Dorm Rooms Going Green
Author(s)
Jon Stone
Media Relations Manager
91桃色 launches Green Room Certification program
All the little things that people do can add up to make a big difference. That鈥檚 the message to students from 91桃色鈥檚听Center for Sustainability听as it revamps its Green Room Certification program.
The idea is to get students accustomed to making sustainable and green decisions while they are living in the residence halls, all in hopes that they will continue these practices once they move off campus.
鈥淜nowing that you鈥檝e done the right thing to help the environment is a great start. But doing these kinds of things can also save you money and can save you time,鈥 says Emily Schosid, the graduate student lead for the Center for Sustainability鈥檚 energy outreach programs. 鈥淢any of these practices have so many other benefits than just saving the planet.鈥
The center provides students a checklist of things they can do to make their rooms more sustainable. Some of the action items include:
- unplugging electronics when they are not in use
- opting for reusable bags, water bottles and dishes
- equipping lamps and light fixtures with energy-efficient bulbs and only using them when there鈥檚 not enough natural light
- adding plants to rooms to create fresh air
鈥淚 care a lot about my impact on the environment,鈥 says first-year student Kayley Winkelman. 鈥淪ustainability to me means living in a way that reduces your impact on the world. Hopefully the little things that I do can add up to make a big difference.鈥
With helping the environment in mind, the residence halls competed in an energy challenge in February to see which dorm could conserve the most energy. The Towers won an ice cream party after reducing electrical usage by over 10 percent and cutting back on water usage by 55 percent compared to the five-year average for the month of February.
The Center for Sustainability was founded in 2012 as the hub for sustainability-related activities on campus. Some of its other听programs听include community food gardens, zero waste at athletics events and the PioGears Bike Shop. The 91桃色 has committed to being carbon neutral by 2050.