Washington College

George Goes Green


Green Living

Green Living

Green living: pledge flags, sea level rise marker, and EnviroPanel discussion. George Goes Green

G3 2007

The second George Goes Green competition began with a variety of energy conservation approaches. George Goes Green

G3 2006

Students, faculty, and staff devised creative ways to conserve energy as part of the first George Goes Green competition.

George Gets Ingenious

Congratulations to Jake Deal for the winning George Gets Ingenious 2008 entry!

Dining Services as well as the Environmental Studies and Biology Department could begin to grow our own food. This could be done in gardens on campus or we could try to do so in conjunction with a nearby farm. As long as the farm isn't too far away, the fossil fuels burned in transportation would be kept to a minimum. Growing crops would be organic (granted there are no pesticides or artificial enhancers applied to the crops) as well as non-processed. This would provide a healthy alternative to food offered in the dining hall as well as a vegetarian option. The waste could also be composted and used as a fertilizer on the gardens.
From a financial standpoint, this would help cut costs for food that we have to bring in from other farms or purchase in bulk. This would also provide more opportunities for student employment as well as other areas for the Biology/Env. Studies departments to explore and have hands on experience. The money saved in the long run could be put towards more Green Projects for the school, such as solar panels on dormitories or department buildings. Also, the money the school saves could be allotted to pay the theoretical student or staff workers that would maintain and harvest the crops.
This has proved to be effective in eating healthier, going greener, and saving money. My father has installed several beds in his backyard and frontyard where he grows nearly all the vegetables he needs. This allows him to save money at the grocery store as well as eating delicious home-grown herbs and vegetables. While this is on a smaller scale, the idea could be applied to Washington College and also encourage sustainability.

When we evaluate the entries, we consider these criteria:

With that said, what is sustainability?

The most common definition comes from the UN World Commission on Environment and Development, otherwise known as the Brundtland Commission, from which we derive most of our ideas on sustainability. In 1983 they defined sustainable development as "[meeting] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

But what does this mean at Washington College? The college has overlooked the Chester River for over 200 years, and with careful management, can stand for 200 more. This can mean a number of things, from reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, to buying locally in order to support our local economy and community. It also may mean building a community at the college that supports its members- faculty and staff, students and alumni- to provide a social environment in which we can all live, learn, and grow.

One of the overarching principles of sustainability is the emphasis on balancing environmental, economic, and cultural needs in the community. Educating for a sustainable future calls for integrating knowledge from many disciplines so students have the tools to be decision-makers and stewards of a sustainable world.

Check out this year's other great entries!

See last year's entries.

Daniel Goodman '09
I believe a great way to help sustain the campus and inevitably save money would be to limit the use of paper towels in all campus bathrooms by adding energy efficient (and more sterile) electric hand dryers. Lets face it... by the end of the weekend the garbage can in the bathroom is overflowing with paper towels, multiply that by the number of students on campus and prospective students and it's quite a wasteful mess. Electric hand dryers are not prevalent enough in the dorms where most students make use off the bathroom. They cost less money to operate per month than the cost of a box full of paper towels and are enviro-friendly. That is my idea.

Laura Johnstone Wilson, Coordinator of Campus Events
I would like to designate a small area of campus...could even be the Lamotte Property (but that is rather large) as a NO MOW area.
I suggest we buy a portable, solar fence with the $250.00 prize money and I can bring in my three sheep to range the area as a trial. If this works, we can increase the spaces and the sheep.
Also, everyone that uses Washington College email should place the following note at the end of their email...
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

Jason Rubin, Associate Professor of Drama
Because water tends to flow to the south on campus, perhaps we could create a pond near the Toll Science Building and use the water for irrigation. Perhaps all water run off (including from downspouts) could be channeled to the pond.
What if the pond were a miniature wetlands with Eastern shore grasses?

