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Aparna Dial, program director in energy and sustainability

Posted on | October 7, 2009 | 337 views |

What can I do from my desk to help with the campus green initiatives?
The Ohio State University, as a flagship of public education and research and as a function of its commitment to sustainability, has the responsibility to be a leader in addressing sustainability by setting expectations for the conduct of our campus community. The commitment to campus sustainability is a responsibility shared by each and every member of our campus community. Here are some guidelines that each of us can follow:
• Shut off all non-essential lighting particularly in classrooms, restrooms and office space when not in use particularly during nights and weekends. Shut off artificial lighting when natural light is sufficient for the task at hand.
• Purchase and use environmentally friendly products such as energy-efficient appliances and lighting fixtures with features enabled.
• Turn off energy-consuming devices, such as personal computers, fax machines, printers, copiers, other office equipment, electric space heaters and window air conditioners when not in use — particularly during nights and weekends.
• Dress appropriately for the season and expect office and academic spaces to be at 70°F and 76°F during the heating and air conditioning seasons respectively.
• Report all issues such as leaks, dripping faucets and fixtures that do not shut off, energy issues such as overheating and overcooling of building areas to Service2Facilities by calling 292-HELP (Medical Center call 293-8645).
• Reduce waste and conserve resources by making double-sided copies only and printing only when necessary.
• Recycle. Use the campus recycling bins for recyclable items which include printed and written paper, bottles and cans (fod.osu.edu/recycling).
• Reuse. Check with OSU Surplus (8help.osu.edu/3774.html) for your office furniture needs or for donating unwanted furniture items or office equipment such as computers rather than throwing it away, and set up a storage area in your office for used office supplies so they can be reused by others.
• Dispose of chemicals and chemical waste appropriately by calling 292-1284 or requesting a pickup at ehs.ohio-state.edu/secure.
• Conserve water whenever possible.
• Use sustainable transportation modes and options such as walking, biking, car pooling and public transportation whenever possible.

If everyone who works at OSU does as you suggest, what would that mean in terms of effect?
Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must be the change we seek.” Seeds of change are sprouting all over campus. Sustainability is a team sport; it is not possible for one individual or even a department to create institutional change — it takes everyone’s buy-in and participation to make a real change. This is completely consistent with President Gee’s mandate of one Ohio State University. If we all do our part, OSU will become a learning and living laboratory for the practice and development of sustainability. These actions will have positive economic, societal and environmental impacts. For instance, we will achieve our 40 percent recycling goal, we will reduce our annual utility bill for the Columbus campus (which is expected to be almost $70 million for fiscal year 2010) and we will reduce our campus carbon footprint. We are going through tough economic times. In a period where we are struggling to generate resources, one of our most effective weapons is to conserve and efficiently use the resources that we have.

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