| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50.03 |
| Liaison | Mike Evans |
| Submission Date | May 28, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Williams College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.00 / 2.00 |
Mike
Evans Assistant Director Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
No
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Through the Center for Learning In Action, the Sentinels Summer Research Fellowship, a U.S. public policy research program, supports student research projects focused on contemporary issues in U.S. economic or social policy, including but not limited to regulation, inequality, community and regional development, and/or processes and powers of American Government. In the past this has dealt with local or regional community development and improvements to transportation and food access.
https://learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/sentinels-summer-research-fellowship/
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
No
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
As part of the Sentinels program, a project was completed that focused on conservation policies in New England that surrounds the River Herring fishing industry. Recently, there has been a marked decline in River Herring populations, which can be attributed to a variety of human-caused factors. Fisheries management policies encompass aspects of both economic and social policy because fisheries account for a major source of the world’s protein, sustaining the livelihood of people both nationally and internationally. Policy management practices, both economic and environmental regarding fisheries management efforts, have not improved the low River Herring population stock and are beginning to turn towards protecting river and lake environments through dam removal and improving water and ecosystem quality. The project worked to integrate science and policy to analyze and develop further conservations policies implemented for New England.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
No
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
As part of the Sentinels, a project was completed that investigated both water contamination crises in Flint, Michigan and Love Canal Niagara Falls, NY and the environmental racism. Both crises signified a lack of government responsiveness to poorer communities who lack sufficient political voices and representation. The project exposed the ways in which mismanagement by government agencies that have a duty to act, exacerbated the issue, attempts at political cover-up, and the reluctance by government officials to provide adequate aid/compensation. The analysis of the two case studies draws on apparent connections and discovers more nuanced dimensions that don’t simply discount the water crisis in Flint as only environmental racism.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
No
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
As part of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), Williams has worked with manufacturers in order to offer more construction materials that do not contain toxic or harmful components. Because we were required to source products compliant with the materials petal of the LBC we contacted many manufacturers to trace what is in their products, aiding in transparency in this process. We currently have a student intern that is vetting materials for future building projects and her work has included contacting and talking with manufacturers. In talking with manufacturers we advocate for cleaner materials if they do not currently provide them, but this is not through a policy, and rather focuses on consumer advocacy.
Optional Fields
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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