Middlebury named one of the Green Elite College's environmental reputation garners national collegiate recognition

Author: Mia Lieb-Lappen

Yellow communal bikes, candlelit dinners and an organic garden growing on top of a dining hall are not common sights at most colleges and universities. However, through such creative projects stemming from environmentally-active organizations on campus, Middlebury College has demonstrated a passionate commitment to become environmentally responsible while simultaneously serving as a role model for other institutions.

Not surprisingly then, The Grist recently labeled Middlebury a "hotbed of climate activism" and listed it as one of the top 15 green colleges and universities nationwide, among which include Harvard, Yale and Earth University.

What has the College done to earn this standing? "It is in the students and the way the college is run," explained Middlebury College graduate and environmental science major Jason Kowalski '07.

To begin with, MiddShift convinced the Board of Trustees to "shift into neutral" and, as a result, the College has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2016. MiddShift proposed a toolkit that included specific educational opportunities and suggested projects that are said to be financially feasible.

Do not be alarmed walking into a dorm and finding lights off, fans on low and temperatures cooler than usual. With incentives such as pizza parties on the line, it is most likely students were responding to energy-saving contests between commons. Adding a competitive element has encouraged students to take small steps towards conservation.

"Screwing in a light bulb is important, screwing in a new federal policy to deal with climate change is crucial, especially if we're ever going to regain enough credibility to help lead the world toward a stable climate," writes scholar-in-residence Bill McKibben in a letter addressed to the public. Last semester with leadership from McKibben, students started the first phase of the Step It Up 2007 campaign demanding national action against climate change. On April 14, 1,400 rallying actions took place by individuals all across the country who took pictures holding signs that stated, "Step It Up Congress. Cut carbon by 2050."

The next action, "Step it up 2: It's Time for Climate Leaders," is planned for Nov. 3, appropriately one year before the next election. "There are occasional moments in history when we desperately need leadership, and this is one of them," began McKibben in his address. Now, recent Middlebury graduates are working to encourage leaders to show their commitment to addressing climate change by attending the events that will be held at places named after famous historical leaders. Kowalski, one of the nine organizers of the campaign, explains, "Our measure of success for Step It Up 2 is to get politicians to these actions." These Middlebury graduates are a clear product of an environmentally conscious college. "Everyone knows Middlebury is a leader and people look to us to be a role model of collegiate sustainability," said Kowalski. "A huge responsibility goes with that."