Samantha Bulkilvish '09
Although I have many ideas for a more sustainable campus the ideas I am going to present are all related to the temporary dining hall. Many of these ideas can be carried over once the new dining hall is complete.
My first suggestion would be to fit the temporary dining hall with rain water collection bins. The rainwater can be used to rinse the dishes before they are put into the sanitizing machine. The rainwater collected can also be used to irrigate the grass they will have planted after construction is completed. These bins would also be useful because they would help cut down on the flooding campus sees after a heavy down pour. I feel that rainwater collection bins can easily be added to any building on campus and would help cut down on our water use even if we just used the water to flush the toilets. Using rainwater cuts down on the water bill and minimizes runoff.
Secondly since space will be limited in the temporary dining hall many people will probably wind up using take out containers. We throw out so many of the Styrofoam boxes currently in use; I cannot even imagine how many we would use next year. The solution to this problem would be to invest in some reusable containers. Each person could be given one at the beginning of the year and would receive some kind of incentive each time they brought it into the dining hall. They could have a sticker on the bottom and every 10 times the sticker was marked they could get a coupon for Rita's Italian Ice or a coffee at Play It Again Sam's. If anyone ever needed to wash their container out and had nowhere else to do it they could get it washed out in the dining hall. This would cut down on our waste greatly and the incentives would make using a reusable container worth the trouble of transporting it around campus.
Lastly I believe composting should become more of an integral part of a Washington College student's life. The first step in this direction would be to set up a display in the dining hall in plain sight to demonstrate what to compost and how the process works. The display can consist of three clear bins. The first would show all the compostable materials the dining hall has. The second would be filled with half decomposed organic material and the last would be the finished product, rich dark soil. Providing a visual will help people to understand the importance of composting and will enable them to do it correctly. The second step would be to make it physically easier for people to compost by providing a compost bin, along with a trash bin and recycle bin next to the tray return so that the students and everyone else eating in the dining hall feels they have a part in recycling the waste that comes out of the dining hall. Giving these types of options will reduce the waste that comes out of food services dramatically.
Waste reduction and recycling are a huge part of having a sustainable campus and I believe each of my ideas has covered these points. Whatever happens I hope some of these ideas will seriously be thought over and be put into effect.

Melody Warner '08
My idea for how the campus can save a lot of energy is by greening all the bathrooms in the dorms and offices. There are many steps that could be taken to reduce energy use.

  1. Upgrade all the toilets on campus to 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush) models. Although I do not know what kinds of toilets the campus has (despite investigating), there are many different types, which use different amounts of water. Upgrading from a 3.5 gpf to a 1.6 gpf will reduce one person's annual water use from 27,300 gallons to 12,500 gallons. If the school lacks the funds to replace the necessary toilets, retrofits could be bought that would cost less and would reduce water use.
  2. There are urinals in some dorms, such as the hill dorms. These could be replaced by urinals from The Waterless Company, which uses a special trap with a lightweight biodegradable oil that allows water and urine to go through and prevents odors. These use no water! They can save up to 45,000 gallons per year per urinal. Retrofits can be bought for urinals as well if replacing proves to be too expensive.
  3. Everyone has heard of the, "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down." I suggest designating one stall on the floor of every dorm and office to be the 'only flush when necessary' toilet. By putting a sign on the stall, this allows students to know what the special stall is, and allows them to use the other stalls if they do not want to use the designated toilet for not always flushing. There is no way to tell how much water this method would save, but it would at least cut the number of flushes in half for the designated toilets.
  4. All of the campus bathrooms should be outfitted with motion sensors that turn the lights on when someone walks in, like those in Goldstein and Smith. This would save a lot of energy from the bathroom lights being on all day and all night.
  5. Installing foot controlled faucets for all of the bathrooms would have the convenience of being hands free, as well as allowing water to run only when it is actually being used. This would prevent many people from leaving the water on while brushing their teeth, or forgetting to turn the faucet off. It also has the added benefit of not spreading germs through the knobs that are now used to turn on the water.
  6. Hand dryers could be installed in all of the bathrooms. Though this does use up some energy, it would eliminate the need for paper towels. This would save the energy used to cut down trees and process them into paper towels, as well as keep the bathrooms cleaner, and save some of the energy of the cleaning ladies! The Xlerator, by Excel Dryer, dries hands in 10-15 seconds, uses 80% less energy than traditional hand dryers, and has a 95% cost savings over paper towels.

