The Green Glance | Global warming must be battled through practice and policy

Nathan Zucker Opinions Editor

Procrastination, one of the largest obstacles to student success in college, is a habit of youth often decried by adults. However, when the adults themselves are the procrastinators, what example does this set for the younger generation?

Such is the case at Vassar, where the administration has made only a miniscule commitment to address the growing threat of global warming, despite increasing scientific evidence pointing to the dangers of climate change. Whereas many other colleges across the country have been quick to take action to reduce their carbon emissions, Vassar has managed only baby steps, and thus currently lags behind peer institutions. Given its reputation for progressive thinking and social activism, it is time that Vassar becomes a leader in fighting what is without a doubt the most serious ecological crisis of the modern era.

An article in the Oct. 2 issue of The New York Times illustrated man’s power to change the climate, as well as the adverse consequences of these increases in temperature. Andrew Revkin, in a piece entitled “Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts,” details how the polar ecosystem is rapidly unraveling due to global warming. This past summer, liquid water was observed farther north than ever before, and many scientists believe that global warming is among the principal causes of this unexpected melting. According to Revkin, polar bears and other denizens of the Arctic are severely threatened by the pace and extent of the changes.

Given the dangers posed by even a small amount of global warming, larger changes in temperature could be devastating to both the human race and the other species of the Earth. At present, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing rapidly, leading researchers to believe that huge swings in climate may soon occur. In order to prevent these changes, it is incumbent upon our generation to act immediately. Large institutions such as colleges have the most power to effect reform, and thus the responsibility to battle global warming is largely theirs.

In the college sustainability report card prepared by the Sustainable Endownments Institute, Vassar received a B as its overall grade. The College should be lauded for using energy-efficient lighting, composting, and turning down its thermostats. However, there is far more to be done. The actions taken by peer colleges provide an example that Vassar should follow.

Vassar certainly has had the opportunity to make a difference in its contribution to climate change. The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment allows for administrations to sign a pledge outlining actions they will take in order to promote campus sustainability. Under the plan, a college first promises to conduct a carbon audit to determine the scope and source of its emissions. Following this audit, the institution then designs a multi-faceted plan to achieve carbon neutrality, eventually setting a target date for this achievement. The presidents of 415 colleges and universities, including similar liberal arts schools such as Bowdoin, Bates and Hampshire Colleges, have signed the pledge. Vassar President Catharine Hill’s name, on the other hand, is conspicuously absent.

Middlebury College, which is similar to Vassar in size and student body, has made a remarkable commitment to battle global warming. After conducting an extensive carbon audit, the administration made the decision to become completely carbon neutral by 2016. In order to accomplish this difficult goal, Middlebury has constructed a biomass generator that will convert plant waste from local farms into energy. Middlebury has also strongly encouraged students to conserve electricity and has made energy-efficient upgrades to numerous facilities on campus. Any remaining emissions will be offset economically by investment in wind farms and methane sequestration. In addition, Middlebry’s ski facility, the Snow Bowl, was the first carbon neutral skiing area in the country.

Many scientists believe that a failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the near future will lead to devastating storms, fatal heat waves, crop failures and mass extinctions. Fortunately, it is within our power to take action, as the ecological reforms implemented by colleges like Middlebury suggest. If Vassar is truly the progressive institution it claims to be, it will do its best to fight global warming, and this means adopting a policy of carbon neutrality now. Procrastination, as all college students know, only results in catastrophe.