The environmental committee, made up of elected and appointed faculty, staff, and students from across the campus, engages the entire community in environmental and sustainability issues. The environmental committee is an advisory body and action committee to the President and the community at large. Its responsibilities include the following:

• To gather information pertinent to decreasing the College's "environmental footprint," and to convert this information into usable form. This may include ecological surveys, institutional studies, financial information, development plans, student work, awareness campaigns on specific issues, and more. All information will be public and easily accessible.

• To connect with various administrators, trustees, faculty, and student groups to coordinate interests, plans, and activism in terms of environmental efforts. This includes inviting the entire community to voice what they would like to see happen in the future.

• To advise and make recommendations to the administration on ways to maximize socially-just sustainable planning in purchasing, development, and policy making.

• To help increase the community's awareness and accessibility to low-impact living.

Current Projects of the Environmental Committee

Climate Action Plan (CAP): Hampshire College is part of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Our CAP includes a clear set of guidelines and goals to make the campus climate neutral by 2011. The Draft Climate Action Plan is currently under review by the campus.

The Sustainability Revolving Fund (SURF): The Hampshire College SURF provides loans for campus improvement projects that benefit Hampshire’s sustainability by improving efficiency and conserving resources. The SURF exists to foster student, staff, and faculty involvement in increasing environmental, social, and fiscal sustainability at Hampshire College. If you are interested in proposing a project for funding, please see the SURF application, which details the process for project submission and approval.

If you have questions for the environmental committee, please contact the committee at envirocom@hampshire.edu