Environmental Savings

• Reduce hard copies of memos and notices by one-half
• Limit photocopying to black-and-white and double-sided
• Use electronic mail and encourage discretion in printing out mail
• Reduce paper waste
• Recycle paper
• Eliminate cover sheets wherever possible
• Install computerized thermostats and light control panels
• Limit publication of academic senate and staff development notices to once a month
• Evaluate all printing requirements and eliminate overprinting
• Use both sides of paper
• Use only white paper because colored paper costs more and cannot be recycled as easily
• Provide locations for aluminum, paper, and glass recycling, and resell collected items
• Reuse paper in laser printers where possible
• Install aerators on faucets
• Install low water usage toilets
• Install solar panels over parking lots
• Use solar energy, and promote demonstration and prototype facilities which may be eligible for outside funding
• Consolidate classes in buildings to conserve on heating costs
• Have weekend classes limited to a few buildings to reduce operating costs
• Hire energy consultant to achieve energy savings that exceed consultant costs in first year
• Install energy-efficient light bulbs
• Shut down facilities during breaks
• Turn off lights, heater, and air conditioners when nobody is in the room
• Turn off heat and air conditioning from Friday noon through Monday morning
• Have residential halls form environmental committees to promote energy savings ideas (e.g., turn the water tap off when brushing teeth, turn off lights when leaving a room, shorten shower times, avoid plastic water bottles that are only used once, activate computers’ “snooze control,” or use cold water for washing clothes)
• Close curtains or window treatments to block out the sun’s heat on hot days – typically the south side of a building
• Open curtains or window treatments to allow the sun’s heat to warm the interior during cold days – typically the south side of a building
• Open windows at night if the outdoor temperature is cool – allow for cross-ventilation of rooms – and then close the windows in the morning to seal in the cool air for the day
• Commit to a cooling schedule, frequently available at utility companies that offer money back for allowing them to turn your air condition on/off during peak-use periods (typically the heat of the day)
• Turn up the thermostat for comfort and energy savings – air conditioning at 78 degrees; educate users to resist the urge to drop the temperature for a quick cool, which taxes the unit
• Schedule heating-producing periods for using dishwashers, ovens, and dryers in the early mornings or evenings rather than afternoons
• Use grills and microwaves on excessively hot days
• Clear areas of waste around central air-conditioners or heat pumps
• Pay bills on line (which saves trees and staff time and reduces postage)
• Wash linens and towels in cold water
• Turn down the thermostat when the weather gets chilly; minimize individual carbon footprint by wearing sweat shirts or sweaters instead of cranking up the heat
• Activate all computers’ “snooze controls” on campus

I was born upon thy bank, river,
My blood flows in thy stream,
And thou meanderest forever
At the bottom of my dream.
-Henry David Thoreau, I Was Born upon Thy Bank, River