Is a Green Middlebury a Green Midd Kid?

Middlebury College has the reputation of being one of the most environmentally friendly colleges in the United States. With that in mind, one might assume that the editorial for this year’s “Green Issue” would take the route of applauding or congratulating the College on being a leader in the realm of green-innovation and environmental education. An editorial in this vein would surely reference the College’s biomass plant, its quest for carbon neutrality, the abundance of locally-sourced foods in the dining halls — the list goes on and is undoubtedly familiar to most students here. It is pretty clear that, though far from perfect, the College as an institution does a pretty good job of being green.

What is less clear, however, is whether this environmentally conscious institution has necessarily translated into an equally mindful student body. Is merely attending a “green” school enough to instill sufficient knowledge of the environment and subsequent environmentally friendly habits? Do students, by virtue of attending the College, automatically graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to continue living a “green life?”

Unfortunately, we think not. Just look at the amount of food waste we produce or the number of laptops left on at night as proof.

This is not to say that there aren’t Middlebury students who are incredibly environmentally conscious and who practice green habits. But we cannot assume that all Middlebury students have this knowledge — in fact, members of this editorial board admit that we too often fall short of living energy efficient lifestyles. But the College cannot hope to ever truly be green until the everyday habits of the majority of its inhabitants are in line with the institution’s green goals. In regard to environmental practices, the school has neglected its primary purpose of education.

Middlebury has the potential to do so much more for the environment than just cutting the carbon output of the campus or generating some solar energy. As an educational institution, Middlebury has the power to change how people treat the environment.  Only with individual accountability will we be able to reverse some of the damage to the environment. We believe the College should foster this accountability by instilling students with environmentally friendly habits that won’t disappear at graduation.

There are many ways in which the College can promote increased environmental literacy among students. Orientation can feature sessions that teach new students how to live “greenly.” In addition, we hope that the commons systems, residential life and campus sustainability coordinators continue to promote sustainability — a simple way to do so would be to bring back the now-defunct competition that measured and reported on energy use by dorm. Or the College could hold more events like Project Green Challenge, a competition sponsored by “Teens Turning Green” which takes place on campus throughout October. Currently 31 Middlebury students are participating by completing “green” challenges. We hope to see more such events such as this one that encourage practical implementation of green habits.

That being said, we as students must hold ourselves responsible for developing green habits. Students here have displayed an enormous capacity for innovation and problem solving, and we encourage our fellow students to continue to think of new ways to make green living a reality. The College’s role is to educate us and to show us how to be individually responsible, but it is our job to apply our education to our day-to-day lives.

We are very lucky to have the opportunity to study at an institution that is so committed to green issues. But we must learn from the mechanisms in place around us, and this learning must take an active form. Living in close proximity to a biomass plant does not necessarily correlate with increased environmental awareness and greener habits. Only after the College commits itself to its primary purpose — education — in regard to this issue will we become environmentally conscious students rather than just students at an environmentally friendly institution. After that, if we as students really want to think of ourselves as “green,” we must actively pursue environmental literacy and green habits.

Saying that we embrace or support environmental causes is no longer enough; instead, we must take specific action. With this active student participation, the College will be truly deserving of its reputation as an incredibly environmentally friendly institution. Because in the end, the College can only be as green as its students are.