With Smith’s recent announcement of their plan to go carbon neutral by 2030, Mount Holyoke’s own efforts towards environmental sustainability are newly relevant.
Director of Environmental Health and Safety Nancy Apple explained that the College already had sustainability goals in place, and decided not to sign on to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment several years ago. The CO2 emission-reducing goals to which Apple refers are in accordance with the New England Governors and Canadian Premiers Climate Action plan, which, as she explains, is “to get to 1990 levels by 2010, and 10 percent below that by 2020.”
At both Smith and Mount Holyoke, students have led the initiative towards sustainability. Dano Weisbord, Director of Sustainability at Smith, said that Smith signed the Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007 “as the result of student suggestions.” Apple gave Mount Holyoke’s Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) credit for leading the initiatives on campus.
“EAC really led the way a few years ago,” she said. Apple also mentioned the Green Living Council, which is comprised of representatives from each residence hall. “They have been working within our halls on various topics, including energy. We are reevaluating the Kill-A-Watt competition to reinvigorate it for next year,” she continued, giving an example of current activities.
The College is also working with the Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) organization, which focuses on reducing global warming. A major part of achieving these goals of sustainability is improving the energy efficiency of buildings. “As we design new buildings, we really do design them for energy efficiency,” said Apple, adding that in the construction of New Dorm, “we really stressed getting energy points under LEED certification.”
The college is approaching efficiency on a smaller scale as well, addressing the inefficiencies in older buildings. “We are now looking at the building envelope,” Apple said, speaking about weatherproofing the dorms. She said that heating in Wilder Hall in particular will be enhanced in the near future. “We are doing a study to see how we can do more insulation in the attic of Wilder. And we think that will be translatable to improving thermal insulation of other buildings,” she added.
Apple mentioned that the working groups that discuss and initiate changes that lower the environmental impact of the school.
“We have had working groups since 2002,” Apple said, pointing out that environmental analysis is nothing new here. While the groups used to focus on topics such as energy conservation, waste reduction and recycling, and water conservation, Apple explained that reorganization happened this semester to focus each group on a specific part of the college, such as Dining Services and Residential Life. Recycling has been on the forefront of their agenda.
“A lot of paper goes directly from student mailboxes to recycling,” Apple said. “The grounds group developed an integrated pest management plan for campus,” she added.
Weisbord, of Smith, explained the Smith College Sustainability and Climate Action Management Plan as a “road map to reducing resource use and associated impacts,” and expressed their goal as “institutional culture change.” Weisbord noted: “The future will best be served by a community of students, faculty and staff who make individual and collective choices consistent with our goals.”
Apple spoke of similar hopes for Mount Holyoke. While the purpose of the plan is to reduce the school’s environmental footprint, she is also hoping that the College’s actions will set an example for other organizations that the undertaking is not impossible.
“It has the broader benefit to society that if every organization, such as a college, took the same steps that we are taking, and did the same analysis to figure out how to do this, everyone would benefit,” Apple said. “Energy efficiency is a win-win situation. If you reduce your energy use, it helps your environmental goals but also saves the college money.”
Related posts:
- Smith aims for carbon neutrality by 2030
- College Green grade scores below Smith
- Blue Skies meetings aim for collaborative sustainability in the Five Colleges
- Mount Holyoke receives A- grade on Green Report Card
- Hampshire and Smith Public Safeties merging with Mount Holyoke
