One of the basic laws of thermodynamics is that you only essentially get to use energy once; after that it becomes waste heat and just floats out into space. Sound environmental living requires that we get the most out of the energy we use, because not only is it polluting and unhealthy to mine, process, and burn it, but our present over-reliance on fossil fuels is sort of like stealing food from your grandchildren. We can't ethically keep wasting it because we don't really have any other solutions to present to future generations.
Regardless of what those future scientists, engineers, and planners (today's students) decide to do, we support dramatic reductions in energy waste by the most economical, efficient, ethical, and logical method- energy efficiency.
Please read the GCSU Green Initiative's Energy webpage to find out more about what you can do and why you should act!
Here are some basic tips from the National Wildlife Federation:
Turn off unnecessary lights (Put up signs next to light switches on campus!)
Hang dry clothes
Turn off powerstrips
Replace your old lightbulbs with CFLs
Use computer labs instead of personal PCs
Turn down the brightness on your screen
Turn your computer off instead of putting it in standby
Walk stairs instead of taking elevator
Bike or use public transportation instead of driving your car
Fewer showers
Adjust thermostat
Put plastic on your windows to winterize your dorm room more effectively
Turn down the heat
Dress more warmly, wear more layers
Sign a campus pledge to abide by certain energy reduction strategies
The Southern Energy Network is a local organization that has produced a significant amount of information for college students who want to become more educated on energy issues. Their web site great ideas for you to get more involved. We also suggest Kilowatt Ours, a site dedicated to reducing energy use at a personal level.
Nationwide, the debate has heated up about the role of our country's vast coal reserves in future energy production. Thousands of college students have joined their voice to efforts to design a cleaner way to produce electricity than 'clean coal.' The GCSU Environmental Science Club supports having a healthy discussion over the role of fossil fuels, and we encourage you to learn more from these sites:
As part of the Campus Climate Challenge, the GCSU Environmental Science Club staged a Global Warming party in February, 2008. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness by satirically celebrating the warmer winters predicted by global warming. It turned a few heads to have beachballs and bikinis on front campus on a chilly winter day, and we even made the Detroit Free Press!
The next year, in February 2008, we camped out on front campus for three nights to promote energy efficiency. The idea was that we could sleep outside and let our thermostats at home dip into the 50's! Add to that having the lights out for three days, then subtract a bit extra energy for the hot showers we all had to take, and we think we saved several hundred Joules worth of power!!
Reforms for Energy Usage (Colonnade 17 Oct 08)
Global Warming Seminar Heats Up (Colonnade 9 Feb 07)
Middle Georgia Colleges Taking Initiatives to Go Green (Macon Telegraph 25 Sep 07)
The information on this page represents the views of the GCSU Environmental Science Club and are not necessarily those of Georgia College & State University. The Environmental Science Club takes full responsibility for the information presented herein and all accessibility granted to other server links.
23 Jan 09