In conclusion, though these ideas may be costly to implement, they will be sure to save money and energy in the long run.

John MacLellan '10
My idea for a more sustainable campus would be the creation of a bike rental system to cut down on pollution and local traffic. By offering free bikes to students, they are much more likely to travel through town for entertainment, venturing to the water, or even to Rock Hall for a day trip without the use of car or creation of pollution. Much like the student center, students could swap their ids for bikes to travel around campus and town. Who could resist such a fun opportunity?
Additionally, bike riding is great exercise (good cardio and easy on the joints) and will promote the physical health of the student body. With rising gas prices, there is great incentive to participate in this program and I feel that if promoted, the program would have everlasting benefits for the Chestertown environment and the Washington College student body.

Annie Coleman, Executive Asst. to the President
My idea may be small potatoes at Washington College but I just learned about a large company in Chicago that has discontinued providing paper cups for their employees to use at the six coffee stations that are available in their firm. This came as the result of realizing that the company spent $41,000 last year on drinking cups alone. In an attempt to "save the landfill" each employee is now required to bring their own coffee mug or do without the beverage. I know it is not possible to eliminate paper products from the dining hall but if every employee would use their own ceramic cup or mug at their workstation instead of disposable containers, it could have a major impact over time.

Kate Goldberg, Director of Advancement Services
Create Rain Gardens around the major buildings and collect the gutter water into barrel cisterns that B&G could use to water the gardens when needed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_garden

Ian Jacobs '08
I was thinking about biofuels and how oil has become a large issue when it comes to the environment and sustainability. I believe that creating less harmful and generally more efficient fuel would be a worthwhile endeavor. If I'm not mistaken, the chemistry department has already done some work in creating biofuel. It would be interesting to take this so far as to be able to use biofuels on campus. Granted, this would take lots of time, money, and commitment, but I don't believe it is unreasonable. I always notice the green gators and other carts going around campus. If we could either make them compatible with more 'green' fuels, or use other vehicles that are compatible, this would cut down on pollution and make the campus less dependent on oil.

Jim Allison, Director of Career Development

  1. Since most faculty and staff (and many lounges and meeting rooms) have lamps - the College could give every faculty and staff member an eco-friendly long life lightbulb (one of the 7 year bulbs). This will cost us up front - but will save energy and money over time.
  2. Provide housekeeping with 2 separate bins (large receptacles with wheels one blue one for recyclables only) when making the rounds of office collecting trash very early in the morning. Are we certain that the trash is being separated from paper/recyclables? Has every faculty/staff been provided a small blue or green can or bin specifically for recyclables in their offices? I had to go pick mine up and I would certainly use a smaller blue can to separate paper out especially if it were being sorted early every morning.
  3. Have a place on campus to bring recyclables - common spot - I think this exists beside HR - however this is hard for some to get to (it looked locked on Saturday).

Wayne McGuire, Lecturer
"Rails To Trails" is the next innovative step in greening Campus. Rails to Trails can be an ongoing Permaculture project, a "Living classroom", integrating Native plants and fruit trees, composting and organic stewardship, gardening, fresh green "grazing gardens," wildlife studies and bird watching, an outdoor paradise and laboratory combined.
Initially Rails to Trails can directly link Washcoll campus to the Chester River Waterfront, and boatshed, and to the new Already Green newest section of Campus, on Radcliffe creek, north of 291. Rails to Trails IS one alternative to burning fossil fuels. It is the model for green transportation.
Rails to Trails is a fresh air jogging/walking/bicycling/commuting track away from traffic with some natural shade. There is potential to follow the old tracks and expand out to Worton. Washcoll might acquire a country farm property along the way and continue extending the green campus concept into a more rural setting. Imagine a country setting with passive solar dwellings and organic gardens grown by the students themselves, linked to the town by a lovely blooming Rails to Trails Permaculture corridor.
Nature deprivation is a common ailment in our modern world. No matter how green we make the buildings, they are still indoors. No matter how efficient our cars, they are still cars. Rails to Trails has something to offer everyone.

