Get Caught Green Handed!
Green Network members and Custodial Services volunteers are watching and waiting to see if YOU may be caught "green handed"!
The "Get Caught Green Handed!" initiative is an incentive-based effort that recognizes campus faculty and staff who are helping Ohio U fulfill its part in the Presidents Climate Commitment and who actively conserve campus resources. Participants may enter a drawing for a Brunton Solaris solar charger using the ticket at the bottom of their door tag. Tickets can be sent to the Office of Sustainability through Intercampus Mail.
This unit will charge small electronic devices such as an iPod ©, cell phone, handheld GPS, or digital camera.
Green Office Activities
Lights Off
Leaving lights on at Ohio U wastes energy created mostly from burning coal, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This is particularly true for incandescent lighting, which uses only 10-15% of the energy it consumes to create light. Turning your lights off when you leave the office will save valuable energy and cut back on harmful emissions.
Computer Off
Shutting down your computer at night results in a reduction of 810 kWh per year. In Ohio, this translates into 1458 lbs. of carbon dioxide that is NOT emitted into the air, simply by turning off your computer!
Ohio U can save 9,720,000 kWh per year (worth $461,020 at current electricity rates) and prevent the emission of 8748 tons of CO2 by shutting down our computers.
Click here to download a copy of the OU 'Green Computing Guide'.
Peripherals Off
Many appliances continue using energy even when turned off or on standby.
This includes computers, televisions, kitchen appliances, stereos, battery chargers, and any device with a clock, sensor, or lighted display. Five percent of the energy we use in the United States is consumed by appliances that are on standby.
A plugged-in laser printer will consume 113 kilowatt-hours of energy each year at an annual price of $5.36 for Ohio U. Each computer will cost $14.75 for the 311 kilowatt-hours it consumes in passive standby mode and microwaves will eat up 35 kilowatt-hours of energy at a price of $1.66 apiece.
Recycling
Recycling keeps valuable materials out of the waste stream and reduces mining for virgin resources, as well as the resource-intensive production of new products. By recycling, you’re making sure reusable goods don’t end up in a landfill. You can recycle office paper, newspaper, magazines, glass, plastic, cardboard, and aluminum at most campus locations. Contact Campus Recycling for special items like books, fluorescent lights, toner cartridges, electronic waste, and scrap metal. Furniture and office supplies should be directed to Moving and Surplus for storage.
A/C Off
If you have local control of room temperature, you can create substantial energy savings by raising the thermostat a few degrees in the summer, lowering it in the winter, and turning off heating and cooling at night and on weekends.
In the winter, set your thermostat to 68 degrees during daytime and 55 degrees at night. During the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions, according to figures from Pace University.
Don't forget to turn off your A/C window unit or space heater when you leave the room.
