College sustains green initiatives: Despite cuts, economic and environmental agendas align

Since the current economic downturn began two years ago, the College administration has constantly searched for ways to cut costs while still maintaining the core elements of the Middlebury experience. As a leader in the “green” community, the College has worked hard to preserve its sustainability initiatives despite the recession.

“In a lot of ways, budget cuts mean getting more efficient,” said Director of the Sustainabilty Integration Office Jack Byrne.

Like all departments, the Sustainability Integration Office has experienced cuts that reduced its staff and budget. Although that may seem like a disadvantage, Byrne believes it has actually had some beneficial effects.

“This idea [of making cuts] fits well with sustainability because it’s all about limiting the amount of resources we waste,” Byrne said. “The bright side of the situation is that it forces us to use our resources innovatively.”

Over the past year, Byrne’s office has worked with Efficiency Vermont to implement four projects costing a total of $159,320 that are expected to have an annual cost saving of $104,410. These initiatives include the biomass plant, new lighting in the Robert A. Jones ’59 House and renovations to McCullough and Proctor. Efficiency Vermont was created by the Vermont legislature in 2000 as an independent, non-profit organization that provides technical assistance and financial incentives to promote energy efficiency in homes and businesses across the state. These services are funded by an “energy efficiency charge” on all electric bills in Vermont.

The budget cuts actually helped reduce Middlebury’s carbon footprint in some cases. The accounting tallies the negative environmental impact of the College’s activities, so reductions in travel budgets, for instance, mean a smaller footprint. By cutting services, the concomitant decrease in environmental repercussions has helped the College become more sustainable.

While the short-term cuts may be the most visible, there are also concerns about the economic implications for Middlebury’s long-term plans. The Master Plan originally called for five separate dining halls, but as the closing of Atwater highlighted, that proposal was not feasible. Despite those ambitious plans, there was no major construction scheduled for the next 10 years, so the recession will likely have little impact on the College’s infrastructure. Byrne highlighted one initiative that may be delayed by the economy.

“It might be harder to hire outside expertise,” said Byrne. “We currently don’t know the potential for geothermal on campus, so without that knowledge it could take longer to tap this source.”

One benefit of the squeeze on resources is the increased use of student labor.

“We’re not cutting back on work study,” said Byrne. “Students do challenging work, which is a big help to the College. They’re a really good value as far as consultants go and it fits well with the educational priority.”

Opportunities are still available for students to exercise their passions for environmental sustainability. There will be a second round of grants later this year and there may be more money available, as first-round applications declined by a third from last year.

Despite the drop in interest for the program, Dean of Environmental Affairs Nan Jenks-Jay is optimistic about Middlebury’s activism.

“While these are challenging times financially for the College, the environmental agenda and commitment to sustainability remain strong and individuals including students, faculty and staff all across campus continue to be dedicated to making small and great advancements,” said Jenks-Jay.

Student reactions to the interplay between the economy and environmental sustainability are mixed.

“I haven’t noticed any cuts to sustainability initiatives,” said Dickie Redmond ’10.5. “But, in this economy, I wouldn’t be opposed to cuts aimed at keeping, should I say, more important programs afloat.”

Ian Durkin ’10.5 disagrees. “Middlebury’s commitment to environmentalism is very important to me. I would hate to see them make cuts to such a key element of our community,” he said.

In spite of the budgetary hardships imposed by the recession, the College still values environmental initiatives as a top priority.

“We may have to recalibrate and adjust,” said Jenks-Jay, “but as a community, Middlebury will continue moving forward as a leader in sustainability.”