Earlham College

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

A comprehensive environmental plan was approved by the faculty and the board of trustees in 2005. The plan addresses issues of campus sustainability and environmental education.

Earlham College installed a 1-kilowatt wind turbine and 20 solar panels on campus as part of an energy project in 2005. Compact fluorescent lighting is commonplace throughout campus, as are motion sensors. In 2006, the Earlham Energy Awareness Program was initiated to encourage and provide incentive to students residing in college-owned houses to reduce energy use. The program allows students to share in subsequent cost savings. The college lacks a formal commitment to emissions reduction.

Earlham makes purchases from between 5 and 15 local farms and offers fair-trade coffee, cage-free eggs, and some organic products. The college replaced Styrofoam to-go containers with reusable, plastic containers in 1998. Earlham has a comprehensive recycling program, much of which is student-led. The college initiated a food waste–composting program in 2002 through an agreement with Earlham’s food service provider.

The college is committed to meeting the standards of LEED certification in construction of any new facilities, but Earlham has not sought certification to date. In renovation projects, the college does its best to incorporate green building design. For example, in the recent renovation of Olvey-Andis (a residence hall), Earlham chose to reuse and renovate existing masonry. Energy-efficient windows, new carpeting with recycled content, and more energy-efficient lighting systems were also installed.

Earlham’s fleet includes hybrid vehicles, and the college is committed to reducing the number of over-sized vehicles and purchasing hybrids when possible. Earlham provides subsidized loans for faculty who purchase residences within a quarter mile of campus. The college also has reduced rent programs for faculty and staff who rent college-owned houses, all of which are in close proximity to the school.

As of this year, information about endowment holdings and/or proxy voting records is available to all members of the school community, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

The college aims to optimize investment return and is also exploring renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles. Earlham’s investment policy provisions avoid investments with persistent misuse of natural resources.

A committee with three trustees, three faculty members, and three student representatives deliberates, and makes recommendations or decisions, on proxy votes.