College Rankings Overrated, Needless
By Peter Douglas
Staff Writer

I love Pomona College. It is by far the best college in this nation and probably the world, and anyone who says otherwise is delusional. Yet despite the boundless affection I hold for Pomona, I cannot help but admit that, in one area, it is falling behind many of its peer institutions: Pomona is not doing enough to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions it produces and to reform the way it uses energy. Some may consider this a relatively small issue for a liberal arts college, yet the contrast between Pomona and many similar schools on this issue is becoming increasingly glaring. If Pomona wants to remain a leader among American colleges, we must make much greater strides in ending the environmental impact of our energy use.

The list of colleges and universities that have made serious commitments to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions is impressive. This fall, Lewis and Clark College became the first American college campus to become Kyoto compliant, meaning it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to 7% below 1990 levels, primarily through buying carbon offsets. Cornell University, Tufts College, Stanford University, and all 56 colleges and universities in New Jersey have set timelines for achieving Kyoto compliance. Oberlin College has gone a step further by developing a plan to make its campus climate neutral, meaning no net greenhouse gas emissions, by 2020. Connecticut College has committed to buying 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, while the University of Colorado at Boulder, Wesleyan University, Swarthmore College, and Carnegie Mellon University are all buying significant portions of their energy from wind power sources. Loyola Marymount University is in the process of installing the largest rooftop solar power system in Southern California, and the University of California Berkeley is installing solar panels to power its student center. This is only a partial list of the energy reforms occurring on campuses across the country.

To be fair, Pomona has recently created guidelines for sustainable building on campus and is constructing a biology building that is both highly energy efficient and will make use of solar panels installed on its roof. However, this is not enough. The difference between Pomona and many of these other schools is that they have set specific, quantitative goals for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, while we have not. This means that, while we may have the noblest intentions of dramatically reducing our emissions, there is no standard against which our progress can be measured. A quantitative goal would motivate action much more than vague guidelines will be able to.

Pomona College is in a unique position among American colleges to make major changes in its energy use. Following a very successful ten-year fund-raising campaign, Pomona ranks among the wealthiest academic institutions in the country. Yet this newfound wealth will be worthless if it is not used for innovations that continually improve the Pomona community. As Mary Patterson McPherson, former President of Bryn Mawr College said at President Oxtoby’s inauguration, “Nothing wilts faster than a laurel rested upon.”

One of the best innovations Pomona could make would be to invest in renewable energy technology and other methods of reducing greenhouse gases. Not only would this encourage exciting designs and architecture like the new biology building; but it would also make Pomona a more responsible member of the Southern California community, as fossil fuel use not only affects global climate but also is responsible for our infamous regional air quality and much of the environmental degradation occurring on public lands throughout the West. In addition, a commitment to clean energy would provide many opportunities for research as the Environmental Analysis program continues to grow. In short, Pomona has an amazing opportunity to take a lead in supporting green energy, and such a commitment would be consistent with many of the college’s other long-term goals.

On the other hand, if Pomona continues to fall behind its peer institutions in its support of green energy, it will begin to reflect negatively on us. Both carbon credit trading and socially responsible investing are growing phenomena that could lead to sweeping changes in the financial world. If Pomona does not keep up with