- America's Environmental College
Unity College to Hold Commencement Exercises Saturday May 10 at 1 p.m. Unity, Maine – May, 2008 – Unity College will hold commencement exercises in the gymnasium on Saturday, May 10 at 1 p.m. One hundred and twenty nine students are expected to be awarded either two or four-year environmental degrees. Tedd Benson, author and owner of Benson Woodworking Company, Inc., will serve as commencement speaker. He will also be honored by Unity College. Sustainability will serve as the theme of commencement and related events. Benson and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed a prototype for the first affordable “green” home. This single family home produces more energy than it consumes. The prototype of this home will be built on the Unity College campus in May. It will house President Mitchell Thomashow and his wife Cindy. Details of the project are available online at http://www.unity.edu/NewsEvents/News/UnityOpen408.aspx. Other individuals /companies to be honored are Honorary Degree recipient Duane Hallowell, President of Hallowell International; Citation recipient the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; Citation recipient Central Maine Newspapers (Morning Sentinel, Kennebec Journal, Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram); Citation recipient NRG Systems; Citation recipient ReVision Energy LLC. The Commencement will be the “greenest” in the history of Unity College. At the Senior Banquet, scheduled for Friday, May 6 at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium, approximately 60% of food served will be local and sustainable. Flowers used at the banquet and commencement either rented or will be planted soon after commencement. Only eco friendly plates and cups will be used. Linens and silverware will reduce on waste. Excess foods and related organic wastes will be composted. Full details of Unity’s commencement sustainability are online at http://www.unity.edu/AlumniFriends/Commencement/Sustainability.aspx. Complete commencement details are online at http://www.unity.edu/AlumniFriends/Commencement/Banquet.aspx, or contact Kate Grenier at (207) 948-3131, ext. 301, or kgrenier@unity.edu. Unity College is located at 90 Quaker Hill Road, Unity, Maine. Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community. Citations for Commencement: Tedd Benson Honorary Doctorate Tedd Benson is a dreamer and a visionary. But he’s also practical, hands-on, hard-working, and disciplined. He’s a person of extraordinary wisdom and remarkable common sense. When Tedd was in his early twenties he had an insight that was to become his life work. He realized that there was something wrong with home construction in America. It lacked durability, craft, and legacy. Tedd understood that to create a sustainable society you must build sustainable homes. So he researched approaches to home building that linked beauty and craft, ecology and wise resource use, simplicity and elegance. He was interested in discovering an approach to building that took the best of the “old ways” (buildings that last for centuries) with the technologies of the present. He found it in the construction process known as timberframe building. Tedd Benson is almost singlehandedly responsible for the revival of timber frame building in North America. In 1974 he founded Benson Woodworking Company. Since then, his company has built over 700 timberframe structures. His work and that of his company has been featured on This Old House, Good Morning America, and the Today Show. His work has been described in publications ranging from Architectural Digest to Builder Magazine to the New York Times. Currently, Tedd is deeply engaged in trying to change the future of his company so it can bring a vision of sustainability to the future of housing. He understands that the housing industry must change so it is both responsive to the consumer and responsive to the earth. He is working on a whole new approach to house design that incorporates the principles of sustainability, modular design and durability. It is fitting that his company is building The Unity House on the campus of Unity College. We are honored to be included in this vision. Unity College presents Tedd Benson an honorary Doctorate of Environmental Studies, for his exemplary understanding, knowledge, and application of sustainable home building, and his vision in linking ecology, craft, homebuilding and life. Hallowell Having barely reached his middle 30’s, at a time in life when most professionals are typically still toiling in the ranks of middle management, Duane Hallowell, President and CEO of Hallowell International which has its headquarters in Bangor, Maine, has made his mark in two worlds: the world of business and the one that we all share, the natural world. With the significant entrepreneurial skill and the dedication so necessary to achieve one’s vision for success in the business world, Duane has carefully grown Hallowell International. It is a company that not only contributes to Maine’s economy by providing value to consumers, but also offers a significant measure of environmental concern for others to emulate. Founded in 2005, the vision of Hallowell International and influence of its President and CEO could not be more clear: to think past the boundaries of conventional home heating and cooling solutions to create alternative approaches to residential climate management. In 2008, a new-to-market invention created by a frustrated engineer was brought to the market by Hallowell International. It is now revolutionizing how consumers heat and cool their homes. The HTUAcadia: Combined heating and cooling system was born from the inventor’s aggravation from ever- higher energy bills. This all-electric single system delivers a new level of efficiency, dramatically reduces monthly energy bills and, by not using fossil fuels, eases a household’s strain on the environment. This product outperforms conventional heating systems by 300 percent. Thanks in no small part to the leadership of Duane Hallowell and his commitment to creative sustainability, the company he leads is committed to creating innovative concepts and products that are highly energy efficient, eco-friendly, easy to install and easy to maintain. Unity College commends Duane Hallowell and presents an honorary Doctorate of Environmental Studies, for his contributions and dedication to the natural world by providing safe, energy efficient options that protect and maintain a fragile environment.
