Last issue, I discussed the Clinton Global Initiative University, a national annual conference hosted by Bill Clinton to bring together the best and brightest new ideas from campuses all over the country. The goal of the conference is to share ideas about what your campus is doing to improve their community and the environment. ESU has been chosen to attend this conference and the Environmental Club, of which I am a member, will be representing the school.

Our project is two-fold: to implement new technology to reduce the school’s energy costs and create a comprehensive education program to inform the campus why energy conservation is important.    While the technology aspect of the plan is relatively simple, smart strips that automatically shut computers off when not in use, the education portion will be more involved. It relies on making adjustments to peoples’ mindsets, which is a much more complicated process than simply plugging in a smart strip.

When most people think about the things we need to conserve energy is pretty far down on their list of priorities. Objects like trees and endangered animals are tangible: we can see them, touch them, and notice when they aren’t around anymore.

But energy is immaterial and thus harder to measure. That’s why we all rush to help save polar bears, but forget to turn off the lights when we leave a room. Many people fail to see the connection between the two acts of conservation.

Whether we use a kilowatt or ten kilowatts of energy doesn’t matter to us because we can’t see the difference. There will be a difference on our meters, and eventually on our bills, but we won’t feel the difference the same way we would with the other items we are told to conserve.

I think part of the problem is that few people have a deep understanding of where their power comes from. I willingly admit that I don’t fully know how power arrives to my apartment. I know that it involves fossil fuels, petroleum, coal and possibly nuclear power, but I know little about how that is transformed into what lights my house.

When we talk about conserving energy we really mean conserving the resources that produce the energy. We should change the mindset to involve the concrete: the material used in the first few steps, instead of seeing it as the intangible final outcome.

So how does this relate to campus? Our project relates to reducing computer energy use. We’ve all seen how the campus computers are left on constantly; over the weekends and at night.  The goal of our project is to inform the campus why it is important to take that extra moment to shut off your computer when you are done for the day.

There are numerous reasons to do this. First and foremost it saves the school money. Lower energy bills are the most immediate savings. But computers will last longer if properly managed, and turning them off lengthens their shelf life.  This goes for monitors, printers and projectors as well.

Secondly, and more abstractly, it’s better for the environment. It means less energy is created, less energy is transported and fewer resources are consumed.

The most challenging part of this project will not be informing people of these facts. It will be getting them to care about the facts. Just because it’s good for the Earth, or the university for that matter, why should it affect how you life your life?

Through the Clinton Global Initiative we will share the multitude of reasons why a healthier more efficient campus will positively affect you as a student or employee. To the same degree we will show why a healthy and well managed planet can benefit you. It goes beyond simply “doing what’s right.” There are clear, measurable benefits that await us, once we are willing to make the simple changes.

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