Learn The Top 7 Ways Colleges Can Go Green For Earth Day 2018
As institutions of higher learning, colleges and universities play a vital role in modern society. While many attend them in order to improve their chances of successful careers and accessing abundant income in their working years, the role of these places remains to educate students in many different ways. TheConnecTable recently published a great list of ideas.
Being good stewards of the Earth is one vital responsibility that many campuses choose to instill in their students as a value. This is a reflection of the growing awareness that the world has only so many resources, and they must be managed in clean and sustainable manners. If you're involved with a college or university, be it student, staff, or faculty, keep reading to learn the top 7 ways your institution can go green for Earth Day 2018. We recommend:
1) Install automatic light sensors across campus: These devices light up a room, area, or path only motion activates them from people passing through. Lighting is a major component of energy use, and these provide only the light people need, saving energy.
2) Put solar panels on the roofs of buildings: Any chance a campus has to generate its own power should be looked into. Utility costs for colleges and universities are significant, so solar panels are not just an educational tool, but a way to possibly keep tuition a little in check. Solar stations are also a great way to improve sustainability.
3) Have maintenance start buying LED light bulbs: One of the simplest, easiest, and most effective things to do is encourage the use of new energy-efficient light bulbs. They are very cheap and last practically forever, saving the Earth and money.
4) Start a community garden: If there's any undeveloped soil on campus where you have permission, start up a community garden of fruits, vegetables, and grains. The crop yields are not likely going to be enough to seriously feed a lot of folks, but it's a great way to open people's eyes about local food.
5) Let the chemistry students strut their stuff: While Earth Day festivities are often about hope and love, sometimes it's effective to contrast the positivity with a little shock, awe, and fear. Set up a demonstration where chemistry students can take samples of water from around campus or town and break things down to show people what's actually in the water. You can increase mindfulness about what should be flushed or not into wastewater, as well as educate people about what they're drinking. Just be sure to emphasize the use of water filters over bottled water, since the transportation of that wastes fossil fuels.
6) Have everyone walk, ride, or use mass transit for a day: Fossil fuel use is a primary contributor to atmospheric pollution thought to be warming the world up. Make a statement by encouraging everyone on campus to find other ways of getting around for Earth Day 2018. Have them walk, ride their bikes, or use public transportation. Find owners of electric or hybrid vehicles and have them carpool with as many as they can.
7) Donate leftover food to a local charity: Wasted food is one of the biggest contributors to overuse of the planet's soil, water, and natural resources. Some estimates suggest that nearly half of America's food goes to waste, never used. If you run an Earth Day festival or event, make sure any unused food goes to a local charity that feeds those in need. Also collect extra dorm room snacks and uneaten cafeteria foods you can for the cause.
While you might be inspired by Earth Day 2018 to look into these 7 ways your college or university can go green, remember that many of these ideas can stay in place into the future, helping your educational institution love the world for years to come.
List of states and areas that are going Green:
San Antonio
Sun Valley Idaho
Texas State
Reducing the amount of energy that a large building consumes can be very difficult unless you have the proper equipment to measure it. Industrial factories, large apartment complexes, and other types of warehousing that uses large machinery can consume a lot of power. Installing solar panels may not be enough, if much of your existing electricity is going to waste. It is a smart idea to put a predictive maintenance program in place in case so that you can proactively manage equipment failure using modern technology and the cloud.
MachineSense.com offers a great list of reasons why you may need to monitor your power quality in order to reduce your energy footprint and make your business more green.