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The 8th annual ������Ƶ Fall Environmental Forum, a conference for leaders, builders, developers, educators and students “with a vision for a sustainable community,” takes place Oct. 30-31 in McKinnon Hall with some of the biggest names in the regional green economy scheduled to share their experiences.

Zipcar has announced that it will be giving ������Ƶ students, faculty and staff a membership discount. New members will receive $10 off their first year Zipcar membership and the hourly rate for Ford vehicles on campus will be reduced by $1 an hour.

For the third consecutive year, the Sierra Club has ranked ������Ƶ one of the nation’s top 100 “greenest universities.” The ranking, published in Sierra’s September/October 2011 magazine recognizes schools in 10 categories that include academics, waste management, energy efficiency, food, purchasing, transportation, financial and other factors.

They look and feel the same as the caps and gowns used in previous ceremonies, but when candidates for ������Ƶ’s Master of Education participate in their Aug. 20, 2011, Commencement exercises, as part of the university’s sustainability commitment, their regalia contained fabric made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles.

Give yourself a break from high gas prices by carpooling. Zimride, ������Ƶ’s private carpool network, is a fun and easy way to share your daily commute or one-time trips. Using Google Maps and Facebook integration, Zimride helps match you with other ������Ƶ community members so you can share your ride and costs.

Zipcar provides a great way for students as well as faculty and staff to get around – car sharing! Become a Zipcar member and you’ll have easy access to cars on campus by the hour, day or overnight.

������Ƶ’s Alumni Field House has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which awards the internationally recognized benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance, environmentally friendly buildings.

The new houses in the Loy Center will be among the most environmentally friendly residence facilities for college students in North Carolina when they open for the fall semester, and ������Ƶ leaders are now in the process of applying for LEED for Homes certification through the U.S. Green Building Council with a target level of Silver.

Buy locally! ������Ƶ has a great farmers market near the ������Ƶ Community Church once a week (Thursdays from 3-6:30 p.m.), and you can find more local options at www.localharvest.org.

Author and environmentalist Anna Lappé spoke to a crowd of more than 200 people in McKinnon Hall on April 20 about industrial factory farming practices and the link to climate change.