THE BIG, GREEN IDEA

At Hobart and William Smith, light bulbs are going off over the heads of students, faculty and staff all the time – it just so happens that more and more of them are the eco-friendly, compact fluorescent variety. Not only has environmental awareness and activism been the focus of strong individual projects, but over the past academic year, being green has become a collective effort that brings together an entire range of HWS community members, student organizations and academic disciplines.

Since President Mark D. Gearan signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment in September 2007, the state of the environment has changed everything from the way the Colleges light its buildings to the way its students and grounds staff get around campus. We’re recycling, cleaning and even planning the future buildings of the Colleges with the environment in mind. And this is just the beginning of our big, green idea....

ECO EVENTS

Continual Events

Campus Greens Meeting – Every Monday, 8:00 PM, Sill House (710 South Main Street)

• Student environmental organization
• Encourages individual and institutional responsibility for the environment awareness and activism
• Informs and increases environmental literacy
• Encourages the campus community to act in different forms on many environmental issues
• Has put mission into action through an ink cartridge recycling program in the computer centers & many petitions and hundreds of letters related to environmental issues to senators and other governmental officials.

Past Events

Green Day – April 2, 2008

• At noon, in front of the Scandling Campus Center:
• Campus members can watch nearly 40 fluorescent bicycles whiz away from Scandling Center, launching the new Bike Program at HWS.
• President Mark D. Gearan and Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies Tom Drennen will discuss the importance of programs like the bike program in front of Scandling. They will be joined by American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment Co-Director Anthony Cortese.
• As part of the Light Bulb Amnesty Program, community members can exchange incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents.
• Works by Professor of Art Ted Aub will be on display in front of Scandling.
• At 7:30 PM in the Geneva Room, University Presidents Climate Commitment Co-Director Anthony Cortese will give a pivotal President’s Forum Series lecture. This lecture will surely be standing room only.
• All recycling bins will feature their new labels, kicking off the Pitch In, One Bin no-sort recycling campaign and supporting our participation in the RecycleMania competition.
• Enjoy green and local food at Saga throughout the day. And don’t forget to stop by the tables outside of Saga to find out all the ways that Saga is green.

Eco Ball – December 2, 2007

• Semi-formal dance organized by Chi Phi, celebrating green initiatives on campus
• Raised $5,000 to support environmental campaigns at the Colleges
• Featured displays by Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies Tom Drennen, Mark Vogelgesang ’08 and the HWS Bike Program.
• Sponsored by the President's Office and received contributions from Hobart Student Government, William Smith Congress, Campus Activities Board, Hobart Deans Office, Student Activities Office and Campus Greens

 

GREEN FACTS

GET AROUND GREEN

Students in the Environmental Studies Senior Integrative Experience will launch the Community Bike Program. Nearly 40 bikes - painted in fluorescent orange, green and purple - will be released for use by members of the HWS community to ride for free starting on April 2 at noon.

Students, faculty and staff can take any bike at any time, ride it to a campus destination, and then leave it for others to use. All are encouraged to wear proper safety equipment, which is available for purchase at the Geneva Bicycle Center at 489 Exchange Street.

THE CLIMATE COMMITMENT

This environmental movement provides a framework and support for more than 400 of America's colleges and universities to go carbon neutral. The signatories of the Commitment pledge to fulfill a three-step constitution which includes expediently initiating a comprehensive plan for climate neutrality, taking tangible action to reduce greenhouse gases, and publicizing the action plan, inventory and progress. The Commitment recognizes the unique responsibility that institutions of higher education have as role models for their communities and in training the people who will develop the social, economic and technological solutions to reverse global warming.