Progress on Environmental Sustainability at Oberlin College

Oberlin College has made significant progress on both environmental policy and action. Some of our milestones follow:

• 2004: Comprehensive Environmental Policy Document completed by the Environmental Policy Advisory Committee (EPAC). Recommendations address energy, buildings, purchasing, transportation, food, grounds and education.

• March 2004: Board of trustees adopted EPAC’s Environmental Policy Statement

• June 2004: Green energy purchase agreement. College signs a unique agreement with Oberlin Municipal Light & Power and the City of Oberlin to purchase >50% of our electricity from green energy sources. This agreement reduced carbon emissions attributable to Oberlin College by almost 25% (12,700 metric tons of CO2 /yr). The premium paid by the college has been used to establish a community based “Renewable Energy Reserve Fundâ€? administered by City of Oberlin. So far this fund has been used to:

  • Pay for the installation of a wind monitoring tower (corner of route 58 and Russia Rd) that is being used to assess the feasibility of commercial scale wind power for Oberlin College

  • Fund the purchase of equipment that will allow “Full Circle Fuelsâ€? station to begin pumping biodiesel and ethanol in town.

• Fall 2004: Student group ‘Environmental Policy Implementation Group’ (EPIG) formed and collected 1200 student signatures in support of implementation of the College’s Environmental Policy.

• March 2005: Oberlin faculty unanimously voted to add Environmental Sustainability as a key strategic direction in the college’s strategic plan. Strategic Plan adopted by Board of Trustees March 5, 2005.

http://www.oberlin.edu/strategicplan/

• 2005: Oberlin receives People Prosperity and the Planet award from EPA. Oberlin was the only undergraduate institution and the only school without an engineering department to be awarded “Phase IIâ€? funding in this prestigious national design competition. Funds were awarded for development of Oberlin’s “Campus Resource Monitoring Systemâ€? which monitors and displays energy use in dorms on a web site to Oberlin students.

http://www.oberlin.edu/dormenergy/

http://es.epa.gov/ncer/p3/

• Winter 2005: Sustainability Coordinator hiring search initiated for Oberlin College

• Fall 2005: Oberlin College becomes member of two national environmental organizations working for environmental sustainability: the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and the United States Green Building Council that developed the LEED system.

• February 2006: Sustainability Working Group publishes report outlining recommendations for implementing Environmental Sustainability strategic direction from Strategic Plan of 2005.

http://www.oberlin.edu/strategicplan/reports.html

• February 2006: “City Wheelsâ€? car sharing program initiated as a result of student activism through EPIG. City Wheels provides relatively inexpensive access to automobiles for college students and Oberlin residents who therefore do not need to own cars.

http://www.mycitywheels.com/oberlin.php

http://www.oberlin.edu/news-info/06feb/cars.html

• March 2006: LEED silver standard for all new campus buildings voted in as recommendation by Student Senate. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

• June 2006: LEED silver standard adopted by Oberlin Board of Trustees for all new construction and major renovations.

• Fall 2006: Eco-Purchasing Committee appointed and charged with task of developing a Sustainable Purchasing Policy for the College. Draft policy is under review.

• September 2006: Asst. Sustainability Coordinator Meredith Dowling is hired and the Sustainability Office is created.

• September 2006: Student group EPIG forms a “Lightbulb Brigadeâ€? to work with facilities to swap out over 1,000 incandescent bulbs in student dorm rooms and the Inn for energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

http://www.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/2006/12/15/news/Environmentalists_Celebrat.html

• November 2006: Committee on Environmental Sustainability approved by the faculty as a body that will propose, review and oversee implementation of environmental policy for Oberlin College.

http://www.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/2006/11/10/news/Committee_Gives_Hope_for_S.html

• December 2006: Oberlin pledges to become “climate neutralâ€? when President Nancy Dye signs the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment. Oberlin was one of the first 10 signatories and is a member of the Leadership Circle.

http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/

http://www.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/2006/11/17/news/Dye_Makes_Pledge_Climate_N.html

• February 2007: Sustainability Coordinator Nathan Engstrom is hired and Sustainability Office work plan is developed and approved by the Committee on Environmental Sustainability.

http://www.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/2007/02/16/news/College_Adds_Sustainabilit.html

April 2007: The College initiates an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and a Campus Climate Action Plan.

April 2007: The National Wildlife Federation honored Oberlin with its “Chill Out, Campus Climate Solutions� Award for the “Campus Resource Monitoring System

May 2007: President approves Green Purchasing Policy.

May 2007: Oberlin hosts its first green commencement.

June 2007: Greenhouse gas inventory and climate action plan initiated.

July 2007: Oberlin Wins Clean Community of the Year from Green Energy Ohio.
http://www.oberlin.edu/news-info/07jun/geo.html

September 2007: Campus Sustainability course offered by the Environmental Studies Program in Conjunction with the Office of Environmental Sustainability.

October 2007: Sierra Club named Oberlin number one on their top ten list of “Coolest schools� on the environment.

December 2008: Oberlin hosts the community’s first Green Drinks.

February 2008: Energy Study for Campus Climate Action Plan initiated with Energy Ventures International.

March 2008: Oberlin hosts its first Ecolymipcs, a four week energy and waste reduction and environmental education contest held among dorms.