KERA’s (Dallas)  Krys Boyd recently interviewed tropical field biologist Meg Lowman ’76 on Boyd’s always fascinating “Think” program.

http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/77/510036/91173599/KERA_91173599.mp3

The interview ranges over a variety of topics, from Lowman’s creation of the first tree canopy walks (she was the force behind the one in Hopkins Memorial Forest), being an international field biologist, teaching (she is a professor at New College of Florida, where she teaches undergraduates), life as the single mother of two boys while working in the field, and women in science. More than anything, I was struck by how much her identity as a parent shapes her worldview and values. She and her sons (who are now in their early twenties, and destined for scientific careers of their own) have collaborated in writing about life growing up in a field scientist’s family.

Those of you who are at Williams for reunions can try out a canopy walk for yourselves tomorrow (assuming the rain stops):

Sat., 1:30 - 5 p.m.  Hopkins Forest: Visit the Treetops on the Canopy Walkway

The walkway is a pair of tree platforms set 70 ft. above the ground and originally used for research. Platforms are linked by a cable bridge and accessed via a wooden ladder. Participants are harnessed to safety cables, and aided by guides. Space limited; long waits possible; first come, first served; no children under 12.

(It’s safe, but a challenge if you have height anxieties. Even if you don’t ascend, it’s worth walking over to HMF just to look at the structure. There will be an open house in the forest at the same time, so you could stop in at HMF headquarters and see the museum of farm implements, buy some homemade maple syrup, and view some of the other exhibits. And if you are outdoorsy, don’t miss the bird walk and the hike, both of which are also on the main reunion schedule.)

Listening to the interview or seeing the canopy walk might interest you in reading Meg’s books for the layperson:

Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology by Margaret D. Lowman (2000)

and

It’s a Jungle Up There: More Tales from the Treetops by Margaret D. Lowman, James Burgess, Edward Burgess, and Ghillean T. Prance (2006) (written with her sons)

Lowman has a website, canopymeg.com. Officialy, her title is Margaret D. Lowman, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies and Director of Environmental Initiatives, New College of Florida, but, if one just adds “Mom,” the subtitle of her website encapsulates it rather nicely: “Author, Adventurer, Tropical Rain Forest Canopy Biologist.”  She is very much a proud product of  the  Williams Center for Environmental Studies, and the College has celebrated her accomplishments by honoring her with a Bicentennial Medal.

Holding a big event at Williams is like herding cats. In an institution run by independent and motivated professors and administrators, getting collaboration and consensus is very difficult. That is why I’m very proud to announce plans for Focus the Nation, an event which really will capture the attention of the entire school, at least for a day.

A little background on Focus the Nation: conceived of and promoted by Eban Goodstein ’80, this day-long symposium for global warming solutions will take place at over 1500 schools, churches and businesses across the country. Held on Jan. 31^st nationally, the eve of super Tuesday, the goal is to engage 5 million citizens in active and intelligent conversations about global warming solutions.

The classic problem in any sort of activism is that when you throw an event, only the people who are interested come. In order to address this age old problem, we’re going to the students. Starting in September, we embarked on a campaign to speak to every single faculty member individually and ask for some or all of class time on February 5^th to discuss climate change from the stance of their department. To speak to over 300 faculty is a big project, and I applaud Meredith Annex ’11 and Martin Sawyer ’08 who have coordinated those efforts.

Its paying off. Currently over 60 faculty will use between 5 minutes and all of their class time to talk about where their passion for a better world intersects with their discipline and subject matter. And more new commitments are coming in every day. We’ve actually been surprised at how many faculty are genuinely eager to participate in an event that addresses a big issue and uses their particular strengths. Maybe it’s not that surprising after all.

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Some call it “The Big Razor,” a play on its corporate namesake. To others, it’s simply “Foxborough,” as in the Massachusetts town home to it and its dumpy predecessor. A few unbalanced types think of Gillette Stadium, the dwelling of the National Football League’s New England Patriots, as an oppressive Albert Speer knockoff housing the cheatingest gridiron squad on dry land. Most of us are bitter Bills fans.

But more to the point, did you know the stadium was built with an on-site wastewater treatment facility? And even more to the point, were you aware that the Patriots recently agreed to purchase 2,400 megawatt hours of offsets to match their gameday electricity consumption? Well, that’s kind of the point. And, obviously, there are Eph footprints all over this bad boy, starting with Jonathan Kraft ‘86.

But today, the Kraft Group will announce that Midwestern wind will fuel the Gillette Stadium lighthouse, the 612 blazing light bulbs shining down on the field, the scoreboards, and more than 40 concession stands that are juiced with enough power during each game to run 2,269 households for a day. …

“Obviously, energy is vital to our game-day operations and we have made substantial efforts to enhance our energy efficiency,” the Patriots’ president, Jonathan Kraft, said in a statement.

