Energy Savings Are Huge for Mississippi College as World Celebrates Earth Day

An award-winning Mississippi College education professor, Tom Williams oversees the energy savings program at the 5,000-student university.

When the Earth Day celebration began in 1970, 20 million Americans were involved in the activities on April 22 to focus on environmental concerns.

Forty-five years later, the 2015 Earth Day has spread to more than 192 nations around the globe. With its successful recycling program and new reports showing over $1 million in energy savings, Mississippi College is certainly doing its part.

An award-winning Mississippi College education professor, Tom Williams oversees the energy savings program at the 5,000-student university. He’s delighted with the results.

“It’s our turn to lead,” remains the theme of the 2015 Earth Day. And there’s no question that leaders like Williams are pointing the Baptist-affiliated university in the right direction when it comes to slashing energy costs.

During a 32-month period that concluded in February, the Clinton campus and MC School of Law in Jackson achieved a milestone: reaching $1 million energy savings. The funds saved will be redirected into academic programs and other vital needs at the Christian university.

“Being good stewards of both our money and environment gives us a great sense of satisfaction as we celebrate Earth Day 2015,” Williams said in an email sent to thank faculty and staff for their efforts.

Williams rewarded his colleagues for shutting down computers, turning off lights, and taking other measures to trim energy costs.

Employees returning to work would discover a tiny Hershey’s chocolate bar on their desks and a thank-you note from the MC “energy czar” if they helped save energy dollars.

As the USA’s Earth Day is noted in big cities like New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago along with small communities like Clinton, Mississippi, the MC energy savings can be hard to visualize.

But Williams sums it up this way: Mississippi College saved over 6.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity and more than 48,500,000,000 BTUs of natural gas since July 1, 2012.

There’s another way to look at it. Mississippi College achieved a savings of 5,837 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In other words, that was the same thing as preventing 1,216 automobiles from being on America’s highways each year.

Williams is working closely with energy consultants, the university’s administration and MC employees as well as students to make things happen on Earth Day as well as year-round.

Earth Day 2015 is never a one-day event for the MC community. The university constantly works to recycle paper, plastic, aluminum and cardboard 365 days per year. Waste Management employees pick up the items at the Clinton campus and MC School of Law each week.

President Lee Royce and Vice President for Administration and Governmental Affairs Steve Stanford have recently commended Tom Williams for his hard work, leadership and achievement of major goals. With each passing year, the university’s recycling program and energy savings plans are enjoying greater success. But the job is never finished.