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Cold weather and snow flurries didn't keep gardening enthusiasts away as the inaugural fall planting of the Community Farm Garden took place on Nov. 17. Approximately 25 gardeners, including students, faculty and President Joan Hinde Stewart, braved temperatures in the 30s and a fresh snow to plant a great variety of flower bulbs and a number of beds of garlic.

The published work of Eugene Domack, the Joel W. Johnson Family Professor of Geosciences, was cited in the recently released IPCC Climate Report, The Physical Science Basis, (Chapter 6 Palaeoclimate). The IPCC is the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that issues state of the earth's climate reports based upon the recent scientific findings, greenhouse gas emissions and predictions for the future of the earth's climate. The final report of the organization was issued on November 17. Jonathan Overpeck '79 is a coordinating lead author for the Palaeoclimate chapter. A scientist at the University of Arizona, he was one of the international body of climate scientists who authored the first IPCC report. 

Hamilton hosted a panel discussion titled "Global Problems, Regional Actions: Sustainability in the Mohawk Valley" on Nov. 13. Panelists included Utica Mayor Tim Julian; Utica attorney Peter Rayhill; John Furman, president of Utica/Central New York Citizens in Action; Hamilton Director of Environmental Protection, Safety and Sustainability Brian Hansen; Patrick Raynard, general manager of Bon Appétit; Elaine Hills, a Ph.D. candidate at SUNY Albany; and Hamilton senior Jenney Stringer. Visiting Assistant Professor of Government Peter Cannavo was moderator. Each panelist suggested ways in which citizens can become involved in local sustainability efforts and highlighted methods of addressing large-scale environmental problems.

Hamilton College will host a panel discussion on local sustainability efforts titled "Global Problems, Regional Actions: Sustainability in the Mohawk Valley" on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the KJ Red-Pit (Room 109). The event is free and open to the public.

Hamilton students spend a large part of their year on Hamilton's campus, but some feel they have no real connection to the land on which the College sits. Students live in rented rooms, eat prepared food from dining halls and learn largely through discussions and activities inside classrooms and labs. In an attempt to bring members of the Hamilton community closer to the land they occupy, students and faculty have teamed up to create a community farm garden on campus.

Jenn Holderied-Webb '98 has been appointed to the board of advisors of EcoRooms & EcoSuites, an online directory of environmentally responsible hotels, motels, inns and B&Bs. An article in Hotel & Motel Management (10/05/07) noted Holderied-Webb's appointment, referenced her "outstanding qualifications" and praised her role in managing the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, located in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The Class of 2008 Senior Gift Committee, meeting on Thursday, Sept. 27, revealed the winning idea for the senior gift campaign. The gift option that won by an impressive number of votes was the Class of 2008 environmental endowment fund. Presented by senior co-chairs Ned Gilliss and Blythe Winchester, the gift will be a yearly grant awarded to a Hamilton student or campus organization in order to fund a green project on campus or environmental research. The fund also will be accompanied by a planted tree and plaque to commemorate the ‘08 gift. Gilliss expressed confidence in the campaign’s successful start, citing the high number of class participants in the gift survey and the strong support for the winning idea.

Food service provider Bon Appétit and local farmers are hosting the "Eat Local Challenge" on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at Hamilton, where all the food served at a campus-wide picnic will come from local producers. The picnic will take place on Dunham Quad from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reuben Haag, head chef at Hamilton, says he spends time finding farmers within a 150-mile radius of campus, and deals regularly with about a dozen farmers from upstate New York.

In an opinion piece that appeared on Saturday, Sept. 22, in Utica's Observer-Dispatch titled "Warmer world could mean shorter winters for region," Professor of Biology Ernest Williams explained what the economic effects of global warming might mean for central New York.

Hamilton's Environmental Action Group (HEAG) is sponsoring a number of activities to celebrate Green Week, Sept. 24-30.