The (Eco) Challenge of A Lifetime

For six weeks, a select few Philadelphia University students participate in the university’s “Eco-Challenge” program. In an effort to encourage sustainability, the university, located on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Penn., implemented the program which encourages students to recycle and reduce waste.
According to Laurie Tuttle, Associate Director of Residential Life for the university, the residents of the five-person townhouses are eligible to participate in the Eco-Challenge.
“Students apply to be part of the program during the spring semester,” Tuttle said. “The challenge takes place during the fall semester, the challenge monitors water, electric and heat along with the amount recycled.”
The green-minded housing initiative is sponsored by the university’s Sustainability Committee and the energy and waste output will be monitored by Dr. Anne Brower’s Biology and Earth Science classes.
““The Eco-Challenge is an example of the type of cross-disciplinary Power to Do at Philadelphia University with students from multiple majors researching alternatives and putting them into action to explore green lifestyle alternatives that our nations must implement now for a sustainable future,” Brower said on the PhilaU Web site.
“Students participating have a faculty advisor that they meet with throughout the challenge,” Tuttle said. “Dr. Brower is one of the advisors to the residents.”
Tuttle explains that the students participating in the challenge are also given $100 to put towards items that could potentially “assist in the improvement of their sustainability”.
The challenge requires students to have their electricity usage, water usage, and recycling and garbage output measured over the course of the six weeks.
“The team with the lowest energy and water use, lowest amount of garbage and highest amount of recycling will receive a cash prize,” Tuttle said. “We will also consider the amount of contamination within the trash itself. Contaminated trash receives no credit.”
In fact, the first place townhouse will receive $1000 to be split among the residents, with second and third places being awarded $500 and $250 respectively.
Erin Maldonado, a resident of “Townhouse C” for this year’s challenge, said that as the weeks pass students find more and more ways to conserve energy.
“We learned that unplugging things such as microwaves and cell phone chargers really conserves energy,” she said. “It shows you pretty quickly how much energy you’re actually wasting.”
In order to be eligible for the challenge, students must apply before the housing lottery begins in the spring and each participating townhouse is required to keep a blog of their experiences as a supplement to the challenge. This Tuttle says, is part of an effort to implement permanent changes in the way students use energy.
“The goal of this program is to implement new energy behaviors in students,” she said. “It is about teaching them more environmentally-friendly ways of life that they can use forever.”
On the blog for Townhouse D, resident Zachary Mentzer addressed this very issue.
““We are invested in this project,” he wrote. “It’s less about the competition. The Eco-Challenge is a catalyst to change our lives.”
For some, the challenge even provides an opportunity for underclassmen to reside in the traditionally junior and senior townhouses.
Corey Brown, a freshman, will be participating in the challenge next year with 4 roommates of her choosing.
“We’re really looking forward to being part of the challenge,” Brown said. “Not only would it be awesome to win the prize money, but it gives us a chance to help conserve energy and live in a more eco-friendly way- something that is important to all of us.”
Like Brown, Samantha Kane, also a freshman, is looking forward to helping the environment and to living in a residence with more privacy than her small dorm room.
“It’s a great situation for us to be in,” Kane said. “We get to be a part of something that is teaching us to be better citizens, and we get to live in a huge townhouse and have our own bedrooms.”
Three of the university’s eight townhouses participate in the challenge, which lasts only six weeks. For the 2008 Eco-challenge, the residents of townhouses C, D, and H were the ones chosen to participate.
“The ultimate goal of the challenge is to lessen the students’ overall carbon footprints,” Tuttle said. “We as a university really want the students to understand the impact even one person can have on the environment.”
Ranked on the Yale Offices of Sustainability’s Web site as one of the most “sustainable campuses” in the country, Philadelphia University’s eco-challenge has sparked participants to permanently change the way they use electricity and other resources.
The residents of Townhouse C, Kaitlin Jones, Rachel Lubin, Erin Maldonado, Stephanie Reinke and Jennifer Rushalski, offer their suggestions for the easiest ways to lower electricity use on their blog.
“Install automatic sleep-mode on computer appliances,” they wrote. “Companies waste over $1 billion a year on computer monitors, fax machines, printers, etc. that should be turned off when instead they are left on. Installing an automatic sleep mode feature costs nothing. The EPA provides free software that can do this for your computer.”
The challenge’s future participants, including Brown and Kane are already looking at the experiences of this year’s participants for insight into how to win.
“We’re really taking this challenge seriously,” Brown said. “We have been looking into energy saving appliances and materials to use in the house. We’re hoping we can cut back usage right off the bat by using environmentally friendly materials like bamboo and shower timers.”
Tuttle is also looking forward to the challenge.
“Its fascinating to see the outcomes each year,” she said. “The participants get more and more invested and motivated as the challenge goes on, and each year we get more and more dedicated groups of volunteers.”

If you want to know more about PhilaU's Eco-Challenge, feel free to visit the following Web Sites:

http://townhousec.blogspot.com/

http://ecochallengetownhoused.blogspot.com/

http://townhouseh.blogspot.com/

http://www.yale.edu/sustainability/

Going Green to Save Green: 10 Ways to Pad Your Wallet and Save the Planet

In today’s society “Going Green” is the movement du jour, and money is tight. Science is showing us more and more that the green movement can benefit more than just the environment. Here are 10 simple steps that not only help you give back to the environment and your wallet.

1. Turn off the lights and let in the sun

As the weather gets warmer, and the sunlight grows stronger, take advantage of the sunlight. Opening the blinds and turning off the lights not only saves energy, but it can be good for you. According to ProjectStore.com , natural sunlight converts cholesterol into Vitamin D. ProjectStore.com also says, “If we expose six square inches of our skin to direct sunlight for one hour per day, we will obtain our minimum daily requirement for vitamin D.”

