News about the 1957 Green Fund:

Report from the College's Sustainability Committee:

Projects supported by the Green Fund to date;

1. Installation of 'low flow' showerheads in Stone-Davis at a cost of approximately $7,000. This project emerged from a class project that investigated six different showerheads to determine which ones would be best to install. The criteria included how much water they conserved, how appealing they were to the user etc. They were installed as a pilot project in partnership between Facilities and EcoReps and the results will be used to guide the installation of new showerheads across campus. As part of the project, '5 minute shower reminders' were distributed to encourage the use of shorter showers. This fits into the Sustainability Committee's goal of reducing campus water consumption by an additional 25% by 2013.

2. The most visible project has been the creation of "Zip Cups", a creative title echoing the use of Zip Cars on campus. At a cost of $5,200, this project was done by Dining Services in partnership with the Sustainability Committee and is very popular. The program was launched in January and there are already requests to expand it.

3. Installation of Brita Filters on taps in Shafer at a cost of $300. This, too, is a pilot project aimed at discouraging the consumption of bottled water. This emerged from a class project and was implemented in coordination with Facilities. The students also ran a campaign to encourage their peers to use less bottled water. Usage is being monitored closely as are the labor and filter replacement costs. If the program proves to be effective, it will be expanded across campus.

4. By far the most expensive project has been the replacement of the lighting in the parking garage, the cost of which was $38,000. Over wintersession, a number of the existing metal halide lights were replaced with double amp fluorescents as a test of the lighting quality. The new lights will be approximately 60% less costly to run, resulting in the elimination of the equivalent of over 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the air on an annual basis.

B. Going Forward;

1. During January, an outside consultant was hired to do an audit which is expected to yield ideas that is likely to result in projects that will be suitable to utilize the resources of the Green Fund.

2. Student Groups as part of their course work continue to generate new suggestions which may prove eligible for pilot project funding. One student group has actually started a small farm on campus which may be expanded with the support of the Green Fund.

3. The Sustainability Committee has issued a call for new proposals for the fiscal year '08-'09 and has been discussing in a very thoughtful way how to maximize the use of the Green Fund.

1957 Sustainable 50th Reunion Report

The Carbon Footprint for the 50th Reunion was calculated by Lauren Gritzke '07. Travel consumes the most fossil fuel. The Alumnae Office supplied her with the travel statistics of the past three 50th Reunions. There was similarity in attendance and distance traveled among all three. Therefore, we then made the assumption that our 1957 Class would be emitting a similar amount of carbon dioxide as 50th reunion classes did in the preceding three years. Transportation from home to the Reunion was estimated to be 71 tons of CO2 emissions. The Reunion Committee voted to offset the transportation by purchasing motion detectors for the 50 vending machines on campus.

There are fifty machines. Vending "misers", as they're called, save 1.14 tons of CO2 a Year per machine. Fifty machines will save 57(!)tons a year and 114 tons in two years. This more than covers transportation, leaving forty-three tons for transportation during the Reunion, accommodations and food.

Paper for all mailing and for the paper used for Reunion information at the Reunion was on 35% recycled paper. The Social Hours Chairman supplied the dorm with a water bubbler to eliminate the need for plastic bottles. She supplied 100% recycled paper napkins and biodegradable plastic cups for cocktail hours.

Goals for a 2012 Sustainable 55th Reunion

100% recycled paper for Reunion mailings.
e-mail option rather than postal mail for pre-Reunion mailings
100% recycled paper used for Reunion items, e.g. schedules, name tags
Insignia from recycled material
Fluorescent lighting in hallways and dorm rooms, motion detectors for bathroom lighting.
off-site hotel accommodations that use eco-friendly practices in heating and cooling, lighting, laundry, cleaning products
Intra campus transportation by hybrid vehicles
Food and flowers local or organic
Recycling of all materials used for the Reunion including composting of food waste
Offset of carbon dioxide emissions from travel from home to Reunion

One final comment. The Reunion Committee requested speakers from the Environmental Studies Department to be included in faculty lectures. There was a speaker in each time slot. They were excellent and the lectures were well attended. We also spearheaded a panel discussion on Saturday on "The Landscape of Wellesley". Two of the five panelists were from the Environmental Studies Department. Again, it was well attended, informative and well received.

Sustainability Information:

Kilowatt Saving Tips by Jane Bindley

Appliances:

Refrigerator - Set refrigerator at 37-40 degrees and freezer at 0-5 degrees. Open and close quickly. Cool hot foods before storing. Keep full as it is easier to cool food than air. Clean the condenser coils at least once a year. If you have a second refrigerator you use rarely, unplug it.

Dishwasher - Don't pre-rinse! Scrape off food. Run only with a full load. Set at the shortest possible cycle. Use the energy saving mode or let the dishes air dry.

Washing Machine - Run only when full. Use warm or cold water instead of hot.

Dryer - Clean lint filter before loads and vent pipe once a year. Donâ€™t over dry. Dry heavier weight fabrics separately from lighter weight fabrics. Hang clothes outside on a line or rack.

Oven and Stove - Avoid opening oven during cooking; use the oven light instead. Preheat the oven only as needed. Cover pots and pans to heat faster. Turn the oven or stove off a few minutes before done and let residual heat finish cooking. Use a toaster oven, convection oven or microwave whenever possible.

Water Cooler - Throw it out!!! Studies have shown that tap water is as safe if not safer than bottled. Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator.

Replace old Appliances - with energy efficient models. New Energy Star refrigerators use about half as much electricity as models manufactured before 1993. Energy Star washing machines use 75% less water and extract more water from clothes, reducing drying time.

Electronics:

Unplug appliances when not in use.
Turn off computers and peripheral equipment. Screen savers do not save energy.
Buy energy efficient electronics, like laptops vs. desktops.

Lights:

Turn off lights when you leave a room!
Switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFL's use 25% of the electricity and last 10 times longer.
For locations where CFL's don't work, consider using a lower wattage bulb.
Replace outdoor lights with motion detector lights.

Heating (for houses heated by electricity):

Keep thermostat at 68 degrees in the winter. Install programmable thermostats so as to be able to turn down temperature at night.
Lower hot water heater to 120 degrees. Buy te most efficient model and install the best size.
As with air conditioning systems, insulate, seal air leaks, properly maintain equipment and replace with Energy Star models.

Air Conditioning:

Keep your thermostat above 72 degrees.
Close curtains during the day to keep eat and sunlight out. Open windows during the night.
Repair or replace any damaged or improperly sized ducts.
Use a dehumidifier if it is humid but not too hot outside. Use a ceiling fan when possible.
Keep hot air out; seal air leaks, insulate and install Energy Star windows.
Replace old room or central systems with energy efficient models.

Solar Energy:

Investigate generating some of your electricity needs with solar panels. Southern facing roofs with good sun exposure are prime candidates.
Install a solar hot water heater and reduce your water heating bill by 50-85%. Solar water heaters are feasible for many homes since they require only a few panels and work in almost any climate.

Resources:

www.energystar.gov - information on energy efficient products and practices.
www.westonclimategroup.com - 12 steps to reduce global warming and the Global Warming Cafe.
www.masssave.com - Home energy audits and rebates
Purchase a 'Kill a Watt Electric Power Usage Monitor' by P3 International. It measures energy consumption.
Read The Home Energy Diet by Paul Scheckel. He is an energy auditor.