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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.

RecycleMania 2011 came to a close at College Coffee on April 19 when students and area residence halls were honored for their efforts to reduce the amount of trash that goes into area landfills. The ������Ƶ contest was part of a national competition to see which schools could do the best job at recycling.

For the second year in a row, ������Ƶ has been named one of the nation’s most “environmentally responsible green colleges” by the Princeton Review, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council. The annual ranking profiles schools that “demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

Here’s a good excuse to shop online: You will save gas, carbon dioxide emissions and money by not driving to the store.