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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Creative Pause: Venerable WTF Taking Time to Innovate, Strategize

By John TownesSpecial to iBerkshires
The pace and pressures of change have intensified in all sectors of society. The creative economy is no exception.
 
Non-profit arts organizations have always had to adapt to changing times. Some of these issues are common and perennial, including the need to raise funds, attract audiences, and remain relevant and sustainable.
 
In addition, while the COVID-19 pandemic was several years ago, it has taken time
to recover from the universal shutdowns of 2020 and their aftermath.
 
These issues were highlighted in the Berkshires recently with the announcement that two prominent cultural institutions in Northern Berkshire County — the Williams Theatre Festival and the FreshGrass music festival at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art were cancelling their 2026 summer seasons.
 
Both organizations, which are separate, will use the time to regroup, with plans to return in 2027.
 
While the announcements raised concerns about the impacts on the cultural tourism economy this summer, the overall slate of cultural attractions and activities in the Berkshires appear to be on track. The cultural sector is not monolithic, and other individual organizations are either proceeding as normal or expanding their offerings.
 
The season cancellation at WTF was because of a combination of factors, said Raphael Picciarelli, WTF's managing director for strategy and transformation. He shares administrative oversight responsibilities with Kit Ingui, managing director of operations and advancement.
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