Making Occidental College more environmentally friendly is not just about policy change, it is also about teaching students new sustainable behaviors. One activity that can be modified in a green way is doing laundry. This is an activity that every student at Occidental participates in about twice a month. Doing laundry the green way can reduce the colleges energy and water usage. Here are some simple steps anyone can take to make doing laundry more environmentally friendly.
1. Try to always wash your clothes in cold water. Almost 90 percent of the energy is used to heat up the water (the other 10 percent is used to power the motor of the washing machine).
2. Always wash full loads. There are not different size settings on the washing machines at Oxy, so the same amount of water is used regardless of the amount of clothing. Always washing full loads can reduce the number of times you do laundry and save water.
3. Try air drying your clothes. Line drying will save a lot of energy and will make your clothes last longer. Line drying can also reduce wrinkles. I found a folding rack on target's website for only $ 20.00. For a less expensive method, I just use hangers around my room.
Most of the information I found about green laundry practices came from Pomona Colleges’ website for sustainable living in college. Their college has an excellent program to promote sustainability at an individual level. Each student is able to check out a foldable drying rack, an endless supply energy efficient light bulbs, and a small odorless composter. In terms of encouraging green laundry practices the college recently installed drying racks in every laundry room. While the website does not seem to be functioning many other colleges have started offering students personal foldable drying racks, such as the University of Missouri. Hopefully Oxy students can embrace doing laundry in an environmentally friendly way to help reduce energy use on campus.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Biking!!
In
If short range trips in which travelers currently depend on cars were
accomplished by the use of bicycles, there would be a substantial increase in air quality and a decrease in traffic (California Alliance For Transportation Choices, 2006, p. 1). As one may infer, bicycling does not produce any emissions and preserves very scarce fossil fuels. According to information provided in Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan, every trip that is made by a bicycle will replace two-and-a-half times the amount of energy that is normally consumed by one automobile trip of similar distance, will eliminate “cold start” pollution, and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (2008, p. 42).
The current issue in allowing the outlined results of biking to being achieved is in creating a system that allows bikes to be effectively and safely used. Although strides in the right direction have been made, it is necessary to continue making improvements. To create an effective system that will encourage the use of bicycles, it is necessary to safely increase the number of bike lanes and routes for short distance travel, decrease the current gaps that exist in the biking travel system, and create additional bicycle parking at prime locations (Metro, 2008, p. 42-43). According to Metro’s long range transportation plan, “bicycle parking at employment centers and local destinations will also help reduce the use of cars and the expanding need for costly automobile parking” (2008, p. 43).
Bike Awareness
Towards the end of high school, I had an increasing interest in bicycles stemmed from a social movement in today's youth to ride bikes with fixed gears, or 'fixies'. At some point along the road, these bicycles became a status indicator for the elite, too-cool kids who could not afford a car. As more people began riding them, people who had cars began bicycles instead, not so much because it's environmentally friendly or personally healthy, but because of the social aspect. Though, they probably wouldn't admit to that.
But I digress. The point I'm trying to make is that a general social interest in biking creates a greater awareness as biking as an alternative mode of transportation. People have known for years that cycling is better for the environment and our health, but continue to drive to their community meetings about pollution. It seems that simply knowing isn't enough to motivate people to change. That said, I'd like to examine a couple potential options to foster more of an interest in using bicycles around campus and would
1. BIKE CLUB. Simple as that. When I was a freshman, there was a bike club here at oxy and it was great. We would ride to various events put on by other cyclists throughout LA that included movies at parks, vegan potlucks, and for the truly committed, even a race or two. The bike club was disbanded after the senior who ran it graduated, and sadly, nobody took it upon themselves to keep it going. But the idea of having a social group within Oxy that promotes bike use and connects with an even larger population of bike riders throughout LA would definitely generate interest in the oxy community.
Side note: LA cyclists are very nice people, by the way. I got a flat riding to an event one time and there were 6 people who quickly jumped in and were ready to repair my tire. But they didn't stop at just fixing it. They undid the work and then made me do it myself so I could learn how.
2. More bike racks on campus. I know we already discussed this and it will most likely happen, but I wanted to mention that it can generate more interest in riding bikes and here's why: it sends a message. When I roll up to USC or UCLA, I see rows upon rows of bmx's, track bikes, fixies, and especially beach cruisers. Granted, these campuses are larger and have more students, but at the same time, look at it from the point of someone who does not have a bike there. It brings an awareness of the potential to use a bike as well as the social facilitation in that the person is assured that they won't be "that one kid who rides their bike around campus."
3. Providing students with information regarding local destinations and safe bike routs to them. Nothing beats a handy bike road map if you're trying to get somewhere without having to cross freeways, go through bad parts of town, etc. Plus when students are informed of cool places that are close by and fun to ride to, it provides options for people without cars to explore parts of LA safely and easily. This could be a sort of... add-as-you-go type thing in that as people learn of new cool rides, they could post a description of it, distance, time, difficulty of a ride etc. for others to look at.
