Soon, Middlebury's preemminent Environmental Studies program will have a new home which it will share with the college's Department of Environmental Affairs and Community Based Environmental Studies program. Instead of constructing a new building for its environmental programs, the College will create a model of resource and energy efficiency through the adaptive reuse of Hillcrest, an 1875 Italianate-style Vermont farmhouse.  Middlebury will for the first time test the feasibility of third-party certification for its sustainable building practices by registering for LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Middlebury College Director of Environmental Affairs Nan Jenks-Jay announced today that the college will proceed with its plan to construct a biomass plant, which will cut the college's greenhouse gas emissions by almost 12,500 metric tons annually with power generated from wood chips rather than fuel oil. Her announcement followed a meeting of the Middlebury board of trustees, where the board approved the recommendation by administrators to build the facility.

Environmental Econ 265 students worked with Campus Sustainability Coordinator Jack Byrne to assess the change between 1995 and 2005 of the College's overall use of resources expressed as its "ecological footprint." They researched methodologies, collected historical data on the college's reource consumption and calculated the footprint per capita in 1995, 2000, and 2005.

The National Ski Area Association has confirmed that the Middlebury College Snow Bowl is the first carbon neutral ski area in the United States.

How often do you stop to read the labels of your glass cleaner or hand lotion? And on that rare occasion, do you find yourself stumbling over words you either can't pronounce or haven't seen since high school chemistry?

In the Fall of 2005, Middlebury College's Department of Environmental Affairs and Office of Facilities Services began to take a closer look at the products and practices the custodial staff uses in their work.

Sixty-three students took us up offsetting their carbon for the '05-'06 school year. Our thanks to them and their families for their participation!

Sixty-six students took us up on our offer below to purchase clothes drying racks for the '05 -'06 academic year. Most of them are freshmen who join the many other students who have been using drying racks as a simple alternative to the elecrtric dryers on campus. Our thanks to them and their families for participating in this offer!