For the third year in a row, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Challenge recognized the College as the largest single purchaser of green power in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

"Throughout the 2009-10 academic year, EPA's Green Power Partnership tracked and recognized collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power purchases in the nation," the EPA website stated. As a result of their findings, the EPA recognized the College as an Individual Conference Champion, followed closely by fellow NESCAC school Connecticut College.

The EPA's Green Power Partnership is a program designed "[to support] the organizational procurement of green power by offering expert advice, technical support, tools and resources," according to its website. The EPA began hosting the Green Power Challenge in the 2006-07 academic year. Participating for the past three years, the College has maintained purchases of green power that amount to over 100 percent of the College's total purchased electricity use.

This year, the EPA cites the College as having purchased 15,975,000 kilowatt-hours of green power, relying upon renewable resources including low-impact hydro, biomass and wind power.

"Colby hopes its purchases will continue to foster an attitude of environmental awareness on campus and in the community at large," the College's partner profile on the EPA website stated.

The EPA has also recognized the College's green efforts outside of the Green Power Challenge.

"In April 2003 Colby's R.E.S.C.U.E. (Reuse Everything! Save Colby's Usable Excess) program was in the [EPA's] Best Management Practices [Catalog] for Colleges and Universities," the College's "Green Colby," according to the webpage.

The College has certainly been making an effort to encourage environmental consciousness in many facets of life on the Hill. By "giving athletes reusable bottles, [the athletics department] reduced use of disposable plastic bottles by thousands," Emma Gildesgame '10, the Alfond Apartments EcoRep and coordinator of the EcoRep program on campus, said.

The College also relies on support from students and other members of the campus community to become more environmentally conscious. Many environmental groups on campus, such as the Environmental Advisory Group, EcoReps and Organic Gardening Club, work to achieve environmental sustainability and become more educated on green practices.