April 25, 1997

Dear President Walsh:

We are writing to inform you about some of the work which Wellesley Environmental Board has undertaken since we spoke about the issue of the college's environmentalism in your office hours at the beginning of the semester, and also to share with you a four-point plan which we feel represents a useful starting point for the college in developing its environmental policies.

This semester, members of WEB have worked in small groups to assess a number of aspects of campus ecology, including energy, procurement, food services, curriculum, water, means of communication and paper use, and recycling. We have worked hard to both learn from the examples of other colleges and universities, and also to gain a greater understanding of what can and should be done here. In the process, we have spoken with numerous administrators and faculty members, and have begun to make some meaningful changes. to summarize our thoughts and findings on every aspect of campus administration goes beyond the scope of this letter, but we would be happy to share our thoughts on specific issues if you would like to hear more.

In place of a complete list of issues, small and large, which need to be addressed on this campus, we submit to you a concise list of concrete things which the administration can do to foster thought about these issues and an enhanced regard for and spirit of environmentalism at Wellesley (enclosed). We understand that this alone will not achieve all of our objectives, but we feel that it is important for the school to make a meaningful statement about its concern for the environment, which will not only engender ongoing discussion and change, but which will also extend a message of concern for environmental issues to every member of the Wellesley community.

It should be noted that we have found extremely promising models for success in environmental programs at other colleges and universities, and we can look towards these for guidance as we continue with this process.

We understand that there are a myriad of important issues facing the college now, as always, be we hope that these will not distract the college from paying serious attention to the important steps which can be taken to make Wellesley a more environmental institution.

In particular, we hope that the pressure of budget considerations will not deter the school from realizing the importance of investing in certain environmental programs, many of which have the promise to offer cost savings to the school in the future. Ideally, we would like to see savings from pilot programs, for example, of lighting retrofits, to be recycled into less financially sustainable, but equally important, campus programs. Furthermore, the possibility of obtaining grant funding for a more complete analysis of environmental issues on campus is a real possibility, and there are models for this type of program at area colleges. WEB believe, however, that Wellesley should demonstrate its ongoing commitment to environmental issues by matching any grant funds which are obtained.

A final consideration of currently "hot" campus topics is the hiring of a firm to facilitate a long term plan for the campus. This is an area in which environmental issues are naturally relevant, and we hope that deeply environmental considerations will inform this process as much as basic aesthetic ones. We applaud the decision to promote critical forward-looking thought on this issue of campus planning, and hope that this can become one avenue for consideration of issues of campus ecology in all respects.

We look forward to hearing your reactions to our ideas, and we would be more than willing to assist in the ongoing process of thinking about and implementing changes. Members of all classes have participated in our campus assessment, and we would all be thrilled to be used as resources for ideas for the future.

Thank you very much for your consideration of these issues. We are confident that you recognize, as we do, their supreme importance for any college entering the twenty-first century.

Sincerely,

Leslie Karasin '97 Jessica Owley '97 Adriana Jacykewycz '99 Monica Aufrecht '00

On Behalf of Wellesley Environmental Board