Lindsay Koenig '08
I'm the RA for Minta Martin 1st Floor. It seemed that a lot of recyclable items were ending up in the trash on my hall. I thought maybe it was because people would throw away their bottles and cans along with the rest of their trash in their personal trash cans, and then not feel like sorting out the recyclables when they went to empty their trash into the large trash bins in the hallway.
So I counted the recyclables that went out last week- there were 68. Then I provided each of the rooms on my hall with a small trash can specifically for their recyclables, so they could be sorted out as they were used. In addition, I posted a few signs to remind everyone to recycle. I just counted the recyclables for this week, and there were 140- we more than doubled our recycling rate.
So I'd like to suggest that we provide each student room with its own small recycling can to increase recycling habits and reduce waste.
I've attached photos of the small recycling bins and signs I made. (available on the George Goes Green Blog)

Kelly Topita '11
My ideas to promote sustainability on campus have to do with how students do their laundry. If retractable clothes lines were installed in the laundry rooms, or at least if dryer racks were strongly recommended on the list of things to bring to school with you, I think it would make an impact on the amount of energy used to run the dryers. The student incentive to use such devices would be to save $1.25 every time they didn't have to run the dryers, it adds up.
Also, as a freshman, I feel it would have been helpful for the RA's to explain how the dryers work. Seeing as cold water is sufficient to clean most clothes and it saves the energy to heat the water, it would be helpful for RA's to explain which cycles are appropriate. Obviously, it's important to only run full loads of laundry, but if you don't have a full load, you can combine loads with a friend or roommate or at least remember to use the small load setting.

Pierre Wawrzynowski '11
First, I'm shocked seeing every night the new dorms on the Western Shore lighted! As far as I know, nobody is working from 6.00pm until 6.00am the next morning! There are so many lights! Even in the Gibson Theatre on construction, that's such a waste of electricity, seriously! Without talking about the Atrium (Toll Science). I went to the library tonight, it was stifling! So they put like 5 fans only on the first floor. It might be crazy, but if the library was designed with windows, we could at least have opened them. We should have the same bins as in the Atrium in every building, so we would recycle more. I know that in France when I was in high school, we did like for instance, one hour without using electricity, computer or anything once a month. No one is going to die if we don't check our email for one hour. We definitely have to save our environment. The Chesapeake Bay is such a beautiful landscape. We can organize at WAC one afternoon where we would pick up waste on campus.

Sarah Feyerherm, Director Student Development Programs
To follow the lead of some of the "best organizations/companies to work for" I would propose that faculty/staff members who walk/bike or otherwise propel themselves to work without the use of fossil fuels could accumulate "Frequent Flier" miles which they could then use for free meals at the Dining Hall. We might also be able to do this for students who live off campus and aren't on the meal plan.
Perhaps for every mile you walk you get 50 cents toward a free lunch (so every 8 miles results in a free lunch - based on the $4 staff cost for lunch). For biking, it might be for every 5 miles you get 50 cents credit. Obviously this would have to work on the honor system as far as earning credits. And perhaps there could be other incentives. For people who bike, they could accumulate enough miles to get a free tune-up on their bike at the bike shop (we'd have to work that out with Wayne down at Bikework, but still a possibility!). For people who live far away, they could still get "miles" if they don't drive all the way to work and walk or ride the rest of the way and if people car pool, we could figure out a system for them to accumulate miles too.

Butch Coleman, Buildings & Grounds
Just get people to turn off their lights when leaving the room. Nobody turns off lights at Washington College.

Carol Thornton, College Nurse
My idea to promote sustainability on campus for the George Gets Ingenious contest is to build several bike shelters at key locations on campus. Students would be more likely to use bikes if the college provided shelter from the elements and easy access. A reduction in car use means less fuel consumption which equates to saved energy. Fewer cars would also mean reduced gas emissions, therefore, cleaner air. A decrease in the number of cars would also equate to less space having to be black topped for parking, therefore creating a greener campus.

