Trustees to address carbon-neutrality

Author: Derek Schlickeisen

The Board of Trustees will meet on campus this Friday to discuss the College's budget, an upcoming $500 million capital campaign, progress on the Strategic Plan it approved last May and a proposal from the Sunday Night Group's "MiddShift" initiative to achieve carbon neutrality by 2016.

The meeting will be an important one for MiddShift, whose presentation at the Board's last gathering led to the formation of a Carbon Neutrality Advisory Group comprised of both students and administrators.

The group has been working on a written proposal to be reviewed this Friday outlining the potential costs, risks and organizational impact of taking steps towards carbon neutrality - like the purchase of carbon offsets - over the next nine years.

"Middlebury College should adopt MiddShift because it is an economically viable way to stay at the forefront of environmental leadership," said David Dolginow '09, a student member of the Advisory Group.

"MiddShift benefits the College directly because it will reinforce our mission statement, build a greater sense of community and attract talented students and new donors while benefiting the environment. Undoubtedly there are some risks involved in such an institutional change, but they are miniscule when compared to the benefits," he added.

Executive Vice President and Treasurer Bob Huth praised the Sunday Night Group's work on the initiative in advance of the Board's meeting.

"I think the Sunday Night Group has been very successful in helping to educate all of us about the environmental consequences of our individual and collective actions," said Huth.

Huth stressed that regardless of whatever support the Board provides for MiddShift, each member of the College community shares in the burden of reducing its carbon footprint.

"In addition to working with the Sunday Night Group and other campus groups such as the Student Government Association and the Environmental Council, the administration would engage all students, faculty, and staff since this goal can only be accomplished if everyone takes personal responsibility," Huth said.

Huth cited as examples of that responsibility energy conservation measures like turning down building heating systems and turning off appliances and lighting. Recent initiatives have included competitions between Commons to reduce energy use and a student campaign to reduce the average temperature of buildings on campus by two degrees.