DANVERS - North Shore Community College President Wayne Burton has reduced his carbon footprint.

Last week, Burton traded in his Chevrolet Blazer, a campus vehicle he drives, for a Toyota Highlander hybrid for his commute to and from Durham, N.H.

Burton's sport utility hybrid should contribute 3.7 tons less in greenhouse gases than his present gas guzzler, according to estimates on www.fueleconomy.gov.

"The bottom line is we have to change the culture of waste to the culture of conservation worldwide," Burton said.

That philosophy is evident on campus, where Burton has launched a green initiative that aims to make everything from the coffee cups to the curriculum more environmentally friendly.

The paper recycling program has expanded, paper coffee cups have replaced Styrofoam ones, and crews harvest rain to irrigate flower beds during water bans.

The policy extends beyond recycling. As of this school year, all new buildings must be more energy-efficient. And the college must now purchase products with recycled content, made of wood grown in "sustainable" forests, that conserve water or are Energy Star rated.

Burton's new hybrid ride joins a small but growing fleet of green vehicles at the college, which has campuses in Lynn, Danvers and Beverly and serves 6,600 credit students and just as many adults who take noncredit courses.

At the 5-year-old Danvers campus, the grounds crew drives a yellow-and-white electric cart, along with a gas-hybrid Chevrolet Silverado pickup, which is 10 percent more efficient than a conventional truck.

"We always get a giggle running around in that thing," Joe Richardson of Ipswich, a painter for the college, said about the grounds cart, which has an egglike shape.

Into the classroom

The college, however, takes its waste reduction and recycling seriously, and it's spreading that message to students, too.

English professor Joe Modungno is coordinating a "Green Curriculum Project" designed to get students to think green in class, said Diana Kerry, director of the college's Public Policy Institute.

"The best part of this," facilities director Richard Reney said, "is what the students learn in class about being green. That is the multiplier."

Nicole Vilcina, 39, is one of 21 students learning how to be green in the real world by seeking a one-year certificate in the college's new Energy Technology Utility Program, under program director George Walsh.

Vilcina says the program gave her a new perspective on turning on the lights, starting her car, and using paper or plastic at the grocery store.

"I really think a lot of students are being more and more motivated seeing the impact locally and globally," Vilcina said.

Students have started carpooling to school, unplugging clocks and devices when they are not used, and shutting off lights when they are not needed.

Vilcina plans to get practical experience in what she has learned at National Grid, where she expects to land a job after she graduates.

Students are doing their part in other ways.

Burton said he recently fielded a petition from about 40 students demanding the college make its recycling bins more accessible.

"They hauled me into class, and they read me the riot act," Burton said.

The push to be green extends beyond the Danvers campus.

By the middle of this year, the college plans to install a solar panel array on the roof of the McGee building in Lynn, with the $528,000 project paid for through a combination of a state grant and federal zero-interest loan. The array would save $12,171 in its first year and provide 3 percent of the Lynn campus' power.

On Jan. 31, the Lynn campus will be the scene of a nationwide teach-in called "Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America." About 1,100 colleges and universities are expected to take part at the same time.

The next day, Feb. 1, the college will hold a global warming dialogue with local decision makers, including a scheduled appearance by U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

NSCC is now looking for $1.1 million from the state Division of Capital Asset Management for energy-saving lighting controls, air handlers and ventilation systems, Reney said.



Being green at NSCC

* Recycling mixed paper has removed 35 tons since February 2006 from the solid waste stream.

* 22 tons of cardboard have been recycled since July 2006.

* Ink cartridges are recycled.

* There's a move to stop using instruments and devices that contain mercury.

* Modular carpet tiles that require less adhesives and are made from recycled materials.

* Mint-based insecticides are used instead of chemicals to control pests.

Source: North Shore Community College

If you go

* What: North Shore Community College teach-in, "Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America."

* When: Focus the Nation presentations, Jan. 31, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A Dialogue with Decision Makers, Feb. 1, 8:30 to 11 a.m.

* Where: NSCC's Lynn campus gym, 300 Broad St.

* Who: On Jan. 31, local presenters of note include Kerry Mackin, executive director of the Ipswich River Watershed Association, at 11 a.m.; and Brad Hubeny of Salem State College at 11:40 a.m.

On Feb. 1, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., state Rep. Mary Grant, D-Beverly, and state Rep. John Keenan, D-Salem, are among those taking part in a dialogue.

* Admission: The event is free to the public.

* For more information: Go to www.focusthenation.org or www.northshore.edu.