Laura Johnstone Wilson and Shirley Loller, Secretary, Dean's Office
There are currently 31 standing Eastern Springs water cooler units on the Washington College campus. Many of these coolers have on demand hot and cold water features. These units provide cold water for drinking and also provide the water for coffee pots. In our office we fill a container with the cooled water in the evening to allow the water to come to room temperature and then pour the room temperature water in the coffee machine in the morning to be heated. It is likely most offices do not do this extra step. Most offices use the cooled water from the cooler and then heat the water for coffee – using twice the amount of energy needed. Our suggestion is that all the water cooler units be unplugged leaving the water at room temperature – neither hot nor cold. If an individual needs cold water, they could fill a reusable water bottle and keep in the refrigerator during the day (most offices have individual refrigerators and microwaves).
From our best estimate, these coolers consume 100 watts per hour of energy per day, costing the college $.24 per day times 31 coolers on campus. $.24 times 31 coolers equals $7.44 per day times 30 days equals $223.20 per month times twelve equals $2,678.40 minimum yearly savings. If unplugged, they would save at a minimum $2.678.40 (we estimated low) plus the additional cost of reheating the water for coffee.

Terry Scout, Professor of Business Management
I notice that several WC athletic teams, fraternities, and sororities participate in the clean-up a highway program. The name of each group that participates is prominently displayed on a sign which signifies which area of the highway they are responsible for cleaning.
Why not do the same thing on campus?
The campus could be divided into "equal" areas based on size, usage, and the amount of trash generated using a baseline developed by B&G. An athletic team, sorority, fraternity, or any student group could then volunteer to keep that area clean of trash and debris. Each group's area could be marked similar to the highway program and noted in The Elm. On a regular basis (once a month, week or day) the area could be checked by an impartial judge who would rate the cleanliness of the area. Prizes, even if just simple recognition in The Elm or on the website, could be awarded to the group that had the cleanest area.

Mike, Tracy and Brook Davenport
Meal plans allow Washington College students to take as much food as they would like in the cafeteria. Before the students leave the cafeteria, they just place whatever they take and don't eat on the conveyer belt and it magically disappears. The problem is, the wasted food represents many wasted resources, such as the cost of fuel and labor to make and transport the food. There are also many families (even in our own area) who could benefit from the food that is wasted.
In order to bring awareness to the situation, and help change the wasteful behavior, we are proposing that wasted food is collected for one day (have the students scrape their plates into a trash can before they place their plates on the conveyer belt). Then, the food in the trash can will be weighed. This amount of waste will be advertised throughout the cafeteria, along with facts about what resources were wasted when the food was thrown away. The food could then be weighed once a week for the following month, with the hopes of decreasing waste.

John A. Wagner, Director of Waterfront Activities
I have two submissions. One idea, and one project that will be completed Wednesday.

  1. Idea: The "G3" logo design as displayed on the website could be produced in sticker form (several different sizes) to be attached to any surface as a reminder to save energy. Small ones could be attached to light switches, smaller ones at the top of your computer screen as a reminder to put your Mac to sleep. I would put one on the sailing classroom door, as the sailors always leave the door open in cold weather. Stick one on your dashboard to remind you that driving 55 is thrifty. Put one anywhere as a reminder that WE are individually responsible for our home on earth, and need to be reminded to live wisely.
  2. Project: The Washington College Boathouse Goes Solar. By noon on Wednesday, the hot water heater at the boathouse will have a solar pre-heater up and running. The 2 day project at a cost of less than $90.00 will pre-heat ground water before it is fed into the conventional electric hot water heater. How it works: Normally, when you use hot water, the water used is replaced by town water, or well water, which is on average about 55'. The cold water activates the heating elements to bring the tank back up to temperature. My pre-heater simply feeds that 55' water in a black 40gal. tank on the roof and pre-heats it before entering the water heater. On a warm summer day, the pre-heater will reach temperatures as high as the water heater (120'). In this case, the hot water is free with no electric cost. On cooler days, say a sunny spring 60' day, the pre-heater will elevate temps from 55 to possibly 75'-80' allowing the electric heater to work less to regain normal tank temps.