Unity College commends Duane Hallowell and presents an honorary Doctorate of Environmental Studies, for his contributions and dedication to the natural world by providing safe, energy efficient options that protect and maintain a fragile environment. MOFGA It would be hard to conceive of a more well suited partner and neighbor for Unity College than the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, known simply as MOFGA. Just as Unity organically developed from its founding in 1965 to become an environmental college, so too did the skills, interests and vision of MOFGA members shape it from humble beginnings into a dynamic educational presence. Formed in 1971, MOFGA is the oldest and largest state organic organization in the country. Many people are aware that food grown according to organic principles is free from exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides, but that is only one small aspect of organic agriculture. A larger part of organic agriculture involves the health of the soil and the ecosystem in which crops and livestock are raised. Organic farmers recognize that healthy, vibrant, and live soils and ecosystems significantly benefit crops. In the long run, organically grown food is the best bargain for people, the environment, and future generations. It is the ultimate ecosystem service. For its commitment to sustainable agriculture and environmental leadership, Unity College commends MOFGA and extends to this organization our appreciation and thanks. Central Maine Newspapers Guided by the highest ideals of journalistic integrity, the individual newspapers that are collectively Central Maine Newspapers – Morning Sentinel, Kennebec Journal and The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram – provide an indispensable service to the communities they serve. These newspapers enlighten, entertain, inform and challenge their readers. Unity College is particularly impressed with how Central Maine Newspapers cover environmental issues, especially topics related to a sustainable future for Maine. Their coverage is broad and comprehensive, fair and balanced, interesting and factual. They serve to educate their readers in the challenges inherent with environmental choices. From eye catching photos that highlight Maine’s still vibrant natural settings to articles that explain the intricacies of carbon credits and global warming, each day Central Maine Newspapers express the importance of sustainability. The editorial boards of Central Maine Newspapers have consistently demonstrated thoughtfulness, courage, and common sense in their treatment of environmental issues. Unity College recognizes the contributions of Central Maine Newspapers for their coverage of environmental issues, their role in educating the public, and their integrity in upholding the standards of a truly democratic press. NRG Systems NRG Systems is a wind energy company that represents the integration of technical innovation and quality of life in the workplace. They are a world leader in the manufacture of wind energy assessment equipment. Their ethic is to take care of the land; be innovative by being inventive; work with good tools that are durable, simple and useful, and to help people. Their core values are environmental stewardship and leadership, fair employment, profitability, integrity, innovation, and dedication. This mission is reflected in their magnificent green building, a model for integrating a healthy workplace, solar energy, and ecological landscaping. This gold LEED certified “green” manufacturing facility was recently named by the Wall Street Journal as the 2007 Top Small Workplace. In 1982, the wind energy industry was in its infancy, not yet part of the mainstream energy picture. By 1987 NRG Systems had only a handful of employees but was taking important steps that would secure its future. NRG Systems has since grown from a small group of employees to a world leader in its market. Unity College commends NRG Systems for its extraordinary leadership in environmental sustainability, technical innovation, environmental design, and supportive workplace culture. ReVision Energy ReVision Energy is a perfect name for a company that seeks to Re-Envision how communities produce and consume energy. As we enter a new era of peak oil, global climate change, and international energy scarcities, sustainable approaches to energy production are crucial for both local economies and planetary health. The primary goal of ReVision Energy is to help businesses, communities, and homeowners make the transition to a sustainable energy future. ReVision Energy represents ten years of experience researching and applying the nuances of environmentally sensitive technology. They promote sustainable energy alternatives such as on-demand water heaters, grid-tied solar electricity, solar hot water, wood boilers, and wall-hung gas boilers. They designed and constructed the state of Maine’s largest solar array at the Maple Hill Farm in Hallowell, Maine. ReVision Energy promotes technical solutions grounded in a philosophy of decentralized energy production and conservation. They are interested in providing superb technical service, but with an educational goal in mind. Unity College commends Re-Envision for it’s innovative and visionary approach to promoting a sustainable energy future |