What can you do to promote sustainability?
Students

In Your Residence Hall

• Turn off lights, lamps, computers, printers, TVs, radios, and any other equipment when not in use.
• Nany electronics such as TVs, computers, cell phone chargers, DVD players, etc. still use power (called a “phantom power load”) when they are plugged in. Over the year this may use as much as $15.00 of electricity per appliance.
• Use a desk lamp when you study rather than lighting your entire room.
• If you don’t need your lights, don’t turn them on.
• Use Compact Fluorescent Lights. If your lamp has an incandescent light bulb, replace it with a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL), which uses about 25% of the energy that incandescent bulbs use.
• Use your air condition sensibly. If it is cooler outside than it is in your room, then you do not need to run the A/C. When you do use the A/C, set it on low, and turn it off when you leave the room.
• Close your windows in the winter! During the winter, don’t open your window to cool your room. If the heater is on, turn it down instead.
• Take shorter showers -- this will save water as well as a remarkable amount of energy required to heat water.
• Wash clothes only when they need to be washed and then run only run full loads. Use cold or warm water instead of hot, which will save on energy. Hang dry your clothes as much as possible. To get that stiff feeling out, throw your clothes in the dryer for five minutes.
• Report all maintenance problems in a timely manner. Keep bathroom fixtures from dripping and report those that do.

When You Are At Home

• Turn off lights, lamps, computers, printers, TVs, radios, and any other equipment when not in use.
• Unplug electronics such as TVs, computers, cell phone chargers, etc. If you have a second refrigerator, consolidate food into one refrigerator and unplug the other.
• If you don’t need lights, don’t turn them on.
• Study by a lamp instead of lighting an entire room.
• Replace frequently used bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs).
• When it is cooler than 80°F outside, open two windows, one at the highest point of your house and the other on the shady side of the ground floor. This will create a natural airflow through your house. Cover your south-facing windows with light colored shades or blinds to reduce solar heat gain.
• Ceiling fans use only about as much electricity as a light bulb, or about two percent of the electricity of a central air system.
• If the heat and humidity is too much to be handled through natural ventilation, then the air conditioner should be used. Set the temperature to 78°F and close all windows. Make sure that you turn the A/C off or set the temperature higher when you leave the house.
• Use a programmable thermostat! This will avoid running the A/C or heat during the day when nobody is home.
• During the winter, set your thermostat to 68°F. Set it cooler at night and when nobody is home. Make sure windows, doors, and any other openings are shut tightly; if you feel cool air coming in from outdoors, fix it!
• Insulate! During winter or summer, insulation will protect you from wasting energy.
• Try to take shorter showers. This saves water and the energy required to heat bath water.
• Try to wash dishes by hand when possible. If you have to use the washing machine, set it to the low power and low water modes and only use it when it is full.
• Wash clothes only when they need to be washed and then only run full loads. Use cold or warm water instead of hot, which will save on energy. Hang dry your clothes as much as possible.
• Water outdoor plants only when necessary and only during the cool part of the morning. When you water during the hottest part of the day, 90% of the water can be lost through evaporation.
• Set your lawnmower to the highest setting to keep your grass longer. Doing so keeps the soil shaded which prevents moisture from evaporating and keeps the grass healthier.

When You Are Commuting

• Take public transit whenever possible: trains and busses require much less energy per person than a single-occupancy automobile.
• Ride a bike if you can do so safely. The bicycle iss the most energy efficient form of personal transportation.
• Drive less: consolidate your trips and lower your speed. Even if you get 30-40 miles per gallon, you still burn gas by driving. Plan trips and errands to make each trip most productive.
• Accelerate gently because it takes a great deal of energy to rapidly accelerate a car.
• Most vehicles get the best gas mileage around 55 mph, so try to drive the speed limit! Every mile per hour above 55 requires increasingly more fuel.
• Inflate your tires to the maximum PSI listed on the sidewall of the tire instead of what is listed by your auto manufacturer. The ride might be a bit stiffer than before, but you will have much less rolling resistance.
• Changing your oil, replacing the air filter, and doing all the other recommended maintenance will keep your car running efficiently and help it last longer. Washing and waxing even helps cut down wind resistance, but do not wash your car during drought conditions.