Newswise — Keeping Williams College on course to meet its sustainability goals is central to the work of the college's year-old Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives (http://www.williams.edu/resources/sustainability/zilkha.php). It takes not only thinking big, but also thinking small.
The center is charged with finding ways to incorporate principles of sustainability into campus life and to help the college in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990-91 levels by 2020.
It is a difficult task. Since the 1990-91 academic year, the amount of building space on campus has increased.
Testament to the progress already being made, Williams College received an A-minus on the College Sustainability Report Card 2010 of the Sustainable Endowments Institute -- the highest score an institution can achieve. The complete College Sustainability Report Card is available at http://www.greenreportcard.org/
"Greenhouse gas emissions were down 28 percent last year from the peak in 2005," said Stephanie Boyd, director of the Zilkha Center. "In the last year, many energy conservation projects have been implemented across campus and we have added renewable sources of energy to our portfolio."
Older lighting fixtures, motors, and fans have been replaced with new energy efficient ones; occupancy sensors have been installed turning lights off when nobody is in a space; and building systems have been set to turn down or off at night and during the weekends. The campus was closed during the Winter Break in early 2009 and the college will extend that experiment to a second year this winter.
"Renewable energy has to play a large role in reaching our 2020 emissions goals," said Boyd. "We're working on a renewable energy plan -- looking at a lot of different options, including the possibility of working with others. The best solution might not be one that involves Williams alone."
In an attempt to reduce paper waste, this year's new "Paper Cut" program cuts back students' previously unlimited free printing options. Students must pay if they exceed their free allotments. One month into the semester, paper use was down 25 percent compared to the previous year.
Another effort new this year is that all the college's dining halls have become tray-free. Early numbers show there has been about 20 percent less food waste, perhaps because diners are more conservative, taking only food they plan to eat.
Heating efficiency in dorms, Boyd said, remains to be solved and is complicated by the diversity of buildings, but new steam meters are being installed around the campus to allow evaluation of heating inefficiencies. An important mission of the Zilkha Center is to find meaningful ways to engage students, faculty, and staff. "We are asking a lot of questions about why we do things the way we do," said Boyd. "How can we develop sustainable approaches to our lives? While it is important to reduce our emissions, it is equally important to adopt more sustainable practices in all our lives."
In accomplishing its mission, the Zilkha Center is encouraging students to come up with ideas and to be responsible for the implementation of those ideas. During the summer of 2009, six student interns worked in the Zilkha Center on projects ranging from green grounds maintenance, to greater energy efficiency in the college's hockey rink, to local food, to renewable energy possibilities.
"When students get a chance to design and develop projects, they learn a lot about the realities of making a campus more sustainable," Boyd said. "Our goal is for them to take what they've learned out into the world and to be leaders on these issues.
"While we want Williams to meet its own emissions goals, what's really important is the global situation. We hope that by educating our students and showing leadership on campus, we can contribute to the global move towards sustainability."
Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college's 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students' educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions are made regardless of a student's financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.
To visit the college on the Internet: http://www.williams.edu/ Williams College can also be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/williamscollege and Twitter: http://twitter.com/williamscollege
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