Solar: A first-hand experience
As this is my first year at Oxy, I am really pleased to have chosen to attend a college with such an impressive group of students, staff, and faculty dedicated to preserving our earth’s resources and thinking so progressively. One specific project that I am especially impressed and excited about is the pending installation of the solar array. It is also one that I feel I have a personal connection with, for my family’s home is completely outfitted with solar.
In January 2001 there was a program between Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the City of Davis, which allowed for the installation. Fortunately, we also had the right type of roof, and our house was east facing. The State of California was also providing a $3 per watt subsidy, and the system cost $6 per watt, so basically a 50% discount. We put in a two-kilo watt system that took two weeks to install. It provides direct current electricity, so it powers everything on our energy bill.
Before the system was put in, we spent $700 a year on the energy bill, but this past year our bill was -27 dollars. We finished paying off the system one year ago, so now we have completely free electrons! All of the extra energy we produce is put back into the grid, for the whole community to use. Added benefits of the panels, is the ability to use it for science projects, watching the meter run backwards, and learning about alternative energy in general. Our system is in northern California so I can only imagine how much a system in Los Angeles would produce, with this constant sun.
I am very interested in what the subsidies are now for local families that want to put solar on their roof, both through the city and state, because the subsidies 9 years ago were pretty impressive. Even with state's help, the prices of getting a system on roofs has increased as well. If we were to put in an identical system today, it would cost three times the amount.
I hope that the school’s funding issue can be dealt with in some way, because I know that the payoff will most definitely be huge, in addition with all of its added benefits, and serving as a signature to the college. This is all very exciting.
Another issue that I wanted to touch on is the accessibility of recycling bins. I believe that wherever there is a trashcan, there absolutely must be a recycling bin next to it. The majority of the time when someone throws a recyclable away it is due to laziness. But by making a commitment that the bins will always be next to each other, we can increase the chances that that lazy student does not make the mistake.
parking fee
posted on behalf of Derek Mazzeo
Occidental should look into taxing some of the negative environmental
practices of its students, faculty, and staff. Not only does a small
fee deter the use of environmentally unfriendly practices, it can
raise substantial amounts of money towards promoting sustainability.
Although these type of taxes on negative externalities are often
unpopular, many states and localities have used congestion pricing,
tobacco, and alcohol taxes to decrease dangerous or undesirable
behaviors.
I believe the easiest way to institute this type of tax is by
creating a parking fee of $50 per semester for faculty and students.
Traffic congestion is the leading cause of CO2 emissions in the state
of California, and a recent report linked living even near a freeway
as a top cause of asthma. Though reducing Occidental's car use would
make only a small difference, the amount of money raised could be
substantial. If only a quarter of students paid the fee and remained
car dependent, Oxy would generate over $21,000 per-semester on student
fees alone. To make up for the loss of transportation options, the
school could purchase TAP passes (new reusable prepaid bus/subway
passes) for every student encouraging mass transit use and community
engagement. The remainder of the money would be well used in the
sustainability fund but could even go towards financial aid or into
the school's general fund.
Though it may not be the most popular type of policy, it is among the
most effective. If anyone as any suggestions about how get this type
of proposal going please let us know!
Occidental should look into taxing some of the negative environmental
practices of its students, faculty, and staff. Not only does a small
fee deter the use of environmentally unfriendly practices, it can
raise substantial amounts of money towards promoting sustainability.
Although these type of taxes on negative externalities are often
unpopular, many states and localities have used congestion pricing,
tobacco, and alcohol taxes to decrease dangerous or undesirable
behaviors.
I believe the easiest way to institute this type of tax is by
creating a parking fee of $50 per semester for faculty and students.
Traffic congestion is the leading cause of CO2 emissions in the state
of California, and a recent report linked living even near a freeway
as a top cause of asthma. Though reducing Occidental's car use would
make only a small difference, the amount of money raised could be
substantial. If only a quarter of students paid the fee and remained
car dependent, Oxy would generate over $21,000 per-semester on student
fees alone. To make up for the loss of transportation options, the
school could purchase TAP passes (new reusable prepaid bus/subway
passes) for every student encouraging mass transit use and community
engagement. The remainder of the money would be well used in the
sustainability fund but could even go towards financial aid or into
the school's general fund.
Though it may not be the most popular type of policy, it is among the
most effective. If anyone as any suggestions about how get this type
of proposal going please let us know!
Promoting Public Transit at Oxy
When I hear people complain about how they have to stay on campus all of the time because they do not have a car here in LA, I usually tell them about the Gold Line. Very few people know what I am talking about and fewer know that there is a Gold Line pickup on York Ave. A year or so ago I was part of the majority who didn't realize that public transportation was just around the block. This was partially due to the fact that I have had a car on campus since my freshman year so whenever I wanted to go somewhere I hopped in the car like most people in LA. The other factor at play was that I flat out didn't believe that Los Angeles had a public transportation system at all.
