The Effort It Takes to Go Green
The District stays committed to its sustainability policies as Earth Week begins.
In 2021, the NOCCCD Board of Trustees adopted Board Policy 3580 – Sustainability Plan, establishing environmental stewardship as one of the District’s foundational pillars. Staying true to those values, the District would continue to monitor and improve its environmental impact through methods such as constructing efficient buildings, promoting environmental education and awareness on its campuses, and developing partnerships with like-minded organizations. A year later, Administrative Procedure 3580 – Environmental Sustainability was released, detailing exactly how NOCCCD will reach its environmental goals.
The mission rings true today across all three campuses. The ongoing construction improvements at NOCE, from the Outdoor Education Garden enhancements at its Wilshire location to the upcoming improvements for landscaping and accessibility at its Anaheim Campus, all support the District’s movements towards a more sustainable system.
Cypress College’s most notable environmental achievement began back in 2019, when the institution’s Thermal Energy Storage tank was recognized by the California Community College Board of Governors. The 890,000-gallon tank reduces Cypress’s energy consumption by 448,800 kilowatt-hours and has saved them over $800,000 to date in energy costs.
Fullerton College is the most developed of the campuses in its sustainability mission, aided by the existence of on-site staff dedicated to the cause. This could be why Fullerton has a whole itinerary of events planned for the upcoming Earth Week (April 21–25), starting with their Earth Week Fair and ending the week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new solar panel installation—the first solar panels in all of NOCCCD. The new energy source is projected to make up 15-20% of the campus’s annual energy consumption. Additionally, the college's Earth Day Symposium will feature special guest Rhiana Gunn-Wright, Director of Climate Policy at the Roosevelt Institute and a contributor to the conception of the Green New Deal, an initiative to create 20 million jobs by transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030.
