth Day with health and wellness, and will be the biggest yet! The event
will take place on the UC Lawn from 11am to 2pm, and will consist of over 30 booths from our community
including vendors, non-profits, and student organizations.
To celebrate our 125 Anniversary the Mountain Heritage Center will have a special exhibit about the history of our
energy usage and origins including pictures and artifacts. Please come out to help us celebrate with games, hula
hooping, a drum circle, and lots of freebies to support our local community!
Our Student Highlight is Adam Cometti, a junior in the Environmental
Science program here at Western Carolina University. Adam has lived in
Charlotte, NC since he was 8yrs old, but is originally from Albany, NY.
Currently, Adam is working an unpaid internship with the Office of
Sustainability and Energy Management and is a part of a state
organization called the North Carolina Student Energy Network (NCSEN).
NCSEN’s main goal is to advance sustainable energy use and influence
policy-mandating goals for state organizations and utility providers
throughout North Carolina. Last year Adam’s goal was to ensure that the
Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) received substantial support from the
student body, so that it could be implemented within the next few years.
Thanks to his efforts, along with many others, the SEI was approved and
will be put into effect Fall 2014. Mr. Cometti’s goal for this coming year is
to provide students with hands-on experiences through projects that
promote energy conservation and the conversion of older, inefficient
systems to more sustainable and efficient systems around campus. Off
campus, Adam is trying to influence Jackson County to provide residents
with a viable recycling pick-up program, versus having residents
individually drop off their recyclables. We would like to thank Adam
Cometti on his previous, current, and futures sustainable endeavors, and
congratulate him on being chosen as this edition’s Student Highlight!
Our Employee Spotlight is Debbie West, an employee of the Department
of Residential Living. Debbie has been working at WCU for 29 years, and
has spent all of those years working in the same department. Although
Debbie loves North Carolina, she is originally from Coca, Florida, where
she previously worked at Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle
Program. On and off of campus, sustainability is very important to Mrs.
West, and she feels that we all need to be good stewards of this beautiful
planet. She is a huge proponent of recycling and does not like to see waste.
Several years ago, Debbie watched a TED Talk entitled, "How to Use One
Paper Towel," was really struck by how changing just one little thing we
do can have such a huge impact on Mother Earth. Also, Debbie tries to be
frugal in her approach to many things. If she has an errand to run, she
makes sure to compile all of her errands into one trip. She is constantly
turning off lights both at work and at home, and does not run her
dishwasher until it is completely full. Debbie believes that we can all
incorporate small changes in our lives, such as these, to make an impact on
our environment. We would like to thank Debbie on her sustainable
endeavors and say congratulations on being chosen as this edition’s
Employee Highlight!
If you would like to nominate someone for the green handed spotlight
or have ideas for our newsletter please contact us at lbishop@wcu.edu.