After three years on campus, I started taking public transportation, albeit infrequently. So why did it take me so long to access public transportation here in LA? There seem to be a number of reasons that lead to me not using the local public transportation system. One is that I was lead to believe that coming to a campus in LA meant that I would need a car if I wanted to get anywhere and no one told me differently. There also seems to be a lack of education about the access that is near campus. I originally wanted to blame this on Oxy for not making it known that public transport was close by, but they have a link to the MTA in the "Life in LA" section of the school website. It can be found here: http://www.oxy.edu/x2352.xml.
So the information is out there, if you are looking for it, but having information available on public transit is not the same as promoting its use. Part of making people more aware of the public transit available locally will be the cinematic masterpiece released later this semester by Derek, Alex, Derek Inc. As sweet as the movie is sure to be, it will probably not be enough. When I started using public transit in LA, I soon found out that it is not very user friendly.
The Gold Line will take you some places but if you want to go somewhere off its path you'll have to make some transfers and you don't want to be the middle class college kid who winds up in Watts. To avoid this, we will need to educate people on how to use public transit in addition to telling them where to access it. The final hurdle we will have to overcome is the perception that public transit is grimy and dangerous. I'm not gonna lie, I've been on some dirty buses but there are plenty of good examples as well. In order to promote public transit, we will have to overcome stereotypes, give opportunity for access, and educate on how to use it once you access it.
After three years on campus, I started taking public transportation, albeit infrequently. So why did it take me so long to access public transportation here in LA? There seem to be a number of reasons that lead to me not using the local public transportation system. One is that I was lead to believe that coming to a campus in LA meant that I would need a car if I wanted to get anywhere and no one told me differently. There also seems to be a lack of education about the access that is near campus. I originally wanted to blame this on Oxy for not making it known that public transport was close by, but they have a link to the MTA in the "Life in LA" section of the school website. It can be found here: http://www.oxy.edu/x2352.xml.
So the information is out there, if you are looking for it, but having information available on public transit is not the same as promoting its use. Part of making people more aware of the public transit available locally will be the cinematic masterpiece released later this semester by Derek, Alex, Derek Inc. As sweet as the movie is sure to be, it will probably not be enough. When I started using public transit in LA, I soon found out that it is not very user friendly.
The Gold Line will take you some places but if you want to go somewhere off its path you'll have to make some transfers and you don't want to be the middle class college kid who winds up in Watts. To avoid this, we will need to educate people on how to use public transit in addition to telling them where to access it. The final hurdle we will have to overcome is the perception that public transit is grimy and dangerous. I'm not gonna lie, I've been on some dirty buses but there are plenty of good examples as well. In order to promote public transit, we will have to overcome stereotypes, give opportunity for access, and educate on how to use it once you access it.
Schools Providing Reusable Water Bottles
Many schools across the country have begun providing incoming freshman with reusable water bottles during orientation, in order to encourage students to move away from disposable water bottles. These water bottles are either free to students, or highly subsidized.
The following schools provide free water bottles to students:
Brandeis http://www.brandeis.edu/campussustainability/recycling/waterbottle.html
Smith college http://www.smith.edu/news/2007-08/WaterBottle.php
Dickinson College http://www.aashe.org/resources/profiles/cat3_81.php
Pomona http://www.pomona.edu/sustainability/students/firstyear.shtml
University of florida http://www.aashe.org/resources/profiles/cat4_139.php
Carnegie Mellon http://www.aashe.org/resources/profiles/2009/carnegie-mellon-university
Williams College http://www.williams.edu/resources/sustainability/zilkha_initiatives.php?initiative=water_bottles
Syracuse university http://greenuniversecity.syr.edu/University%20Food%20Services.htm
The following schools subsidize the price of reusable water bottles:
Scripps http://clorg.scrippscollege.edu/store/aluminum-bottle.html
Oregon State University Think!BLUE http://gothinkblue.com/
Pacific Lutheran University ($1 each) http://sustainabilityplu.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/plu-featured-as-a-case-study-by-the-national-wildlife-foundation/ (Bottles are sold for $1 in order to increase students ownership over the bottles, in the hopes that this will increase use of reusable bottles, and discourage students wasting them)
Pacific union college
These lists aren't as big as I had initially thought they would be, however many schools that do not give free/subsidized water bottles to students are engaging in programs such as "Take Back the Tap" (http://takebackthetap.org/) in order to eliminate bottled water use on campuses.
Looking to the Future -- Student Lead Sustainability at Oxy
As many classmates have noted, the establishment of the Sustainability House this semester marks an important turning point for green culture at Oxy. My hope is, however, that in months (and years) to come the house can become a student-lead hub for not only for sustainable practices, but for the progressive culture of Occidental College as a whole. Taking cues from places like the LA Eco Village and Wanna Start a Commune, the Sustainability House could become a hub for a variety of progressive topics pertaining to Occidental and Los Angeles.
While living on campus at Oxy has a very insular feel, the members of the Sustainability House have been thrust (albeit only a block or two) into the neighborhood and are therefore in a unique position to act as liaisons between the progressive community of Los Angeles and Occidental. Much like the LA Eco Village, the Sustainability House is already working to serve as a model for green living to the Oxy community, but it could also serve as the headquarters or at least the meeting place for other activities -- promoting awareness about local politics, demonstrating/touring the green aspects of the house to the Occidental community, training new student leaders, hosting arts and other cultural events and overall becoming an epicenter of student driven activism for the neighborhood rather than just the campus.
