Whitman College

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

Whitman College has adopted a set of environmental principles encouraging recycling, eco-friendly purchasing, and energy efficiency. The college has a conservation committee of faculty, staff, and students, which addresses a broad array of sustainability issues.

Whitman has 65 wind turbines on college-owned property that are operated by Florida Power and Light. The electricity generated goes directly into the grid, but is the equivalent of twice the amount of energy that Whitman consumes in a typical year. Whitman purchases over 20 percent of its electricity through the Pacific Power Blue Sky program, which supports sustainable energy sources. Whitman is also a party to the Northwest Regional Climate Action Initiative, which sets regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The Whitman Campus Climate Challenge is a group of students, faculty, and staff that works to reduce the school’s climate footprint.

Dining services are provided by Bon Appétit, a company committed to sourcing sustainable, local foods. Local food options from 25 producers are available on the cafeteria menu in addition to many organic products, cage-free eggs, and sustainably produced meat. Students provide their own to-go containers, which reduces waste. Bon Appétit will soon implement its “Low Carbon Diet” program, designed to educate students about the connection between food choices and climate change. As part of the program, dining services will reduce the amount of beef it purchases by 25 percent.

The two most recent buildings constructed on campus were designed to meet LEED-certification standards. A third building that uses LEED criteria is currently under construction. However, Whitman has no known green building policy.

The college has not made public any programs or practices that encourage or facilitate the use of alternative forms of transportation.

The college has no known policy of disclosure of endowment holdings or its shareholder voting record. Therefore, there is no known ability to access this information.

The college aims to optimize investment return and has not made any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The college has not made any public statements about active ownership or a proxy voting policy.