W&M scores well on sustainability report card

Sustainability at W&M The College of William and Mary moved up in the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card and received an overall grade of "B." Photo by Stephen Salpukas

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by Staff | October 13, 2009

The College of William and Mary moved up in the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card and received an overall grade of "B."

The report card was released by the Sustainable Endowments Institute Oct. 7. No other institution in Virginia received a grade higher than a "B."

William & Mary's current grade is up from the overall "C" it received last year. The improvement highlights the significant changes in sustainability at the College since its debut in the Report Card two years ago, when it received a "D-." A New York Times blogger who wrote about this year's results noted that William & Mary was among the schools that showed the biggest improvement.

"This is a strong affirmation of the W&M community's commitment to sustainability and the work of our volunteers," said Dennis Taylor, co-chair of the William & Mary Committee on Sustainability. "Looking ahead, we are now well positioned to deal with tougher issues like energy use, waste management and reductions in our carbon footprint. These are complex and demanding problems, but they are the key to long-term sustainability and resource efficiency at the College."

According to its Web site, the College Sustainability Report Card is "designed to identify colleges and universities that are leading by example in their commitment to sustainability." The institute surveyed 332 colleges for the report.

Along with an overall grade, each college received a "report card" with grades in the categories of administration, climate change & energy, food & recycling, green building, transportation, student involvement, endowment transparency, shareholder engagement and investment priorities.

On the William & Mary's report card, the College received a grade of "A" in the categories of administration, investment priorities and student involvement. The report cites the College's Committee on Sustainability and the new sustainability fellowship for the high mark in the administration category. In the student involvement category, the Student Environmental Action Coalition and student government are noted for their efforts on campus. And under investment priorities, the report card gives a nod to the College's Green Endowment fund.

"This is a wonderful example of the College doing what it does best," stated Phil Zapfel, the College's first Sustainability Fellow. "The Committee on Sustainability is made up of faculty, student and staff volunteers working across disciplines to come up with real-world, tangible solutions to complex issues."

Zapfel helps to oversee the 100-plus volunteers for the Committee on Sustainability, who are working on such varied issues as storm water monitoring, paperless teaching and learning, and local and organic food procurement. He has taken the lead on a few sustainability projects for the year.

"In the near future, I'm hoping to design a sustainable purchasing policy, implement a dining hall food composting program, and assist in a more in-depth analysis of our recent greenhouse gas inventory," Zapfel said.

Lynda Butler, co-chair of the Committee on Sustainability, said that she is very pleased that William & Mary's sustainability efforts are being recognized.

"Two key factors have contributed to our almost meteoric improvement of 2 ½ grades in two years," she said. "The first is the steadfast commitment of the administration - from the Board of Visitors and the President to its vice presidents and senior administrators - to sustainability over that time period. But, without a doubt, the single most important factor has been the student body. The students' drive to impose a green fee on themselves, to create exciting new sustainability initiatives, and to apply their considerable intellectual talents to greening the campus has successfully pushed the College down the path of a more sustainable future."

For more on William & Mary's sustainability efforts, visit http://www.wm.edu/sustainability.

For more on the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, visit http://www.greenreportcard.org/. For the William & Mary's complete report card, visit http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2010/schools/college-of-william-mary.

Sustainability Tips

Here are some great tips for sustainable living from the COS. More...
Reduce waste by carrying a reusable water bottle-refill it rather than buying plastic bottles of water.
Cut the cord! Be sure to turn off your lights and appliances when you’re not using them. Many electronic devices continue to drain energy even when they're turned off, so unplug your computers, cable boxes, and TVs, when they're not in use.
Avoid high speeds. Fuel efficiency drops rapidly above 60 mph.
Avoid printing out documents that easily can be read and filed electronically.
Take public transport, carpool, walk or cycle instead of driving. You’ll save money, get fit and reduce your contribution to climate change.
Too often plastic and paper grocery bags end up sitting in landfills! Transport shopping using your own refillable bags—you can carry more and you’re saving the environment.
Save a tree by switching to electronic billing. Most utilities, credit card companies, and banks now offer this handy service.
Save hundreds of gallons of water by washing only full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher.
Avoid idling. Turn off your car whenever possible.
If you're flying with checked luggage, try to pack less. The more you carry, the more fuel the plane burns.
Carrying your own coffee mug is a great way to cut down on waste…Especially if you’re addicted to caffeine!
Remove yourself from junk mailing lists. Does anyone need all those catalogues?
Save energy and stop your sweaters from shrinking! Use cold water plus a cold water detergent in your washing machine.
Turning your thermostat down by one degree on a warm winter’s night saves you 3% on your heating bill.
Here comes the sun! During winter months, keeping your window curtains open on south-facing windows lets the sun heat your home naturally during the day.
Save energy and prevent fires by regularly cleaning out your dryer vent to make sure it’s not blocked.
Add air to the tires of your car so they're properly inflated—you’ll get better mileage.
Use task lighting. Instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it.
Buying a new appliance? Be sure to look for the Energy Star label, which tells you that that appliance has met strict efficiency guidelines set by EPA and DOE.