One way in which this process can start would be for the progress made/activities held at the Sustainability House to be documented and kept in a blog. This way, community members and students could track the various initiatives undertaken at the house and learn with the house members as they transform their residence into a space which fosters community and responsible environmental practices.
For further reference or ideas on how some of these ideas might be executed, please check out:
LA Eco Village Blog
Wanna Start a Commune - (their website is currently down, but will connect you to their facebook, which is a great resource/community of great ideas!)
While living on campus at Oxy has a very insular feel, the members of the Sustainability House have been thrust (albeit only a block or two) into the neighborhood and are therefore in a unique position to act as liaisons between the progressive community of Los Angeles and Occidental. Much like the LA Eco Village, the Sustainability House is already working to serve as a model for green living to the Oxy community, but it could also serve as the headquarters or at least the meeting place for other activities -- promoting awareness about local politics, demonstrating/touring the green aspects of the house to the Occidental community, training new student leaders, hosting arts and other cultural events and overall becoming an epicenter of student driven activism for the neighborhood rather than just the campus.
One way in which this process can start would be for the progress made/activities held at the Sustainability House to be documented and kept in a blog. This way, community members and students could track the various initiatives undertaken at the house and learn with the house members as they transform their residence into a space which fosters community and responsible environmental practices.
For further reference or ideas on how some of these ideas might be executed, please check out:
LA Eco Village Blog
Wanna Start a Commune - (their website is currently down, but will connect you to their facebook, which is a great resource/community of great ideas!)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sustainability House
I am often frustrated by the inability of the theoretical world of academia to apply classroom concepts to real world practices. However, I feel that the UEP program excels in overcoming this educational barrier. For this reason I am excited by the prospect of getting involved with the new sustainability house. Establishing a themed house offers students the ability to practice environmental principles in their daily life by given them a means to take a hands on approach in “greening” their living space and building environmentally friendly living habits. This is not a new concept, as sustainability houses or related campus housing programs are common throughout the country. A quick google search yields results from a multitude of schools that have supported similar housing projects.
Universities and institutions of higher learning need to be leaders in the environmental movement, and I feel these kinds of houses are one of the most interesting ways in which this is being accomplished. The strongest asset involved with these projects is the level of student participation. Instead of an institutional green initiative or any kind of related environmental measure on campus, a project like this is driven by the students and yields visible results for those involved. I’m excited to be a part of the almost endless possibilities that have been opened up through the establishment of the sustainability house.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Dutch Way
While thinking about Oxy’s bike sharing program I began to reminisce about my time abroad in Amsterdam where bikers dominate the road. Unlike here in LA, and the majority of the U.S., it is less common drive a car than it is to ride a bike in the Netherlands. Sure, Amsterdam’s infrastructure is much more conducive to cyclists than LA, but for Oxy students why not make the switch to bikes, at least for local travel?
Then I remembered reading about a recent Dutch initiative to reduce automobile usage and greenhouse gas emissions by imposing a driving tax that would charge drivers seven cents a mile. The plan would use GPS systems in every car to keep track of mileage and charge drivers automatically. The charges would be higher during high traffic hours and for large and commercial vehicles. The Dutch cabinet approved the plan last November but is awaiting approval by parliament. It is estimated that the driving tax would cut traffic by 15 percent and reduce emissions from transport by 10 percent. If this plan is approved by the Dutch parliament, it can be assumed that Dutch cyclists will only further dominate the roads.
Thus, in following Dutch ingenuity, how about we impose some sort of “tax” on driving? By “we” I would like to say the U.S. government, but if such a law is struggling to gain national support in the Netherlands I assume it has no chance in the U.S.; instead, I mean Oxy. Maybe students would reduce their use of motor vehicles if they were held partially accountable for the impact that their driving has on the environment. After all, Oxy is one of the few schools that allows students to park for free on campus. Even a small fee might deter students from bringing a car to campus. To further this deterrence, we must provide students with an alternative. This is where the bike-sharing program comes into play.
I understand that charging students to drive, or more realistically to park on campus would be an unpopular initiative, so maybe doing things the other way around by first providing an alterative to driving. If the program is successful then maybe we won’t need to charge students to drive, but rather students will choose not to on their own.
Then I remembered reading about a recent Dutch initiative to reduce automobile usage and greenhouse gas emissions by imposing a driving tax that would charge drivers seven cents a mile. The plan would use GPS systems in every car to keep track of mileage and charge drivers automatically. The charges would be higher during high traffic hours and for large and commercial vehicles. The Dutch cabinet approved the plan last November but is awaiting approval by parliament. It is estimated that the driving tax would cut traffic by 15 percent and reduce emissions from transport by 10 percent. If this plan is approved by the Dutch parliament, it can be assumed that Dutch cyclists will only further dominate the roads.
Thus, in following Dutch ingenuity, how about we impose some sort of “tax” on driving? By “we” I would like to say the U.S. government, but if such a law is struggling to gain national support in the Netherlands I assume it has no chance in the U.S.; instead, I mean Oxy. Maybe students would reduce their use of motor vehicles if they were held partially accountable for the impact that their driving has on the environment. After all, Oxy is one of the few schools that allows students to park for free on campus. Even a small fee might deter students from bringing a car to campus. To further this deterrence, we must provide students with an alternative. This is where the bike-sharing program comes into play.
I understand that charging students to drive, or more realistically to park on campus would be an unpopular initiative, so maybe doing things the other way around by first providing an alterative to driving. If the program is successful then maybe we won’t need to charge students to drive, but rather students will choose not to on their own.
Digging For Chickens
When we went to the UEPI garden to help FEAST last Thursday I helped dig out a trench that would house the cinder blocks that needed to go under the chicken coop. The cinder blocks were needed under the chicken coop to act as a barrier to animals digging under the coop and assaulting the helpless hens. While we were in the garden and I was digging I thought two things - one was a horrible play on words about how I dug digging and the other was how I was impressed with the progress made in the garden by FEAST.
It is nice to see the model of a community garden coming to fruition on campus after hearing about the benefits of community gardens in nearly every UEP class that I have taken. The garden helps encourage sustainability in multiple ways. All of the supplies used in the garden are bought locally, no pesticides are used to grow the vegetables, the locally grown food feeds the volunteers that work to grow the vegetables, and there will soon be free range chickens.
While I am not a foodie like crew that spearheaded the creation of the community garden, the value of having a community garden on campus is not lost on me. Having good food that you grew yourself is an obvious benefit but the garden can also act as an educational tool. Prof. Villianatos mentioned that the green living campus house was considering creating their own garden. The work of FEAST can help in the creation of their garden in offering pointers on what works and what doesn't. The garden can also be used for educating the neighborhood about how they might be able to translate our garden into their own efforts to grow at least some of their own food.
It is nice to see the model of a community garden coming to fruition on campus after hearing about the benefits of community gardens in nearly every UEP class that I have taken. The garden helps encourage sustainability in multiple ways. All of the supplies used in the garden are bought locally, no pesticides are used to grow the vegetables, the locally grown food feeds the volunteers that work to grow the vegetables, and there will soon be free range chickens.
While I am not a foodie like crew that spearheaded the creation of the community garden, the value of having a community garden on campus is not lost on me. Having good food that you grew yourself is an obvious benefit but the garden can also act as an educational tool. Prof. Villianatos mentioned that the green living campus house was considering creating their own garden. The work of FEAST can help in the creation of their garden in offering pointers on what works and what doesn't. The garden can also be used for educating the neighborhood about how they might be able to translate our garden into their own efforts to grow at least some of their own food.
Remembering the Past
This post is building upon Max Levine's post about a car-free day or set of days in Eagle Rock, that may serve to promote biking and bike culture. As Max stated, this kind of event was piloted in NYC, but it has actually been implemented as part of state transportation policy in Bogota. In 2000, Bogota's voters passed a referendum for an annual "car free day," which occurs every February 1st. Given what Max wrote about Mumbai, perhaps the campus could publicize this kind of event as a global movement.
In addition, it would serve us well to remember the actions of advocates before us, and to work with the tremendous resources we have on campus and within the UEP department. In fact, several years ago, members of the faculty worked with community groups, stakeholders, and CalTrans in order to close off automobile access to a section of the Arroyo Seco freeway. This allowed bicyclists, pedestrians, picnicking families, and others, to reclaim the space.
This type of reclamation, and the way in which the leaders of this action worked with various stakeholders to accomplish what we may perceive to be unthinkable (shutting down a major freeway in Los Angeles), can teach us a lot about how to move forward with a car-free day. I agree with Max that this is not only a good idea, but also a feasible one. Perhaps, by starting to tap the resources we have within our own department, we can find new avenues, inspirations, and methods for bringing about the change we seek.
In addition, it would serve us well to remember the actions of advocates before us, and to work with the tremendous resources we have on campus and within the UEP department. In fact, several years ago, members of the faculty worked with community groups, stakeholders, and CalTrans in order to close off automobile access to a section of the Arroyo Seco freeway. This allowed bicyclists, pedestrians, picnicking families, and others, to reclaim the space.
This type of reclamation, and the way in which the leaders of this action worked with various stakeholders to accomplish what we may perceive to be unthinkable (shutting down a major freeway in Los Angeles), can teach us a lot about how to move forward with a car-free day. I agree with Max that this is not only a good idea, but also a feasible one. Perhaps, by starting to tap the resources we have within our own department, we can find new avenues, inspirations, and methods for bringing about the change we seek.
Solar @ Oxy Update
So a quick background for those that are new to this project. Occidental has been in the process of planning the development of a solar array on campus. The serious idea of a solar array was first brought up in the spring of 2009. Throughout the summer and fall of '09 a committee of faculty, staff, and students worked on the proposal for a solar array. Since that time there have been multiple discussions/proposals with and to the board of trustees. As of February 2010, the board has fully supported the idea and plans for a solar array. So why don't we have a solar array yet? Well, we haven't been able to come up with all the funding for an array. Multiple plans and strategies have been thought through but we have not been able to find a feasible way to pay for it. The next board meeting is in April and the hope is that we will have come up with a way in which to financially support an array.
Just some logistics of the proposed solar array: it will be located on the southern and western slopes of Mount Fiji along with on top on the parking lot located next to the upper soccer fields, it will generate approximately one megawatt of energy (still making it one of the largest arrays on any college campus in the country).
Just some logistics of the proposed solar array: it will be located on the southern and western slopes of Mount Fiji along with on top on the parking lot located next to the upper soccer fields, it will generate approximately one megawatt of energy (still making it one of the largest arrays on any college campus in the country).
A Change in Structure Could Go a Long Way
In recent years, the importance of sustainability and campus-greening here at Oxy has been on many people's minds. With overwhelming student support, a sustainability fund was created in order to provide funds for projects that will make Oxy more sustainable. Although student support was very high in establishing the fund, participation within the fund has not been so high. One very important reason for low participation rates is due to the structure of the fund. In order to participate, students have to fill out a form, otherwise, a donation will not be made. This is a problem because many people display what is known as status-quo bias. There have been many studies that have shown that often times people do not change options from the default settings. Therefore, something such as a sustainability fund, which has widespread campus support, may very well not receive high levels of participation simply because it is an opt-in program, requiring students to actively search and fill out the proper form. While this process is not a difficult one, students have shown, in reality, that they tend to not do it.
Students have shown that they are in favor of sustainability on campus, but they have not been given the best means available to achieve this. If the sustainability fund is structured as an opt-out fund, the participation rates of students would increase greatly. Students would still be able to opt-out if they desired, but the default option would be to participate. Furthermore, such a charge is minimal relative to the cost of attending Oxy. With total charges now above $50,000 per year, $20 represents only 0.04% of that. That is less than 1%! The gains from such a donation from a high proportion of the students would be immense. A little change in structure could make a big change on campus.
How can a campus go green if it doesn't have the green to fund it?
To make your donation, visit: http://www.oxy.edu/x8314.xml and click on the "Support the Renewable Energy & Sustainability Fund" link.
Students have shown that they are in favor of sustainability on campus, but they have not been given the best means available to achieve this. If the sustainability fund is structured as an opt-out fund, the participation rates of students would increase greatly. Students would still be able to opt-out if they desired, but the default option would be to participate. Furthermore, such a charge is minimal relative to the cost of attending Oxy. With total charges now above $50,000 per year, $20 represents only 0.04% of that. That is less than 1%! The gains from such a donation from a high proportion of the students would be immense. A little change in structure could make a big change on campus.
How can a campus go green if it doesn't have the green to fund it?
To make your donation, visit: http://www.oxy.edu/x8314.xml and click on the "Support the Renewable Energy & Sustainability Fund" link.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Campus Promotion
I agree with Adam and would like to build upon his idea. Before we can expect anyone to change the way they live, I think it’s important to educate them about how those changes can have a positive effect on not just their lives, but the school as a whole. In order to make the changes required to make Oxy a greener school, we need to do more promotion. However, I’m not sure that mass email is the most effective way to do it. I know a lot of kids that rarely read the Oxy Digest, so I don’t know if that will reach as many people as other mediums. Using recycled materials, we can put posters up around The Cooler, little placards on The Marketplace tables, or even provide information in the Oxy Weekly. If we can provide information to people in highly populated areas such as the Marketplace and Cooler, or a highly read publication like the Weekly, I think it will have more of an impact. Also, I think that the information that we provide should be more geared towards why we should care about making Oxy green. I remember my sophomore year, in the 246 version of this class, Prof. Vallianatos was able to translate some of the raw numbers that reflected Oxy’s carbon footprint, water waste, etc., to a level that the average student could understand. Instead of just stating the numbers, we should build on this and compare these raw numbers to real world, everyday things that students can comprehend and relate to. People love fun facts like those and if we were able to display some of those facts around campus, I think people might respond. Before we can expect the campus to get behind any of our potential projects, it’s important to show that they are necessary in the first place. In addition, we should try to estimate the potential effects that these projects will have on reducing these numbers. If we can show students that our projects will actually work, maybe we can get more people to participate in them.
Harvesting the Power of Rain
In 2006, my first year at OXY, it rained 2 days the entire school year. In just the first month of 2010, however, Los Angeles has accumulated 4.8 inches of rain, well above the average of 3.1. Typical conversation among Los Angelenos would have you believe that this rain was the Second Coming, but this is far from the truth. Largely due to the impermeability of Los Angeles's ground surfaces, a very small percentage of rainfall in Los Angeles is actually useful.
