After one week of the EcoChallenge not only am I beginning to learn simple ways to conserve electricity and water it has become quite clear how easy it is to be wasteful of these things. How am I being wasteful? Prior to this I have been one to take long showers, pushing 10 to 15 minutes, but really the goal is to get clean, and that can easily been done in about 5 minutes. Those gallons of water that aren't being used will really add up over a month, and just think of the total if and when I make this a regular practice. A second little change that will sum to quite a bit of savings is simply turning of f my computer when I am not using it and ensuring the lights are off when I am out of the house. I have also found myself spending more time in the library when I need to get some work done, the lights are already on and I have computer access. The other thing we have a focus on in this challenge is trash and recycling, and there is really no excuse not to recycle recyclables. The container for most recyclables is right next to the dumpster, its simply a matter of putting it in a different container. Also as my roommates have posted earlier, things not recycled here on campus can be recycled close by. It will pay off in the long run to take those few extra minutes to find a location to recycle if it ensures we will have a clean environment for the next generations to grow up in.
You've probably heard all these suggestions before, but if your like me you may not have considered them all that seriously. In a day like this however where its becoming more essential to live sustainably all it takes is a little effort to become more conscious of your habits, and make little changes. I have certainly not changed my lifestyle drastically, and already I know I am conserving a lot of water and electricity in my day to day routine.
Stay tuned for more ideas on how we can convert the campus community together to a more sustainable one from my roommates and myself.
One of the projects that I have come up with for our townhouse is our own home grown power plant. A simple project that I've always been fascinated by is the creation of electricity. By simply turning a magnet inside of a coil of copper, an electric charge is created and can be then stored for later use. I have used some of the challenge money to purchase some ceramic magnets as well as some copper, the rest of the materials such as a wood frame and handle will be reused scrap from the wood shop in Weber Hall and the copper is going to come from an old extension cord that was thrown away and retrieved. After I have constructed the generator, a capacitor will have to be purchased as well as a small voltage transformer so that the energy stored in the capacitor won't fry my phone or other small appliance. Hopefully, this experiment will be something that can shave off a little portion of our energy consumption. Every little bit counts!
Behavioral Changes
Here are some suggestions for how to have a more profitable lifestyle.
Conserve more water. Take shorter showers each day, do not let the water run when brushing teeth, fix any leaking or dripping faucets, and only run dishwasher and washer when there is a full load in. (Bongiorno, 2008) By doing these simple ideas we can save a lot of money on the water bill!
Food. When buying food products buy in bulk so less packing material. Start a compost pile for all food waste, this will reduce trash. Try to eat less meat and try to eat locally grown foods. (Eat Green, 2008)
In an average American home, appliances account for about 20% of energy bills. To reduce the amount of energy used, unplug any unused appliances and electronics (EERE, 2008). Typically, a PC uses about 250 watts, even though you may not use it 24/7, leaving it plugged in can add up to $212 per year to your bill (Hunt, 2008). So unplug the coffee maker, toaster, microwave, etc. when they are not being used.
Turn off the lights when you aren’t using a particular room. About 10% - 15% of electricity consumed in regular light bulbs results in light – the rest is heat. By turning off unused lights, you will keep the room cooler and they will last longer (EERE, 2008)
In the winter remove window air conditioners since they will let in more cold air causing you to have to use more energy to heat your home.
You should try to use the microwave as often as possible, and always unplug after use. Use glass dishes when cooking/baking because they can be cooked at lower temperatures. Do not preheat if you do not need to. A lot of times, you do not need to preheat. When using the stove, do not use over sized pans and use a cover for the pan, so it traps the heat and uses less energy (Ways to Conserve Energy, 2008).
If you do not want to shut down your laptop, at least put the computer to sleep. Computer monitors actually take up more energy than the actual hard drive. For macs, if you enter into “System Preferences” and then enter “Energy Saver.” you can set the time you would like to put your computer to sleep. For other computers, you can right-click and chose “Properties.” Then enter “Screen Saver” and you can change the sleep mode under “Power" (Ways to Conserve at Penn State, 2008).
Now that winter is almost here wear more layers instead of turning the thermostat up.The DOE calculates that your energy bill will go up three percent for each degree you raise the thermostat (Green Living, 2005). Also remember that tight knit clothing is warmer then loose and wool is warmer than cotton.
