Environmental Task Force

2008 Energy Conservation Competition

During the month of February 2008, a competition will be held to see which dorm or program house can reduce its energy use the most on a per student basis. Meters will be read at the beginning and end of the month, and compared to last year's usage. There will be a prize given to the dorm and the program house that show the greatest decrease proportionate to the number of student residents. The winning residences will receive a pizza party, courtesy of the Office of Residence Life, as well as the 2008 Green COW award!

Why participate?

Energy use costs money and contributes to global warming. By reducing your energy demands, you can contribute to a healthier environment as well as saving the College money. Lower energy costs help the College to keep tuition costs down and allow it to devote more of its financial resources to your education and co-curricular opportunities.

What can you do?

In Your Room:

Turn off the lights when you are not in your room.
Switch to compact fluorescents. Introduce your friends, hall, and/or house to the world of high-efficiency lighting. You may not be familiar with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), but give them a try. CFLs use a whopping 75% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. A single bulb can save from $25 to $45 over its life. And it's a long life: Manufacturers claim that CFLs last between 5 and 13 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.
Rely on natural light whenever possible. Natural sunlight not only is cost-effective and warming, but it also brightens your mood, especially during the winter.
Unplug. Electrical products shouldn't run all the time, and even in standby mode use up several watts of power even when turned off. Either unplug your lights, computer, and/or fan when not in use, or plug them into a power strip which you can simply turn off when the electronics are not being used. Use rechargeable batteries when possible. The electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home generates more carbon dioxide than two cars!
Don't use a space heater; put a sweater on.
Don't use a fan; take a sweater off.
Put your PC to sleep. Keep your computer and its monitor in sleep mode rather than leaving them on around the clock. You stand to use 80 percent less electricity, which over the course of a year could have the effect of cutting CO2 emissions by up to 1,250 pounds, according to EPA estimates.
Lower the shades or close the curtains. Especially at night or on really cold days, curtains add an extra layer of insulation to keep those cold drafts out of your room.
Regulate your own temperature. Dress appropriately for the season. Wear sweaters during winter instead of turning up thermostats and using space heaters.
Place furniture efficiently. Don't put heavy objects where they will block heat output. Don't put your desk in a dark corner if you can put it in front of a window.

In the Restrooms:

Lights can be turned off when no one is in the room (unless you are asked to leave them on).
Consider not blow-drying your hair. Maybe a shorter haircut would suit you!

Doing Laundry:

The right size load. Try to fill the washing machine 3/4 full of clothing, not much more or less. This ensures that the machine will not over-consume electricity, and that all of your clothes will be thoroughly cleaned.
Wash clothes in cold water. You might guess that most of the energy used by a washing machine goes into vigorously swishing the clothes around. In fact, about 90% of it is spent elsewhere, heating the water for the load. You can save substantially by washing and rinsing at cooler temperatures. Cold-water detergent will work effectively for just about everything in the hamper, and it's gentler on your clothes.
Don't overdry your laundry. Clothes will need less ironing and hold up better if you remove them from the dryer while they're still just a bit damp.
Don't iron your clothes. Most clothes don't need ironing anyway. This is college. Why dress like an executive?

2007 Tree Planting

In May 2007, the Environmental Task Force and Peace by Peace co-sponsored a tree planting near The College of Wooster Art Museum. Julia Hendrickson shared a handful of photos from the event: