2008 Woodie Awards
Student organization strives to make UWT greener
Arabie Jaloway
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A University of Washington Tacoma student organization
is doing its part to combat global climate change by
challenging the University to take “greener” methods in
its operations.
Project Earth, UWT’s environmental student organization,
recently held a discussion about the global warming
crisis, and outlined several simple strategies to reduce our
individual and collective impact on the environment. One
measure of this impact is a “carbon footprint;” the amount
of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, individually or collectively produced. Project Earth suggests helpful strategies for reducing both.
For campus-wide solutions, Project Earth is circulating
a petition suggesting a few key changes. This petition
requires at least 100 student signatures before being
considered by the administration. If adopted, the changes
suggested would lead to a considerable reduction in energy
and water usage by the University as a whole.
“Thirty-two percent of all energy use for University
buildings goes toward space heating,” said Lindsay
France, Project Earth president. “This could be drastically
reduced by installing controls to reduce off-hour heating
and by reducing thermostat settings in overheated buildings.
“Lighting and water heating make up 46 percent of the remaining energy use on campus. This
could be controlled by reducing lighting
loads, incorporating daylighting systems,
replacing inefficient fixtures and appliances,
and making use of solar water
heating systems. Water, another finite and irreplaceably precious resource, can be
conserved by installing low-flow faucets,
showerheads and toilets on campus.”
Project Earth also advocates the
University’s acceptance of the Campus
Climate Challenge, a project of more
than 30 leading youth organizations
throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“[The movement] has already been
adopted on a number of local campuses,
including UW Seattle, Evergreen
State College, Western Washington
University, Pacific Lutheran University
and Whitman College,” France said.
Participating campuses are challenged
to reduce their carbon footprint to zero
by upgrading efficiency, building smarter,
using clean renewable power sources,
providing better transportation solutions
to student, and creating a campus culture
of conservation.
For more information, and to sign
the Sustainability Petition, Contact
Project Earth.
is doing its part to combat global climate change by
challenging the University to take “greener” methods in
its operations.
Project Earth, UWT’s environmental student organization,
recently held a discussion about the global warming
crisis, and outlined several simple strategies to reduce our
individual and collective impact on the environment. One
measure of this impact is a “carbon footprint;” the amount
of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, individually or collectively produced. Project Earth suggests helpful strategies for reducing both.
For campus-wide solutions, Project Earth is circulating
a petition suggesting a few key changes. This petition
requires at least 100 student signatures before being
considered by the administration. If adopted, the changes
suggested would lead to a considerable reduction in energy
and water usage by the University as a whole.
“Thirty-two percent of all energy use for University
buildings goes toward space heating,” said Lindsay
France, Project Earth president. “This could be drastically
reduced by installing controls to reduce off-hour heating
and by reducing thermostat settings in overheated buildings.
“Lighting and water heating make up 46 percent of the remaining energy use on campus. This
could be controlled by reducing lighting
loads, incorporating daylighting systems,
replacing inefficient fixtures and appliances,
and making use of solar water
heating systems. Water, another finite and irreplaceably precious resource, can be
conserved by installing low-flow faucets,
showerheads and toilets on campus.”
Project Earth also advocates the
University’s acceptance of the Campus
Climate Challenge, a project of more
than 30 leading youth organizations
throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“[The movement] has already been
adopted on a number of local campuses,
including UW Seattle, Evergreen
State College, Western Washington
University, Pacific Lutheran University
and Whitman College,” France said.
Participating campuses are challenged
to reduce their carbon footprint to zero
by upgrading efficiency, building smarter,
using clean renewable power sources,
providing better transportation solutions
to student, and creating a campus culture
of conservation.
For more information, and to sign
the Sustainability Petition, Contact
Project Earth.
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