Conserve more water. Take shorter showers each day, do not let the water run when brushing teeth, fix any leaking or dripping faucets, and only run dishwasher and washer when there is a full load in. (Bongiorno, 2008) By doing these simple ideas we can save a lot of money on the water bill!
Food. When buying food products buy in bulk so less packing material. Start a compost pile for all food waste, this will reduce trash. Try to eat less meat and try to eat locally grown foods. (Eat Green, 2008)
In an average American home, appliances account for about 20% of energy bills. To reduce the amount of energy used, unplug any unused appliances and electronics (EERE, 2008). Typically, a PC uses about 250 watts, even though you may not use it 24/7, leaving it plugged in can add up to $212 per year to your bill (Hunt, 2008). So unplug the coffee maker, toaster, microwave, etc. when they are not being used.
Turn off the lights when you aren’t using a particular room. About 10% - 15% of electricity consumed in regular light bulbs results in light – the rest is heat. By turning off unused lights, you will keep the room cooler and they will last longer (EERE, 2008)
In the winter remove window air conditioners since they will let in more cold air causing you to have to use more energy to heat your home.
You should try to use the microwave as often as possible, and always unplug after use. Use glass dishes when cooking/baking because they can be cooked at lower temperatures. Do not preheat if you do not need to. A lot of times, you do not need to preheat. When using the stove, do not use over sized pans and use a cover for the pan, so it traps the heat and uses less energy (Ways to Conserve Energy, 2008).
If you do not want to shut down your laptop, at least put the computer to sleep. Computer monitors actually take up more energy than the actual hard drive. For macs, if you enter into “System Preferences” and then enter “Energy Saver.” you can set the time you would like to put your computer to sleep. For other computers, you can right-click and chose “Properties.” Then enter “Screen Saver” and you can change the sleep mode under “Power" (Ways to Conserve at Penn State, 2008).
Now that winter is almost here wear more layers instead of turning the thermostat up.The DOE calculates that your energy bill will go up three percent for each degree you raise the thermostat (Green Living, 2005). Also remember that tight knit clothing is warmer then loose and wool is warmer than cotton.
Energy investments
These are all ways to invest your money to save it in the long run. Each idea will conserve water or energy, and consequently give you a reduced bill at the end of the month.
1. Energy: Buy compact fluorescent bulbs. They last between eight and twelve times longer than the traditional light bulb. One light bulb can conserve about two hundred and sixty pounds of CO2 per year. Though they are a little bit more expensive than normal light bulbs, in the long run, they last much much longer. They can last as long as ten years.
2. Energy: Weathering Doorways- Add Weather Stripping around doors and windows. The use of door thresholds, window caulking, and plastic window film could save up to
20% with an investment of as little as $25 (WNC Green Building Council,2006).
3. Water: Buy low flow shower heads because they reduce three hundred pounds of CO2 emissions per year for electrically heated water and eighty pounds of CO2 emissions for gas-heated water. They only cost between ten and fifteen dollars.
4. Water: Fix leaking faucets if a leak drops one drop of water every second you can waste up to 165 gallons of water per month.
1. Energy: Buy compact fluorescent bulbs. They last between eight and twelve times longer than the traditional light bulb. One light bulb can conserve about two hundred and sixty pounds of CO2 per year. Though they are a little bit more expensive than normal light bulbs, in the long run, they last much much longer. They can last as long as ten years.
2. Energy: Weathering Doorways- Add Weather Stripping around doors and windows. The use of door thresholds, window caulking, and plastic window film could save up to
20% with an investment of as little as $25 (WNC Green Building Council,2006).
3. Water: Buy low flow shower heads because they reduce three hundred pounds of CO2 emissions per year for electrically heated water and eighty pounds of CO2 emissions for gas-heated water. They only cost between ten and fifteen dollars.
4. Water: Fix leaking faucets if a leak drops one drop of water every second you can waste up to 165 gallons of water per month.
Let's support our faculty advisor
I hope our townhouse can show solidarity in our support by attending the lecture by our Rob Fleming, EcoChallenge faculty advisor, next Tuesday afternoon. He was one of the key planners of the EcoChallenge. I think you will also find him quite interesting because he is an acredited, very accomplished architect and can speak very intelligently about the applications and implications of the adoption of sustainability as doctrine.
We are the examples for our student community, so please come to this seminar and invite friends to join you.
See you there.
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