My Personal Commitment to Sustainability

I have committed to:

 o Turn off the tap when brushing my teeth.
 o Take showers instead of baths (but not power showers).
 o Only wash full loads of laundry unless you can change the load setting in your machine each time.
 o Only fill the kettle with as much water as necessary for immediate use.
 o Wash the dishes by hand; you can save up to 90% of the water used by a dishwasher if you use a second sink or a bowl to rinse instead of leaving the water running.

 o Install energy-saving light bulbs in my home.
 o Put on a sweater rather than turning up the thermostat.
 o Not leave my TV or VCR on standby.
 o Turn my computer off when not in use and remember that screen savers with movement can actually use more energy than when using a computer.
 o Ask my local provider for green energy options and use them where available.
 o Buy 'in season' produce as 'out of season' produce is often grown in high-energy greenhouses.
 o Let my leftovers cool before putting them in the fridge, this will reduce the amount of energy used.
 o Keep the back of the fridge clean so it will work most efficiently.

 o Use a recycling bin for all recyclable materials.
 o Think before I throw anything away. I will remember to recycle as much as possible.
 o Use less paper and recycling used paper.
 o Use less disposable plates, cups, forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks.
 o Take a reusable bag with me when I go shopping.
 o Remove myself from junk mail lists.
 o Look for food with less packaging, perhaps at the local farmers' market. This will reduce the waste that you have to deal with and which goes into a landfill as well as saving energy that would have been used to make the packaging.

 o Share car journeys wherever possible.
 o Use my own steam for transport wherever possible; bike or walk to work, the shops, or school.
 o Only undertake necessary journeys and use the most environmentally-friendly travel modes.
 o Take public transport whenever possible.

 o Ask my friends and aquintances to commit to the same principles and I do.

So please do as much as you can too.

My commitment was inspired by the HSBC Commit To Change | What you can do.

The GREEN Reeder Project

Vision:

Create a sustainable living community in the Reeder House by:
o Renovating the facilities to be more efficient with regards to water and energy use, recycling
o Educate the community about sustainable living practices

Motivation:

A green school building or facility creates a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.
Because the project is small scale it is a good way to test the process and feasibility of creating a sustainable living community. If the project proves to be successful it will set an example for other communities on campus.

What we have accomplished so far

o Collaboration with George Xiques.
o Collaboration with the Sustainability Committee – presented the idea during October meeting
o Initial survey of the facilities.
o Opinion Questionnaire for the residents
o Replaced some of the lights with CFLs
o Group discussion regarding LEED Certification and green practices in Reeder House.

Next steps

o Improve the recycling by adding more bins to separate the recyclable waste
o Replace Incandescent light bulbs with CFL
o Replace paper towels with cloth towels as feasible (kitchen, residents who are willing to do it)
o Education about good practices for recycling and energy/water efficiency.
o the Green Reeder Environmental Commitment

Other Improvements that need further analysis

o Insulation of the shell (walls, windows, doors, roof)
o Replace plumbing (aerated taps, low use/dual flush toilets)
o Waste Composting
o Eliminate/Reduce paper towels
o HVAC modernization (programmable thermostat)
o Reuse/recycle water (i.e. water from the shower to be reused for the toilet)
o Photovoltaic panels
o LED Lighting
o More natural light
o Motion sensors for lighting in common spaces
o Organic Garden
o Roof runoff water collection and use

CONTACT:

Diana Hasegan - hasegand@lafayette.edu
Dietrich Hoefner - hoefnerd@lafayette.edu
Jonathan Esser - esserj@lafayette.edu
Christian Malesky - maleskyc@lafayette.edu

LEED and Green Buildings

Green Links

USGBC - US Green Building Council
"The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices." USGBC developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System for constructions.

Sustainable Development Education Panel - Furthering Sustainability:
A Step-by-Step Guide for Colleges - A Step-by-Step to Establishing a Sustainability Management System

WebLinks on Sustainable Buildings
Sustainable Architecture and Building Design (SABD)
References in Sustainable Design
Case Studies in Sustainable Buildings
HK Green Building Technology NET
Sustainable Development Online Resource Center HK
US EPA - Green Buildings
The Playbook for Green Building + Neighborhoods
GOOD TO BE GREEN – Connecting you to a greener lifestyle
Greener Buildings
Buildings Green
BRE Environmental Assessment Method
Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development - RICS Sustainability Audit Research
Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development – Georgia TECH
International Institute for Sustainable Development - CANADA
International Institute for Environment and Development
United Nations – Division for Sustainable Development
The Centre for Sustainable Design
Lafayette Environmental Awareness and Protection
HSBC Climate Partnership
Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth
CW TV - Free 2 Be Green
NRDC - Earth's Best Defense
Princeton Environmental Institute - Carbon Mitigation Initiative
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
FOCUS THE NATION - Global Warming Solutions for America