A new proposed law to go into effect in 2011 would require the use of several different methods to capture, reuse or redirect runoff from rainstorms. One of the main reasons rain water never has the chance to replenish the groundwater supply is that it lands on concrete and pavement, then rushes straight into storm drains that lead to the ocean. Not only will the new ordinance help to recycle our planet's most precious resource, it will also help to keep polluted urban water out of our increasingly acidic seas. The Board of Public Works Commissioner Paula Daniels, explained that the new requirements would "prevent over 104 million gallons of polluted urban runoff from ending up in the ocean".
In addition to encouraging the use of rain storage tanks, builders would be required to use other low-cost and sensible water management methods; these include simple measures, like diverting rainfall to gardens and permeable pavement. Any builders who are unable to manage 100% of a project's runoff on-site would be required to pay a penalty of $13 a gallon for the water that is not safely redirected.
Power of information
Of the many obstacles in the way of creating a more environmentally sustainable campus, none has as great an impact and is more widespread than laziness. The list of wasted resources due to lethargy and lack of interest is enormous. People leave electronics on when they are not using them. Food is half eaten and then discarded in the trash amongst other reusable products that should not end up in a landfill. Most people, including myself, don’t have the time, energy, awareness, or concern to make the more green choices and actions. Unfortunately, one of the most difficult things in life is to change people’s behavior.
Simple messages informing students how to sustainably go about their life without making many changes could have a huge impact on the “greenness” of our campus. For example, at the oxy store, the advantages of green products should be prominently displayed. Directions informing people how to print double sided papers should be posted by both computers and printers. In parking lots, signs can be displayed that inform drivers of how much gas is expended every time they start their cars. These are just a few examples of ways to inform the student body of ways they can make a difference without going out of their way too much to do so. And hopefully, over the course of time, people will adopt these habits on their own.
Not only should people be more aware of facts about green habits, but people need to know about ways the can get more deeply involved in the sustainable effort on campus. The most effective way to do this would be through email. For example, I don’t really know how to go about volunteering for the UEPI garden or any other campus efforts to green the school. The various organizations that support this movement could send out emails informing students of new events and activities that are fun ways to help the environment. And these emails don’t just have to go to UEP majors, but to the whole student body either through the Oxy Digest or as a mass email. Plus, who doesn’t like to get email?
While there has been an effort to do all of these things, I am skeptical as to how effectively this strategy is being done. Most of my friends haven’t even heard of any of UEPI’s efforts to green the campus. There are simple shock-value statistics that if they were wider known, could help change behavior. I think if we collectively spread information a little more, it can start to make a real difference for the college.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Cold Trap
Kris Potts seems like an average college student, but his dorm room is far from ordinary. Upon entering, sights of welding torches, cut up refrigerators, and various other contraptions ensnare the curious mind and leave you searching for the method behind the madness. Kris, an Oxy freshman, has created an invention that may someday put a serious dent in the problem of global climate change. His new Cold Trap, is a slight modification on the classic dorm room mini-fridge which will save energy without changing students’ lifestyles. Instead of the door opening like normal, the door of the Cold Trap opens down, like a dishwasher with two pieces of cloth attached to each side of the door, which fold out as you open it.
When you open up a normal mini-fridge, since cool air sinks, the air in the fridge flows out into your room and some of the warmer air in your room flows into the fridge. When you then close the door, the cooling unit has to work more to get the temperature back down to the desired level. If you use a Cold Trap then the dishwasher-like door and side clothes keep the cool air from flowing out of the unit. Kris and his project partner Grey Kammerer have tested a mini-fridge by opening it every 5 minutes for 15 seconds and after one hour of testing, the same fridge with his modifications used 0.095 fewer KWH. This number is not all that staggering, but when extrapolated to a whole year, each dorm room mini-fridge will save about 34.6 KWH, approximately $5 at current energy prices. This is not a big number, but we are not yet talking about big refrigerators or large quantities of refrigerators. If he were to modify every mini-fridge on campus, in roughly 600 rooms, and each saved $5, the school could save $3,000 a year at current prices. There is potential for a significant impact on energy efficiency when this same concept is applied to large home refrigerators, fast food freezers, and coffee shop refrigerators (which are opened every time someone gets milk or ice in a drink).
The great thing about Kris’ idea is that you don’t need to buy a new refrigerator, because he can modify practically any make of mini-fridge out there. He charges $5 for modifications to a dorm room fridge, and you can choose any color fabric for the sides. He soon plans on talking to local restaurateurs about allowing him to make some modifications on their freezers and fridges. He also hopes to have invented a browsing friendly refrigerator with a clear plexiglass front to allow you to see inside without having to open up the unit. A long journey to energy efficiency begins with a single step in the right direction.
When you open up a normal mini-fridge, since cool air sinks, the air in the fridge flows out into your room and some of the warmer air in your room flows into the fridge. When you then close the door, the cooling unit has to work more to get the temperature back down to the desired level. If you use a Cold Trap then the dishwasher-like door and side clothes keep the cool air from flowing out of the unit. Kris and his project partner Grey Kammerer have tested a mini-fridge by opening it every 5 minutes for 15 seconds and after one hour of testing, the same fridge with his modifications used 0.095 fewer KWH. This number is not all that staggering, but when extrapolated to a whole year, each dorm room mini-fridge will save about 34.6 KWH, approximately $5 at current energy prices. This is not a big number, but we are not yet talking about big refrigerators or large quantities of refrigerators. If he were to modify every mini-fridge on campus, in roughly 600 rooms, and each saved $5, the school could save $3,000 a year at current prices. There is potential for a significant impact on energy efficiency when this same concept is applied to large home refrigerators, fast food freezers, and coffee shop refrigerators (which are opened every time someone gets milk or ice in a drink).
The great thing about Kris’ idea is that you don’t need to buy a new refrigerator, because he can modify practically any make of mini-fridge out there. He charges $5 for modifications to a dorm room fridge, and you can choose any color fabric for the sides. He soon plans on talking to local restaurateurs about allowing him to make some modifications on their freezers and fridges. He also hopes to have invented a browsing friendly refrigerator with a clear plexiglass front to allow you to see inside without having to open up the unit. A long journey to energy efficiency begins with a single step in the right direction.
Bike-day= car-free day?
Something cool I found when doing some research on transportation in Los Angeles. The idea is that individuals are the ones to take the initiative on getting things done with the city. The guy the article talks about is named Vinay Jayaswal, from India. He talks about thinking globally and acting individually. His main concerns, namely in India, are the environment, sanitation, and health within individual communities. This got me thinking about the bike share program (and biking in general as an alternative to driving) and how this directly addresses two of these issues, if not all three. It clearly helps the environment by redicung emissions and thus reducing pollution. And it also helps the health by giving those who do ride some excercise, which is still an issue for our over-eating, under-exercising American population.
The article continues to talk about certain efforts of cities to reduce car use. New York, where I am from, shut down Times Square, arguably the most busy area of America, during most hours of the day and making it a pedestrian zone only. Granted this makes it difficult to get around the city in a car at times, but it is pretty cool to be able to walk around manhattan in the streets with no worries of being run over by cabbies. Second, the most congested city in the world (according to the post) is Mumbai in India, and they have a "Car-Free Day" on February 21st. I say, if mumbai can do that, I think Eagle Rock could pull something off along those lines. Maybe once the bike-share program launches, we dedicate one day to those who work/study locally to walk or bike to work or school, rather than driving locally throughout Eagle Rock. Clearly some people have to drive to get places, but Eagle Rock is pretty managable on a bike or on foot; I did it all of last year.
Here is the link to the article: http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/02/09/individuals-can-make-a-difference-a-view-from-india/.
Just some food for thought.
The article continues to talk about certain efforts of cities to reduce car use. New York, where I am from, shut down Times Square, arguably the most busy area of America, during most hours of the day and making it a pedestrian zone only. Granted this makes it difficult to get around the city in a car at times, but it is pretty cool to be able to walk around manhattan in the streets with no worries of being run over by cabbies. Second, the most congested city in the world (according to the post) is Mumbai in India, and they have a "Car-Free Day" on February 21st. I say, if mumbai can do that, I think Eagle Rock could pull something off along those lines. Maybe once the bike-share program launches, we dedicate one day to those who work/study locally to walk or bike to work or school, rather than driving locally throughout Eagle Rock. Clearly some people have to drive to get places, but Eagle Rock is pretty managable on a bike or on foot; I did it all of last year.
Here is the link to the article: http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/02/09/individuals-can-make-a-difference-a-view-from-india/.
Just some food for thought.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Bottled Water
Between 07/01/2008 and 06/30/2009 Occidental's campus dining and hospitality services bought over 200,000 bottles of water.
In support of bottled water. Sparkletts wants you to sign an "IMPORTANT PETITION" in support of bottled water on this website.
Sparkletts:
"Most of our big water bottles are recycled at the end of their life cycle. The recycled plastic is used to make carpet, toys, tool handles, bird feeders and other items. You typically will not find large bottled water containers in landfills, because these bottles are returnable, reusable, refillable and recyclable."
Recycling is a business like any other. Curbside recyclers must find markets for the materials they collect. The biggest market for plastics is China, so most of our plastic is shipped overseas. Unfortunately, China doesn’t necessarily have the same standards of worker and community safety as we do, and towns like Lian Jiao have become toxic waste dumps for our plastic “recycling.” [CLICK THIS LINK] Sky News recently released a video showing the heartbreaking condition of this town that has become the waste bin of the western world. But with the recent downturn in the economy, the Chinese market has dried up, and as the New York Times reported in December 2008, much of our recycling is actually ending up in the landfill.
So what about the plastic that is recycled? Actually, plastic recycling is better referred to as “downcycling.” Plastic containers, for example, are not recycled into new containers but into other products like lumber or outdoor furniture. Even the plastic yogurt containers recycled by responsible companies likeRecycline into toothbrushes and cutting boards are actually downcycled, since the manufacturers of the yogurt containers continue to extract virgin materials for their disposable products.
What’s the solution? Reducing our consumption of disposable plastic! Switching to reusable bags, bottles and containers are first steps to solving the plastic problem. Find more solutions and plastic alternatives atwww.fakeplasticfish.com.
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