WHAT
CAN STUDENTS DO? |
We've put put together a list of simple and inexpensive things you can do to make your own life more sustainable, without added costs! |
Why should you even consider these? Click here to find out about YOUR Ecological Footprint!
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We have all of these tips and more in our pdf of our brochure that outlines the simple steps below that can make a Auburn more sustainable. |
Sustainable Practices for Students at Auburn University (Click
for a pdf of our brochure) Share the pdf with your friends and family, but if you print it out, please use post-consumer recycled content paper.
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Take Tiger Transit,
ride a bicycle, or walk. Per passenger, public
transportation uses considerably less fuel than
individual cars, and Tiger Transit is already paid
for in your student fees. Starting Fall 2007 all Tiger Transit buses are running on biodiesel, reducing their emissions are even further. If you want more flexibility in your schedule (or any of the other
great benefits) biking to school even just one day
a week can also save you hundreds of dollars in
gas costs each year. Biking can also save time.
Compared to driving a car, in-town bicycle trips
of three miles or less can actually decrease your
travel time, and with no polluting emissions
-For more information on the Tiger
Transit including schedules and routes click
HERE.
-For more information on cycling in
Auburn click HERE.
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For every 5 MPH you drive over
60 MPH your fuel cost is increased by 20 cents
per gallon. That means that a trip to Atlanta at
80 MPH rather than 60 MPH would cost 27%
more in gas expenses. Also avoid heavy acceleration.
Being a lead-foot can use up to four times
as much fuel as moderate acceleration
(fueleconomy.gov).
-For more information about driving your current car more efficiently click
HERE.
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...by buying durable rather
than disposable products. Not only are you
reducing your waste, but high quality durable
goods (ceramic plates and cups, cloth napkins,
refillable razors, canvas shopping bags, reusable
food containers) are more pleasant to use than
something designed to be thrown away. Once you've done that...
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- Recycle Everything You Can Through AU
RECYCLING
It really does reduce
the energy needed to manufacture packaging and
reduces the need for raw materials. In January 2002, a trash audit was
conducted at Auburn University by the EAO (Environmental Awareness
Organization) to determine the contents of dumpsters on campus.
A total of 2400 lb (5250 gal) of trash was sorted from 8 dumpsters.
The audit showed that more than 50% of the dumpster contents
both by weight and volume were recyclable. Since that point Auburn University has been working to develop a full scale Recycling Program starting in all the offices on campus. Recycling opportunities for students and other parts of campus are coming along each semester. Do your part by recycling
both on campus and off. Finally, make
sure you "close the circle" and buy products that
are made from recycled materials.
-For information about Auburn University's
recycling program, including locations of recycling bins and
a recyclable material list, click HERE.
-For information on recycling in the
city of Auburn click HERE.
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Did you know that in the U.S. food
generally travels 1,500-2,000 miles to get to
your table? (Worldwatch.org Paper #163) Instead
of buying your produce at a grocery store visit
the Auburn University Farmer's Market (spring
through early fall). This is not only healthier and
tastes better, but it also supports the local
economy and family farmers, reduces air pollution
and wasteful packaging, and reduces our
need for oil.
In addition to buying local produce, put your
dollars to work in Auburn, support our locally
owned businesses instead of large chain "big-box stores".
To find out more about buying Alabama
grown food click HERE.
Visit the Farmer's Market at
Ag Heritage Park. For
more information click HERE.
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Purchase an AU Lug-a-Mug to decrease the
number of disposable cups used on campus.
Reusing is even better than recycling (and those
drink cups aren't recyclable anyway!). Plus you
get a discount whenever you fill it on campus
and at selected shops around town. If everyone
at AU used a refillable mug once a day we would
save thousands of disposable cups a day;
millions per year!
The Auburn University Lug-a-Mug program
offers travel mugs for sale at discounted prices. The holder
of a mug receives a discount on all fountain drinks and coffee
drinks purchased on campus and at participating off-campus merchants
(Bizilia's Cafe, Cambridge Coffee, Taylor's Bakery). Lug-A-Mugs
can be purchased for $6.50 at:
- The WPB Starbucks & Outtakes coffee shop
(bottom floor of the Library)
- The Haley Center coffee shop (on the first
floor)
- The War Eagle Food Court in Foy Union (at the cashiers)
- The Drawing Board in Dudley Hall
The goal of the Lug-A-Mug program is to encourage people
to go beyond recycling to waste reduction.
-For more information on the Lug-A-Mug
click HERE.
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Purchase a refillable water bottle and fill it
at home and around campus (choose a nonleaching
plastic or stainless steel, it is not
recommended that you refill #1 soda and water
bottles). Not only is it cheaper and reduces
plastic waste compared to buying individual
bottles of water, but Auburn tap water is held to
more stringent purity standards (by U.S. EPA)
than any purchased bottled water (regulated by
U.S. FDA).
For more information on bottled water click HERE.
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One of the easiest ways to become more
sustainable and save money is simply by being more efficient in your use of electricity for computers and lighting.
Turn off your computer when it is not in
use.
Computers use about the same amount of
power when they're idling as when they are being
used actively. For those times that you walk away
and forget to turn it off, your monitor should be
set to sleep after 15 minutes (not a screen saver
that still uses the normal amount of power). It
takes only seconds for it to come back on, and
you can reduce your computer's electricity use
dramatically.
Turn off the lights when you aren't in the
room.
And switch to compact fluorescent light
bulbs which use 66% less energy than a standard
incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer.
Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a
32-watt compact fluorescent can save you at
least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
Even if your apartment or dorm doesn't give you
a separate bill for electricity, you are paying for
the cost of the electricity you use in your rent
(energystar.gov). If you're on campus at the end of the day, turn off lights that other people may have left on. We're all paying for that waste power!
For more information on compact fluorescent
lightbulbs click HERE.
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Report drips and running toilets A dripping faucet can waste up to
2,000 gallons of water a year. If every household
in America had a faucet that dripped once each
second, 928 million gallons of water a day would
leak away. If it's in your apartment, let your landlord know, and report drips and running fixtures on campus to Auburn
Facilities Division at 844-4357.
For more information on saving water in and around your place click HERE
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- Take a Class That Incorporates Sustainability
Auburn University offers an array of classes that
tackle these issues in departments ranging from
architecture and engineering to history and
anthropology. This semester we're working on a list of all the classes that address sustainability, but until then give us a call or an email and we can give you some suggestions. Here are a couple of examples:
- SUST 2000 (Intro to Sustainability)
- UNIV
1100 (EarthSmart)
- HIST
3970 (Environmental History)
- ART 2510
(Sculpture I)
- ART 3530
(Sculpture III)
- FINC 3630 (Advanced Business Finance)
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- Join a Sustainable Student Group
Auburn Sustainability Action Program (ASAP)
-For more information or to join you
can contact Brittany Branyon
Environmental
Awareness Organization (EAO)
-For more information or to join you
can contact Paul Warren.
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- Volunteer at the Sustainability
Initiative
To become involved with one of our numerous projects, contact the Sustainability Initiative
at 334-844-7777 or by emailing Matt Williams |
