Williams Takes Historic Step, Pledges Milestone Greenhouse Emissions Reduction

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Williamstown- Williams College today announced that a Board of Trustees vote unanimously approved establishing a goal to reduce the college's greenhouse gas emissions to a level of 10 percent below the college emissions of the 1990-91 academic year. The goal target date is 2020. Below is a letter sent to the Williams College faculty, staff and students from college president Morton O. Schapiro. The letter includes a link to a college Climate Action Committee report, which contains information about strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and additional information. To the Williams Community, Williams today commits to help lead the effort to reverse climate change induced by greenhouse gas emissions. Last spring I formed a Climate Action Committee and asked its members to recommend to the College a goal for reducing its emissions and the strategies to attain it. The Committee has worked commendably hard on this important task and issued a thoughtful report, which can be seen at http://www.williams.edu/go/cac/ I am pleased to say that President's Staff enthusiastically endorsed the report and that the Board of Trustees, in what someday may be considered a historic vote, unanimously passed this resolution: "WHEREAS, The President and Trustees of Williams College believe that the principles and practices of environmental sustainability in general, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions specifically, are institutional priorities, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: As recommended by the President's Staff acting on the report of the Climate Action Committee, Williams College hereby adopts as a goal the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions by ten percent below the College's 1990-91 emissions level by the year 2020." This goal presents a considerable challenge but one that with strong, continuing effort we can make. Williams has long worked on issues of sustainability-in fact our Center for Environmental Studies is the oldest in the country. Now we must make these considerations more central to how the college operates. Sustainability thus becomes for Williams a guiding principle, like those of accessibility and diversity. We need to honor that principle in all that we do. Faculty in all divisions will want to think of how to incorporate issues of sustainability into their courses. As you can see in the report, we will have to alter as a college what we buy and how we build, along with how we heat, cool, and light our buildings. The report points out the importance of energy conservation, an effort that must engage all of us on campus. We will need to limit our building growth. And we will have to adjust to working within budgets, for individual projects and for the College as a whole, that include significant investments in sustainability. Since resources are finite difficult decisions on tradeoffs lie ahead. To coordinate this widespread campaign we are thinking about the best way to develop a sustainability office. For now these efforts will be centered in the office of Vice President for Operations Steve Klass, where it will be a prime responsibility for Manager of Special Projects Stephanie Boyd. Devising mechanisms for the ongoing involvement of faculty, staff, and students in this planning and implementation will be important. Reversing the growth in greenhouse gas emissions will require a worldwide effort, in which Williams should play a leading role. We do that, perhaps most effectively, by example in pursuing a goal that is among the most ambitious of any college or university. We are able at the same time to contribute significantly to the emissions reduction efforts of Williamstown and the region, both of which the College is an important part. As an educational institution, our greatest influence derives from our students, who, in this case, will be involved in multiple ways with an engaging and important effort, the lessons from which they will take with them as they enter the wider world. We all owe thanks to the members of the Climate Action Committee for the hard intellectual work they have put into leading Williams to the brink of this vital commitment. Best regards, M. Schapiro [Williams College President Morton O. Schapiro]
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Friday Front Porch Feature: An Energy-Efficient New Build

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Are you looking for a sophisticated home with low utility bills?

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 15 Orchard Lane.

This three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath, contemporary farmhouse was built in 2025 and is 1,704 square feet on less than an acre. The house features an attached and insulated two-car garage. 

The interior boasts hardwood floors, electric fireplace and a kitchen with stainless steel appliances. The primary bedroom and en suite are located on the first floor, and two bedrooms, a full bath and bonus space on the second floor. 

The home is electric and energy efficient with heating and cooling technology from the latest Energy Star-rated heat pump technology.

Down in the waterproofed full basement, there is a dehumidifier and a battery-backed sump pump. It has a generously sized covered side porch. 

It is on the market for $829,500.

We spoke with Paul Harsch III with Harsch Associates, which has the listing.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market? 

This home stands out from anything else on the market now or that has been available in recent memory because it is brand new. Save for a portion of the foundation and some first-floor framing, it is completely new and much expanded from the original house. Unless one is building from scratch, to find a brand-new home is virtually impossible as there is no spec building and hasn't been any for many years. 

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Crisp, clean, all new, bright, and spacious with the cathedral ceiling in the living room space yet compact and efficient. 

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history? 

The sellers had designed this as their forever retirement home but family matters dictated they remain in Texas thus they are reluctantly giving up their dream home here.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for? 

The buyer for this home wants a quiet location yet very convenient to the center of things. They want ground-floor living with spare bedrooms on the second floor for guests or office space. They want a modest-sized yard not requiring a lot of expense or care to maintain but providing a pleasant hot-weather retreat in the shade of mature trees. This buyer wants an efficient low-maintenance home not requiring any attention or work on the exterior other than perhaps the occasional power washing of the siding to show the crisp white lifetime siding. They want a totally dry basement with a warranty to back that up, and they want a spacious two-car garage to protect themselves and their vehicles from the weather or summer heat.

Are there any recent renovations or standout design features? 

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