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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Williamstown's Images Holds Ribbon-Cutting at Renovated Theater
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Before breaking the seal on a renovated Images Cinema, its leadership expressed gratitude to everyone who made it happen.
“Matt [Brogan] just said something to me about what a lucky day it is,” Images Board Chair Steve Simon said at the outset of Friday morning’s brief ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Spring Street movie house. “And I have to say, that is exactly the sentiment I have. What a lucky day.
“This has truly been a project of heart and love, envisioned, in many ways, by Kevin O’Rourke and Wit McKay. As we responded to what’s happened to theaters in this country with COVID and streaming, we were like, ‘We have to do something different and better.’ “
The result is a very different Images than the one that closed for renovations last October.
The most striking change is that where the facility once was a single, 150-seat theater, Images now boasts a 70-seat main screen, 18-seat second theater and 15-seat lounge. The new theaters also boast better seats and technical upgrades to enhance the viewing experience, like 4K laser projection in the big theater.
“In our main theater, thanks to a grant from Feigenbaum Foundation, we have a Dolby Atmos-certified system, the only of its kind in Berkshire County, and the only of its kind between New York and Boston,” Executive Director Dan Hudson said before joining Simon in cutting the ribbon. “It's truly a world class cinema that is a gift from the community back to the community. So proud and privileged to be part of all of this.”
The theater reopened in May but celebrated its rebirth Friday as part of the townwide, two-day celebration of America’s birth.
The town is getting a jump on July 4 with a full day and night of activities on Friday to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. click for more
Local theaters also have to adapt to constantly-changing conditions and trends in the film and theater industry. This requires balancing the often-convoluted requirements of movie studios and distributors with the preferences and tastes of local audiences.
click for more
Deb Dane has spent a lifetime working to build community and the last 20 years doing so at the town's public, educational, and government access television channel, WilliNet. click for more
Uhry won a Pulitzer Prize for his work; he won an Oscar for the 1989 film adaptation of the play, which also won the Best Picture Oscar. Yes, that's how good it is. click for more
A granite installation in Bloedel Park next to the town's new traffic rotary honors the area's first residents and caps an effort that began five years ago. click for more