I have made one of these before, and know the temperatures stated can be achieved. The $90.00 invested will be saved this summer in electric savings, and the tank will last for decades. Stop by the boathouse and take a look.

Alex Otto '11

Jenifer Endicott, Administrative Asst., Custom House
To save on mowing, plant ground coverings where there is presently grass, especially in small spaces where it is tedious to mow anyway.
As a matter of course, plant a tree every month somewhere on campus.
To cut down on using air conditioning, install screens in windows and make sure all windows are operable.
Have a "lights out" night at least once a month all over campus. Obviously, we don't want anyone's safety compromised, but if there could be a night once a month when a minimum amount of lights were on all over campus, it would be a nod in the right direction.
Or maybe a night of no TV, radio, or computers... a night to read or talk instead.

Laura Human '08
I couldn't just pick one idea because it seems that it is easier said than done when it comes down to finding the time and the money for many projects. Instead, I'm presenting you with a list of things small things that I've noticed over my four years that could stand to be changed, either now or they can be possibilities for the future. These things may not get us recognized for being awesomely green, but will save money, increase student participation, and overall make it easier for people to make more eco-friendly decisions and reduce our WC ecological footprint!

  1. Sustainability coordinator- Could be a CES intern who would do many of the listed things.
  2. Computers in class rooms tend to be left on overnight. There could be signs posted above the computer in classrooms that say when/who the last person in the room is. Sustainability coordinator coordinates this each semester to keep them up to date.
  3. Turn off stock ticker in GIS room…it runs 24/7 and often with week old news.
  4. Punch cards in the student center…every time you bring a reusable mug you get a stamp on your card. Ten punches equals a free coffee or muffin or prize.
  5. Have recycling coordinator put signs above bins with recycling rules (a lot of people don't know that lids need to be taken off, etc).
  6. "Green" something during student orientation for the break out peer mentor groups service project days.
  7. Provide catering with a compost bucket and someone to take it out (I'm a caterer, and we waste A LOT).
  8. Unplug the western shore common room TV's and refrigerators over winter break.
  9. Put a paper recycling bin outside of the DH. (everyone goes there everyday unlike the CAC or library). The recycling coordinator would take care of taking this out.
  10. Encourage professors not to print packets of assigned reading.
  11. Green cleaning products (I know people have been trying already and that it's not easy- but housekeeping is really efficient and does a lot of cleaning so we should keep trying).
  12. Give each freshman an energy saving lightbulb for the extra desk lamps that they bring because people tend to leave these on. This will save the school money!
  13. "Green" night of the month in the dining hall- all organic food.
  14. Motion detector lights in dorm bathrooms. I lived in Minta for three years and those lights were always on.
  15. At the end of the year collect stuff to give away and encourage students not to fill up dumpsters. This could be something that a sorority or a sports team could head up.
  16. Women in need clothing drive at the end of the year- once again something a student group could head up.
  17. When couches in the western shore dorm are replaced in the next year or two- we could try to recycle them.
  18. The western shore carpet is also likely getting replaced soon too, so can it be made of some sort of recycled material?
  19. Posters in the bathrooms reminding students to turn off water when brushing teeth and washing face as well as above washing machines to encourage students to use cold water (these could be nice laminated ones made by the sustainability coordinator or SEA). I'm always surprised by how many students leave the water running- even bio majors don't get it!
  20. Advertise the Rideboard created by OIT
  21. Encourage professors to require students to turn in double sided papers
  22. Wrap cove sandwiches in something other than 2 square feet of plastic.
  23. Have either two student recycling coordinators or one that really has time to commit
  24. Work with Beth Anne to get Greeks involved in a green service project
  25. Do library computers ever get shut down? Have the library employees begin to shut them down as the day slows down.

