Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives

Initiatives

Updated April 2008

In our new building program: The North and South Academic Buildings are expected to be LEED certified, as is the Stetson-Sawyer renovation and expansion and the Weston Field athletic complex. We are planning on installing a 27kW photovoltaic system on the roof of our new off-site library shelving facility and a smaller system on the Weston Field project. As the head of the Zilkha Center, Stephanie Boyd will be co-chairing the building committee with Doug Gollin, chair of Center of Environmental Studies, that will plan the renovation of the CES institutional home, Kellogg House. Linking the Zilkha Center and CES on this project demonstrates in a very real way the connection between academic environmental pursuits and lifestyle/operational commitment. We have also recently hired David Dower as the Director of Planning and Construction. He and Stephanie Boyd, Acting Director of the Zilkha Center, are working on an environmental assessment protocol for all construction projects.

In the dining halls: Robert Volpi, director of dining services, continues to be a leader of sustainability initiatives on campus. A few weeks ago, a student-inspired project to eliminate trays in Driscoll Dining was tested. Eliminating trays minimizes food waste, saves water and energy associated with washing, and reduces labor. Gayle Donahue, the manager of Driscoll Dining, was so impressed with the results that she is contemplating instituting this practice for the long term. We have also installed a water-dispensing system in Paresky in an effort to dissuade students from selecting bottled water at our Grab and Go lunch counter. In conjunction with the Zilkha Center, dining services is working on developing sustainable event policies to guide our internal and external caterers in promoting environmentally responsible social events. The Association for the Advancement in Sustainability in Higher Education, AASHE, recently noted Williams' sustainable food initiatives as being among the best.

In facilities: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating our campus have been dramatically lowered this winter as we opt to use more natural gas in place of number 6 oil in our campus heating plant. Don Clark, utilities program manager, and the staff at the heating plant have worked to change operational practices to make this happen. We are making progress on our energy conservation measures, thanks in large part to Ken Jensen, mechanical maintenance supervisor. We are planning a significant increase in the FY09 budget and in management effort to complete even more projects next year. In Hopkins Hall, where the Zilkha Center is housed, we have been very pleased with newly installed occupancy sensors that turn off lights when motion or sound are not detected. Our greenhouse gas emissions for FY07 were reduced 23%; a short report is available here.