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Earthweek and Campus Carbon Emissions Initiative

Working to Reduce Campus CO2

This past spring, TNG also worked on a new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goal for the College. The current goal, set in 2007, was to reduce GHG emissions to 10% below 1990-1991 levels by 2020. The College is on track to achieve this goal. While this was a great first step, we believed it was also not enough. Therefore, TNG started a petition asking for an 80% reduction of 1990-1991 GHG levels by 2050. This goal was based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assessment. The State of Massachusetts has already committed to an 80% reduction by 2050. In addition, 680 colleges and universities have pledged similar reduction by signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Along with an 80% reduction, the petition also asks that the reduction goal be part of a multifaceted plan to engage the campus in a serious conversation about climate change to explore what Williams can do to address it.
The petition went live on Earth Day, April 22, 2014. Over the span of one month, we were able to collect over 1200 signatures from students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Over 900 of the signatures were from current students, and over 100 of the signatures were from faculty members. During this month, TNG also worked with many faculty and staff members as well as College Council to pass a resolution in support of the petition. Before the semester was over, we set up a meeting with President Falk to present the petition to him and ask for his endorsement. The meeting was limited to three students and so we also organized a rally outside Hopkins Hall to show the greater student body support of the petition.

Climate ChangeThe co-presidents of TNG, Alice Stears ’15 and Lucy Page ’16, and TNG’s treasurer, Molly Pickel ’15, went into President Falk’s office on May 21, 2014. At the same time, Zoe Grueskin ’14 and I organized students and faculty outside the steps of Paresky holding banners with quotes from President Falk. A group of about 40 people, including Bill Moomaw ’59 and members from the local press, gathered and prepared to walk over to Hopkins Hall. Zoe led the crowd to chant, “We support Williams. We push Williams. We create Williams.” These words were taken directly from President Falk’s end-of-semester all-campus email sent earlier that day. After a few minutes of energetic chanting, we gathered outside President Falk’s office in support of the three students who met with him in-person, and President Falk greeted the crowd.

Although we did not get President Falk’s endorsement that day, the campaign for the new GHG reduction goal is far from over. The underclassmen of TNG will continue to work on it during the 2014-2015 school year and those of us who are graduating will continue the work from our new positions as alumni of Williams College.

To read about the rally, see:

-Helen Song ‘14