Brittany Dunbar '11
As a human society, we are literally preparing for the end of our civilization. We live in such a fast past, get-it-done-now kind of world that nobody takes the time to care about the damage we are causing to our only Earth. The fact that there is a pile of trash floating in the ocean one third of the size of the United States just shows how lazy and incompetent our society is. To clean up what is already there could take decades and by that time the quantity of trash will have nearly doubled. The best solution is to start at the source of the problem: the people. Plastic is so easily obtained that the common person doesn't worry with reusing simple items such as water bottles. It is far too common that recycling is seen as a nuisance, which is why reusable items end up on the street, in the trash, or in sewer drains that eventually lead to the ocean. If recycle pickup were as mandatory as trash pickup, the amount of waste produced each year would be dramatically decreased, thus cutting down on our fifty first state of trash.
At Washington College, there is no reason any person should not be recycling. There are designated bins in every building on this campus. It is irritating to walk out of my room and see stacks of paper and water bottles galore thrown into a garbage can when there is a recycling container less than a foot away. I propose that there be not one, but two recycling bins for every one trashcan on this campus. The more the idea of reusing is forced into a person's mind, the more likely they are to conform. As stated there are recycling bins inside but there are a minimal amount for outside use which gives an excuse for people not to recycle because they use what is convenient at the time which is more often than not a garbage can. I also recommend encouraging students to bring two wastebaskets with them for their dorm. This enforces the idea that one should be for recycling. It adds convenience but also promotes a great way to help the environment.
If every person in the Washington College community either reused or recycled at least three items per day, the output would come close to having recycled 200,000 different items per month. These things will not only be converted back into goods without wasting more, but it will keep those things from being thrown into the garbage and harming the environment. The best solution is to prevent more from being added to the problem and instill good habits in our community. What a better time to start than right now, and where better than at Washington College, where George is going green.

Shane Brill, Web Editor
In moving toward a more sustainable campus, we must nurture a culture in which individual and institutional choices are informed by quantifiable outcomes. To that end, I performed an energy audit of Bunting Hall—the epicenter of campus administration—to help establish a baseline by which the building (and the campus as a whole) can take steps toward greater energy efficiency.
Based on my findings, I have developed a list of suggestions prioritized by ease of implementation and scope of impact for Bunting Hall. This set of recommendations may be used as a starting point for calibrating goals for other structures across campus. The complete audit will showcase the energy use of over 200 devices ranging from paper shredders to computers to water coolers, and it can be previewed at http://news.washcoll.edu/events/2008/04/energyaudit/.

  1. Limit small printer use to two hours daily / turn large printers off at night
    Five-year savings: $1685.05
    For smaller printers, limiting use to two hours a day would significantly reduce their energy load. Larger printers and copiers used by multiple individuals could be turned off nightly, reducing excess heat and eliminating standby electric draw. A comprehensive analysis is available at http://news.washcoll.edu/events/2008/04/energyaudit/printers/.
  2. Install motion sensor lights in hallways and stairwells.
    Initial cost: $200; Five-year savings: $1640
    At present, fluorescent tube and candelabra incandescent lights consuming a total of 1.84 kilowatt hours illuminate three hallways (top floor: 600w; bottom floor: 720w; stairwell: 520w). These lights are routinely left on during nights and weekends—at least 40 hours each week by conservative estimates. At $0.10/kWh, the lighting costs the College a minimum of $7.36 per week, or over $368 per year. A one-time investment of seven motion-activated light switches (three upstairs, two in stairwell, and two downstairs) would pay for itself within a year and have the benefit of enhancing awareness of when electricity is being used.
  3. Set desktop computers to hibernate for 30 minutes daily / unplug laptop chargers nightly
    Five-year savings: $200.40
    Because desktop computers draw power when turned off, energy conservation results from setting them to sleep or hibernate during periods of inactivity throughout the day. In contrast, laptops can save more energy when unplugged overnight to avoid the standby loss from unnecessary charging. In Bunting, 71 CPUs, laptops, and monitors were measured—with data for each type of equipment available at http://news.washcoll.edu/events/2008/04/energyaudit/computers/.

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