Exposure to natural sunlight is also known to boost endorphins that make you feel healthier and happier. Since rooms lit by natural sunlight tend to be brighter, it can improve sleep, even out hormonal imbalances, lower heart rate and blood pressure, and increase metabolism.

Opting for a natural glow rather than an artificial one will not only help the planet, but help you to feel better.

2. Unplug electronics when they are not in use

According to the Florida Energy Center, everyday electronics are responsible for jacking up electric bills and wasting unnecessary energy. “The worst leakers were products from the following categories: televisions, video units, multi-system audio units, speakers, security systems, items that have remote control or memory settings,” the report states.

Wasted energy not only harms the environment, but it also adds preventable costs to the electric bill. Rent is high enough already; why spend more money than you need to? At the end of every month or year, the money you save from unplugging unused electronics could buy you something fabulous.

3. Recycle For Beer Money

Beer is something that is pretty common in the refrigerators of college students. Many states offer refunds of the bottle deposits that are built into the cost of the beverages (5 cents per can in Maine, Vermont, New York, Hawaii, Iowa, Oregon and Connecticut; 10 cents in California and Michigan). At the end of a weekend or night of drinking, take the empty beer cans to your local can deposit and trade in your garbage for pocket change. The deposits can be found at local grocery stores and Wal Marts in participating states. The money you get back could mean the difference between Natty Light and Corona Light at the next party.

4. Bubble Baths Beat Sudsy Showers

According to Lenntech.com, a five minute shower uses 25-50 gallons of water, while baths use almost half of that amount. On average, Americans use five times the amount of water that Europeans do. A moderately filled bath instead of a shower can cut water consumption, and can also be a good way to relax and unwind.
However, if a shower is what you prefer, an environmentally friendly, low-pressure shower head can lower water use by 1 ½ times with each use. They are available at most home improvement stores, and online for relatively low cost.

5. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

As science and medicine improve, more and more traditional cleaning products are facing scrutiny for the impact they are having on not only the environment, but the health of the consumers as well. According to care2.com, the use of environmentally “unfriendly” products can leak toxins, poisons and neurotoxins, causing birth defects, illness and effect sleep patterns. It is also proven that the use of eco-friendly cleaning products can save water, since many of them do not require the consumer to rinse away the products after use.

Companies such as Seventh Generation, Clorox and other brands are now creating eco-friendly versions of their products to meet the growing demand for the products, and all are available at supermarkets and stores everywhere. And, the prices of the products are comparable to those of the originals.

6. Canvas Bags Show You Care (About Fashion)

Many grocery store chains are now selling reusable canvas shopping bags. These bags cut down on the use of dangerous and environmentally harmful plastic bags. The canvas bags are sold at the registers, and companies such as Stop and Shop offer a 5 cent refund on every bag, every time you shop. Within a few trips to the grocery store the bags will have paid for themselves, and begun to save you money.
Many designers and retailers are also making “eco-conscious” bags that are not only environmentally friendly, but fashion forward and chic as well.

7. Eat Local and Organic

Though the cost of gas has dropped significantly since the summer, the impact that fumes and chemicals emitted from gasoline is still a major problem for the environment. Instead of eating food that is hauled across country or from different countries on trucks which emit chemicals and toxins into the air, choose foods from your local market that are grown by local vendors and are certified organic. Certified organic foods have no toxins or pesticides in them which make them healthy for you and the environment, and the support of local business helps commerce in your area.

8. Bamboo Is Good For You

Bamboo is a resource that is easily replenished, and extremely useful. According to CaliBamboo.com, bamboo is stronger than graphite, concrete, and steel, and regenerates extremely quickly. It is can be used to create flooring, window treatments, paneling, and sheets. An article in Cosmopolitan Magazine says, "The bamboo plant contains an antibacterial agent that naturally protects against pests while growing in the fields. This quality is believed to help bamboo fibers wick away moisture and block the growth of nasty bacteria."

The sheets are said to be extremely soft, crisp and environmentally friendly. Plus, what college kid likes to wash their sheets-- the antibacterial properties in the plant allow you to push off that task for at least a few more days.

9. Water Bottle Water is No Good

The majority of the Earth's surface is water however, only 1% of that water is drinkable. Bottled water, though thought to be the cleanest water around is often anything but clean. The plastic bottles it is packaged in release cancer-causing chemicals into the water along with the bacteria and germs that are already in the water. And, the bottles are often thrown away rather than recycled, harming the environment.

Instead of water bottles that can be expensive and bad for you, buy a Brita or other type of water purifying system which is a one-time cost, and allows you to reap the benefits of clean tap water. The cost of the system can be split between roommates or housemates, which keeps the price down and more money in your pocket.

10. Take the Shuttle/Ride With Friend

With billions of cars on the road everyday, the damage being done to the eco-system and o-zone layer is irreversible. Instead of driving yourself to the grocery store, take public transportation or your school's shuttle system to get your groceries. The shuttle is free and it's headed there anyway, so why not take advantage.

If there isn't a shuttle system or public transportation available to you, try carpooling with a friend or two when you run errands. Not only will that be less cars on the road emitting toxins, it can also turn bland errands into a fun outing.

Death Penalty Too Costly?

According to CNN.com, many states are considering eliminating the death penalty in order to save money. At least nine states are considering making the changes. In many other states, trials which seek the death penalty are being postponed due to budgetary issues. The full article can be found here.

Topless Coffee

According to this article, a small town in Maine opened up a "topless" coffee house where wait staff serves customers sans shirts.

Would you go to the topless cafe?

SNL

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