Regional students working to raise awareness, involvement

Exeter, NH (February 2, 2007)—As somber findings were issued today by an international panel of climate scientists confirming global warming trends were likely due to the increase in emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, Phillips Exeter Academy and 14 other independent high schools are in the midst of joining forces to raise young people’s awareness and fight global warming through the Green Cup Challenge.

GCC is a two-year interscholastic energy conservation competition that kicked off last month. It involves schools from seven states, potentially affecting more than 12,000 students, faculty, staff and school community members. Its goal is to educate the community about the impact of environmental and economic choice, and to reduce campus emissions of greenhouse gasses. GCC activities at PEA include a Green Cup Pledge; dining by candlelight; a student video competition; a movie series; and a forum on global warming. Separate energy conservation competitions between selected dormitories and the off-campus community will be held, and prizes will be awarded. The school that decreases its electricity consumption by the largest percentage over the 30 days will be declared the winner.
 
On Tuesday, February 6, PEA panelists will present economic, health, religious and environmental justice aspects of global warming during a forum. This event is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Forum, located on the top floor of the Phelps Academy Center on Tan Lane.

On Valentine’s Day, with a desire to demonstrate collective strength and overall impact, all 15 schools will host a dinner by candlelight to raise awareness; reduce gas emissions and their overall ecological impact; and begin to change attitudes and lifestyles.

One of the competition’s founders and PEA’s Sustainability Coordinator, Jennifer Wilhelm, explains the necessity of such activities. “Statistics show that when people experience something firsthand, they are more likely to have a more personal perspective on an issue. Our hope is that by participating in each of these activities, students, staff, faculty and the community will be more inclined to conserve energy for the GCC and beyond,” she says.

This year, participating schools in the Northeast include: Phillips Academy, in Andover, MA; Choate Rosemary Hall, in Wallingford, CT; Darrow School, in New Lebanon, NY; Deerfield Academy, in Deerfield, MA; Holderness School, in Holderness, NH; The Hotchkiss School, in Lakeville, CT; The Lawrenceville School, in Lawrenceville, NJ; Millbrook School, in Millbrook, NY; Northfield Mt. Hermon School in Northfield, MA; Phillips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, NH; Proctor Academy, in Andover, NH; The Putney School, in Putney, VT; St. George’s School, in Newport, RI; Stoneleigh-Burnham, in Greenfield, MA; and St. Paul’s School, in Concord, NH.

The mission of the Green Cup Challenge is for institutions to directly address the issue of global warming,” says Wilhelm. “It’s a good way to have fun and educate students, staff, faculty and the local community about the power they have in their choice to conserve energy.”

A complete listing of public GCC events can be found at http://www.exeter.edu/comm/866_5083.aspx. More information can be found on each participating school at http://www.exeter.edu/comm/866_4265.aspx. Each school’s video can be seen at http://www.exeter.edu/comm/866_4271.aspx. For more information about the Green Cup Challenge, call PEA Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Wilhelm at (603) 777-3765. A complete list of upcoming events is available on the Phillips Exeter Academy public events line at (603) 777-4309, and on our website at www.exeter.edu.

Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory school that was founded in 1781 and originated the system of instruction known as Harkness teaching in 1931. In the spirit of its charter to foster both goodness and knowledge, students come from a wide variety of geographic, economic, racial and religious backgrounds. The diverse student body comes from approximately 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands and 26 foreign countries.

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Read The New York Times coverage of the report...

Find out more about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...