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Earlier News
- Holiday Farmer’s Market on Saturday, November 21.
- Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Fiscal Year 2009
- Lori van Handel to manage Sustainable Food and Agriculture Initiative at Williams
- New Academic Buildings at Williams Attain USGBC LEED Gold Certification
- Williams Installs New Bike Racks
- Environmental Sustainability Principles
- Imagining an “Effective” Future for Williams
- The Great Shutdown of ‘09
- Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions during Fiscal Year 2008
- Energy Savings Around Town
- What we have surpasses what we want.
- Welcome to the Class of ‘12
- Sustainability at Williams: From First-Years to Graduates
- Williams College Receives Rebate for Green Building
- Getting the heat to your dorm
- CES/CDE Symposium: Global Warming and Developing Countries: Addressing and Coping with the Challenge
- Q2. Local fruit in dining halls
- Zilkha Center Logo
- Questions about Sustainability at Williams
- CEAC proposes a building policy
- Focus the Nation
- Carbonated Cold
- The Story of Stuff
- LED holiday lights
- Go Cold Turkey
- Carbon Neutrality
- RECs and Carbon Offsets
- Recycling and Solid Waste at Williams
- LEED certification of the North and South Academic Buildings
- The Potential for Photovoltaics at Williams
- Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions during Fiscal Year 2007
- Welcome to the Sustainability at Williams Blog
Oct 27, 2008
With economic challenges restricting budgets, programs around town and on the campus are striving to encourage us to save money, energy and the environment.
The North Adams Take Charge Campaign is asking for signatures on a 5-step-pledge that will help to increase the awareness of local citizens on matters of saving money and energy. This pledge, which 200 people have signed so far, asks endorsers to switch to energy efficient lighting, to turn down the heat, to stop drafts from coming in under doors and windows, to reduce hot water use, and to get a home energy audit. Right now, the Take Charge Campaign (more information is available here) is holding a series of annual workshops local libraries to help people learn how to make these changes in their own homes, and to ensure that a broad number of local people have access to these energy saving techniques.
This fall workshop series is wrapping up Wednesday, October 29th, at 6:30 pm with a session at WIlliamstown Public Library, where Nancy Nylen of the Center for Ecological Technology will discuss how to lower your home electric bill.
On November 5th the Zilkha Center and Human Resources will be hosting a workshop led by Mike Tillou and Charley Stevenson of Tillou Engineering which will suggest ways to reduce fuel use and heating costs in the home. Mike and Charley have worked on multiple sustainability and energy saving initiatives for Williams College and around the country and have years of experience in energy-analysis and efficiency projects.
Weatherization (also known as Winterization), created by Williams College students with the help of the Center for Community Engagement, has in past years helped to prepare 20 to 30 local homes for incoming winter weather. Over several weekends students caulked doors and windows in local homes to reduce drafts, and install plastic lining on windows as insulation.
This year Weatherization has even more ambitions aims: during Winter Blitz on November 15th numerous volunteers will complete the insulating process of 60 local homes in one day, doubling or tripling past productivity. Winter Blitz is recruiting students, faculty, and staff who wish to get involved.
With Williams College’s annual “Do It In The Dark” campaign underway – students can get in on the action through the College’s dorm energy saving competition.
With some attention, it is easy to immediately begin lowering our individual energy expenditures and reducing your carbon footprint.
Here are some reminders, or visit Williams College Sustainablity page for more info:
Turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them.
Turn off lights in empty rooms.
Close your windows when you leave the room.
Dress appropriately for the weather.
Thoughts? Go to the Sustainability Blog or send an email to Stephanie Boyd (sboyd@williams.edu) to comment.