By Niraj Chokshi
News Editor

This past Tuesday, Jan. 27, was Bates’ Environmental Coordinator Jason Wentworth’s last day. Wentworth was hired in January of 2001 and was Bates’ third Environmental Coordinator. Wentworth, who had worked with Dean Carignan until Carignan retired this past July, was then put under the supervision of Terry Beckmann, Vice President for Finance and Administration.

Wentworth’s Resignation

Wentworth’s resignation had a lot to do with difficulties with the position of Environmental Coordinator. As Wentworth explained “I came into a position that was not very well-defined… [however] Dean Carignan had some very defined ideas.” Carignan’s retirement left Wentworth feeling as if he was lacking direction. He said that the position of Environmental Coordinator “needs to be a full-time position.” He’s not the only one either. The truth of the matter, according to Ari Rosenberg (President of the Environmental Club), is that in the position of Environmental Coordinator, a twenty hour a week job, Wentworth “didn’t have time to fix every problem at Bates.” Ari said that due to the lack of time the Environmental Coordinator is forced to focus on certain environmental problems and “other things get left behind and people notice,” which makes it a “high stress” job.

The position of Environmental Coordinator “requires a much more in-depth relationship with the institution,” said Wentworth. Wentworth also felt that key people he was going to work with should have been involved in the hiring process.

He found himself in an unusual position early this school year. He realized that his resignation would force the school to reevaluate the environmental situation at Bates. “I was much more attached to the sustainability effort at Bates than to the job itself,” said Wentworth. “Different people had very different expectations,” he said “I think I reached the point where a lot of my time and energy was not very productive.” Beckmann agreed, saying of Wentworth’s resignation, “if anything it will have a positive effect. In some respects it helps us [and] forces us to make decisions,” said Beckmann.

Wentworth said that he spoke to the two previous Environmental Coordinators and they had “similar frustrations with the position.” He explained that “if Bates wants to take this position to the next level… these frustrations have to be dealt with.” According to Wentworth the school is in a good place, however. In the early nineties “awareness on campus grew a lot,” said Wentworth, but “some people got worn out… [and] some people got comfortable with the idea that Bates was making progress.” He said the problem is that “you’ve got a real division in the College with Dining Services with a phenomenal record” while the rest of the College has a mixed one. Wentworth felt that though Bates has come a long way, there is still much to be done, and his resignation, he hopes, will force the administration to focus more on the environment.

Wentworth’s Work

Bookstore Director, and ten-year E-Fed (Environmental Federation) veteran, Sarah Potter explained that “Jason started a lot of initiatives… [he] got students engaged” Wentworth tried to make the recycling coordinator role a more active one by working with the Dean of Students office. During his two years here, he also performed a “waste audit” on the College analyzing where waste was produced on campus and where it went afterwards (e.g. landfills, recycling centers, etc.).

Wentworth also created a “light-bulb exchange” program through which he helped switch 800 fluorescent light bulbs for less efficient, incandescent ones.

He also continued “Clean Sweep,” formerly “Dump and Run” – an end-of-the-year program through which exiting students leave items they no longer need to be sold at a tag sale on campus. Clean Sweep not only helps avoid waste by avoiding throwing out all these items but the proceeds from the tag sale also are passed along to local charities. Last year’s proceeds went to the Androscoggin Head Start program and the JED Center, a local community that seeks to foster radical social, economic and ecological change. Last year the Clean Sweep program collected $10,000.

Wentworth also spearheaded the effort to switch from top-loading to front-loading washers. According to Wentworth’s calculations the switch will save 969,732 gallons of water, as well as, 26,614 Kilowatts a year. “It was a team effort,” explained Sarah Potter who also helped a great deal with the switch to the more efficient washers.

Last year, in January of 2003, Wentworth installed “Vend Misers” (units which put vending machines into “sleep” mode when not in use) on 33 beverage machines and 7 snack machines saving the school nearly $12,000, according to his estimates.

He held a number of roles during his time here. He headed E-Fed and was faculty advisor to both the Environmental House and the Environmental Club. Wentworth was an active participant in the push to build the new campus center (plans for which have now been put on hold). He now owns an eco-laundry in Portland. “He had a great relationship with people who were working toward environmental initiatives at Bates,” explained Ari Rosenberg, President of the Environmental Club. Potter said that “Jason really did a wonderful job… getting the recycling effort on track.”

One clear and immediate effect of Wentworth’s resignation can be seen in dorm recycling practices. As it is Physical Plant has taken charge of picking up dorm recycling bins. They, however, unlike the student workers before them, do not have the time nor are they paid to sort through the bins. So, as it stands, the Physical Plant workers throw away any bins that are “contaminated” or contain non-recyclable items whereas the students who worked under Wentworth were paid to sort through the bins before recycling them. Issues of liability concerning students driving trucks forced the College to pass the task onto Physical Plant. Potter explained, however, that Physical Plant is “excited” about their new role.

The Current and Future Situations

“We don’t quite know what the future of E-Fed is” explained Terry Beckmann. Beckmann took over as supervisor to Wentworth after Dean Carignan retired in July. The current plan is that E-Fed will finish the year off and, in the mean time, a committee headed by a president-appointed member of the faculty will begin to form. The purpose of the creation of the new committee is “to look at a five-year plan,” of how to implement environmental sustainability on campus. The committee’s intent, according to Beckmann, is to evaluate a number of things including: whether there is a need for E-Fed, or an Environmental Coordinator; to lay out a power structure concerning environmental initiatives; and to lay out goals for environmental progress. Beckmann said that if the school wants an Environmental Coordinator the job description must be defined. “It’s all driven by goals,” Beckmann explained. Beckmann stressed the importance of organization, defining the roles of Recycling Coordinators, improving communication between students and the administration. “The easier you make it the more likely you are to be successful,” said Beckmann.

According to both Potter and Ari, E-Fed is still doing a number of things. The problem, however, is that many members have little power in their respective departments, and therefore can enact little change. Ari explained that “in this case starting anew would give us so much more leverage,” concerning E-Fed’s disbanding and the formation of the new task force.

E-Fed is still dedicated to carrying out a few initiatives though. Its members are trying to get a paid student position, which would start next fall, in which the “student manager” would coordinate a crew of 15-20 volunteers in sorting through recycling bins for Physical Plant, reducing waste due to “contaminated” bins. There’s a subcommittee, headed by Christine Schwartz, Director of Dining Services, in E-Fed to talk about an environmental fair for the spring. The fair, to be tentatively held on Sept. 21, 2004, will be comprised of informational kiosks, demonstrations, and lectures.

Though Wentworth’s resignation has hindered environmental efforts, many involved, including Wentworth himself, feel that it will facilitate change and force the administration to take on the initiatives at a higher level. Along with most of Bates’ environmental advocates, Sarah Potter is optimistic of the direction of our environmental program remarking, “it’s very exciting where Bates might be able to go.”



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