543: Hilary Link, part 1: a college president leading her school to carbon neutrality
Allegheny College was one of the first 10 institutions of higher education in the United States to be declared carbon neutral by an organization called Second Nature. Readers of my blog know my skepticism of claims of “net zero” or “carbon neutral,” but I look for people in leadership positions acting genuinely and authentically toward sustainability.
So I bring you Allegheny’s president, Dr. Hilary Link. She shares the college’s experience starting a decade ago, before her arrival, and its institutional long-term action. She also shares her helping her peers do similar work at other schools.
Allegheny College took on the challenge without a substantial endowment, a large staff, or a big budget. For the last five years, the College’s Environmental Science and Sustainability program has been listed among the top five in the U.S. for its interdisciplinary, experiential approach.
Like most guests, she agreed to share her environmental values and commit to live by them personally.