April 22, 2008
Happy Earth Day!
The first Earth Day occurred on April 22, 1970. Initiated by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, the purpose of Earth Day was to foster a healthy, sustainable environment. Over 20 million people across the nation participated that year. Currently, Earth Day is observed each year by more than 500 million people and over 175 countries.
CLAS joins this celebration by offering a few ideas and resources to encourage sustainable practices within our college. We also will periodically offer tips in the Deans’ notes, and we are considering developing an incentive program. We welcome your suggestions.
Energy Saving Tips at Work
-- Lights
Turn off lights in any room when lights are no longer needed.
Use the dual switching feature of office lighting. If lighting on both switches is more than you need switch one off.
Make a sign for inside the front door that says, “last one out turns off the lights.” Source: Greenpeace
-- Computers and Monitors
Use the Energy Saving features in the Control Panel Display setup to disable your screen saver and configure your monitor to turn off after 15 minutes, hard drives to turn off after 30 minutes and enable your system to go into standby mode after 1 hour.
Servers should not be turned off, however; the monitor is rarely used and can be turned off.
If your computer does not have energy saving features turn off your monitor when idle for an extended period of time.
Purchase equipment with the EPA Energy Star label.
-- Personal Dress
Wear clothing appropriate to the season and weather – lightweight clothing in summer and warmer clothes in winter.
Wear layers so you can adapt to varying conditions in your workspace and still be comfortable.
-- Doors
Vestibule doors should not be propped open and should always close and latch behind you.
-- Windows
In winter, drapes or blinds should be open when windows are in direct sunlight or you are using the daylight, and closed otherwise.
During summer, close drapes or blinds to prevent direct sunlight from entering the room.
Try not to use windows for temperature control.
-- Exhaust Fans
Turn off small exhaust fans when they are not needed.
Close laboratory fume hood doors whenever the hood is not being used (and whenever possible, even during use).
-- Maintenance
Notify Building Maintenance and Operations [contact info for UCD?] if your work area is overheated in the winter or overcooled in summer.
Do not habitually open a window to get rid of excess heat in the winter.
For more information, please consult the UCD Environmental Awareness Website.
Energy saving tips at work [source: Greenpeace]
-- Paper
What you can do to save paper and trees:
Photocopy or print on both sides of the page and reuse paper until both sides are used up.
Reduce the number of copies of any given document.
Buy recycled, chlorine-free paper and recycle office paper when you are finished with it.
Reuse envelopes.
Use a plain paper fax machine so you can reuse and recycle the paper.
Buy a permanent cloth or mesh coffee filter instead of disposable paper filters.
Buy one copy of the news-paper and leave it in the staff room for everyone to share over lunch and breaks.
Think twice before printing emails.
Greenpeace’s Top Three Ways to Green Your Work Life: Part I
Source: Greenpeace
Say goodbye to bottled water
Go waste-free (drink beverages from reusable cups; bring your lunch in a reusable container)
Get there green (walk; bicycle; use public transportation; carpool; use fuel efficient vehicles; practice fuel efficient driving)
Also see Part II
Tips for Home
Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings
IN THIS ISSUE:
Earth Day Edition
ARCHIVES:
Past issues since Jan 21, 2007.
USEFUL LINKS:
CLAS Event Calendar
CLAS News
Faculty Resources
Staff Resources
Campus News
The CLAS Deans' Notes is a weekly newsletter
for college faculty and staff.
EDITOR:
Katy Brown
303.556.6663
Katy.Brown @cudenver.edu