“This not only reduces our carbon footprint, but could help build awareness that other organizations have an opportunity to make a similar choice for the environment.”

The renewable energy credits will be purchased from Constellation NewEnergy, a subsidiary of the Mayo Shattuck ‘76-helmed Constellation Energy, as part of an extant power agreement between the Pats and their energy supplier.

There are, naturally, a few doubters.

The idea of buying certificates to offset pollution has its critics, who say some companies may “greenwash” without making substantive changes.

“People have made the comparison to Catholic indulgences - we’ll continue to sin, but look, we’ll send this to the Church,” said David Chernushenko, author of the book “Greening our Games.”

Previous EphBlog discussion on this topic here.

The Krafts have obviously been into the green-conscious thing for a while, so as much as I’d like to claim they’re simply looking for a much-needed PR boost here, that doesn’t really hold water. But the good press doesn’t hurt, huh? And, indeed, it’s part of the stated rationale for the transaction.

“We have been incredibly proud to serve the New England Patriots since 2003, and now we are pleased to support their sustainable environmental practices by securing clean, renewable energy sources to match the electricity usage for home games throughout the season,” said Michael Kagan, president, Constellation NewEnergy. “Given the national prominence of the Patriots, this significant action sets a terrific example for other companies and businesses preparing to introduce renewable energy into their portfolio as part of an overall strategy to address climate change.”

Now, I tend to think Kagan has a point here. The Pats’ appeal (and, perhaps, their influence) cuts across all sorts of social and economic lines, and as a a result, their green example might just carry more weight with the average consumer than would such a move from the average business. Depending on how much overlap one believes there is between the pro-wind power crowd and the pro-Randy Moss contingent, the Krafts are quite possibly helping to expand the roster of environmentally conscious citizens.

Williams students lobbying congress in front James Garfield.

13 Williams students traveled to DC this weekend for the first ever national youth climate conference, Power Shift 2007, put on by the Energy Action Coalition. Organized by TNG, this trip was planned simultaneously with the Step it Up events right here in Williamstown. Driving two college Prius (priui?), we learned valuable organizing skills, heard diverse perspectives on how to build a clean and just future, and gained a sense of the movement.

The conference attracted 6000 youth from all 50 states, as well as tv cameras, newspapers, influential leaders and the speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi. In her speech to the assembled students she linked global warming to the war in Iraq, saying we need to fix both simultaneously. Some of her comments were met with boos from the a crowd clearly disappointed with how she has failed to get our troops out. Her prescriptions for climate change solutions were met with fiery chants and calls for ‘more, more, more’. She seemed very surprised at the intensity, and it was clear she did not fully capture the audience the way more passionate speakers like Ed Markey, chair of The Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming.

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Morty just sent out an e-mail to the college detailing a new full-time staff position within the office of the vice president for operations. The staffer will lead the Center for Environmental Initiatives, which will create and maintain a strategic plan for the college’ sustainability goals.

It looks like the Thursday Night Group just got a corresponding official within the college.

Read the whole letter at the link below.

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92 people attended the first gathering of Thursday Night Group this week. 23 people participated in our overnight leadership retreat to set the agenda and goals for the year. This isn’t the kind of activism we’ve seen at Williams in the recent past (DK, I’m counting on you to prove me wrong here somehow.)

Why is our group so energized this year, and where is all of this going to lead?

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Mark Orlowski ‘04 might be old news to ephblog readers. His work on sustainable endowments while at Williams and much more so after is worth bringing up again, though, especially when its captured in the soft glow of a PBS camera.

Mark is currently touring the country with Guster. The Campus Consciousnes tour will be stopping in the purple valley this Thursday. Members of the band will be at a town hall forum at 2:30 in Brooks-Rogers before the concert to talk about environmental consciousness and giving out backstage passes for the show.

The story copies below is taken from iBerkshires News article on the rally. For national coverage, see your local paper or visit www.stepitup2007.org

I was a bit disapointed to see a few key elements omitted.

1. There is no photo of the ribbon up the steeple (even among the ones I didn’t copy here), arguably the most inventive part of the rally.

2. Hundreds of postcards were signed to congressmen. The entire rally was explicity designed to address the national congress, but that aspect seems to be lost in this article.


By Susan Bush - April 14, 2007

Center for International Environment and Resource Policy At Tufts Director William Moomaw [Photo by Sue Bush]

Williamstown - First, one encountered a couldn’t-miss-it-with- eyes-closed bright orange timeline measuring the fossil-fuel emission levels between the year 1,000 A.D. and 2007.

The fluorescent tape stretched over the First Congregational Church lawn in a nearly straight line, and then curved sharply and steeply upward toward the church steeple. The sudden jump skyward represented the increase in emissions that began during the beginning of the 20th century.

The stunning illustration was part of a Step It Up day event initiated by environmental activist Bill McKibben. Step It Up events were held nation-wide and several Berkshire region communities hosted global warming/climate change events throughout the day.

Long tables served as information booths for numerous local organizations, including the town Carbon Dioxide Lowering [COOL]Committee, the Hoosic River Watershed Association, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, and the Center for Ecological Technology.

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Were any readers at the Thursday Night Group with Morty last night? Was my question about the carbon impact of Stetson/Sawyer asked? Was it answered? I just left a message on the question for Stephanie Boyd, who seems to be the key college official.

Why do I keep harping on this? Partly it is my natural curmudgeonliness. But accurately measuring the carbon impact of everything that Williams does will highlight, I predict, the hollowness of the moral smirking that seems to drive so much of the discussion. (Consider this discussion of hybrid cars.) Good-hearted students like Morgan Goodwin ‘08 deserve all the facts, not just a collection of smiling faces and Earth Day letters from the college bureaucracy.

UPDATE: Morgan’s year of graduation corrected. I had a great phone conversation with Stephanie Boyd about the College’s goals, the difficulties of accurately measuring something like the carbon impact of Stetson/Sawyer and the importance of involving students in the gritty details of policy. Boyd would make a great guest for Nathan Friend ‘07 on The Hour.

Morty is coming to the Thursday Night Group meeting to talk about sustainability. Good for him and good for TNG. Could a reader please ask Morty what the estimated carbon impact of Stetson/Sawyer will be? Just that. Just the facts. I don’t expect TNG or anyone else to try and stop Stetson/Sawyer. I just want to know what the carbon impact will be. Is that so unreasonable?

No word on whether Morty will be driving his hummer to the meeting.

This week is Williams Week of Climate Action. Students have been working hard to raise awareness about sustainability at Williams through lots of events, art and information. This eight foot tall cut out of Morty holding up the globe is now prominently displayed in Goodrich hall. Tomorrow students will unveil a giant CFL lightbulb made entirely from the incandescent bulbs that have been exchanged so far. This sculpture will be placed on Baxter lawn, weather permitting.

Yesterday the “Amherst Blows Greenhouse Gases” T-shirts debuted, for sale at $10 each. They are available in the dining halls.

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The Columbia Spectator frets today over my current institution’s “B” grade on the recent College Sustainability Report, even pulling out a former Spectator columnist to propose that grade “sounds a little generous.” Meow. Meanwhile, Williams’ phatty phat phat A- is included in a passive-aggressive little graphic above the article, contrasted with the “D-” grades handed out to Trinity University (Texas), Tulsa and Notre Dame. As if we needed another reason to hate the Fighting Irish. No mention of Amherst’s weak “B-” showing.

The front page of the same paper also includes a hilarious little refer to an op-ed column about the Middle East by a Columbia freshman. How do they tease the piece? “Staff writer Jordan Hirsch explains why Israel is not the bloodthirsty mess some think it to be.” Outstanding!

Two major events occured today to elevate sustainability to the forefront of Williams. The first was President Schapiro’s announcement to the college of the Climate Action Plan. The trustees met this weekend to discuss and unanimously passed a plan to reduce college CO2 emissions 10% below 1990 levels (or about 50% below today’s levels) by 2020. That letter can be found here

The second item was the release of the College Sustainability Report Card. The Report Card examines and grades 100 schools across the United States and Canada on criteria including climate change policies, green building, and investment practices. It was produced by the Sustainable Endowments Initiative which is run by Mark Orlowski ‘04. I’m not sure if his connection to Williams swayed his organization’s report, but Williams was one of only 4 schools to recieve an A-, the highest grade awarded. More can be found and the full report can be downlaoded here or here

Justin Bates, ‘07 starts his talk on Global Warming in the Berkshires at Mt. Greylock High School

Thursday marked the second day of the Williams regional outreach program. Five Ephs spoke to six periods of classes and one period of lunch at Mt. Greylock High School, reaching about 250 students and inspiring the creation of an environmental club at the school. The talk was based on the slide show developed over our Winter Study class on student activism with professor Singham. The show is intended to bring up some scary and local possible effects of climate change and then turn the focus to the student climate action movement. The goal is to inspire students to become leader and motivate their schools and communities to reduce energy use, seek alternative energy sources and raise awareness on the issue.

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The Solar Panels on the science center roof are touted by the Williams sustainability website as part of our source of energy at the college. If you follow the link and compare these panels to other institutions in the regions, you see they are actually pitiful (keeping mind the relative size of the other institutions). I know homeowners who have installed 5kw displays, which gives them an annual net electricity bill of $0. Should we be ashamed of boasting of such a small array?

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