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Volume 3, Issue 3

January 2011

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A Community Where We Are All Welcome

To see a difference is to be the differ-ence. Conservation, resource usage and other pro-environmental practices are on the brink of becoming universal phe-nomenon and being implemented worldwide. The problem is what we are not doing and why we are not doing it. In short, students who make up a ma-jority of the UGA campus may not be fulfilling their potential to come togeth-er and contribute to sustainability ef-forts.

At first, most students might not con-sider the residence halls as luxurious. However, after looking at the daily lives of students in the halls, one can begin to see how the halls easily accommo-date their lives. Perhaps, too easily. Not only are we provided with unlimited running water, but we fail to recognize our responsibility when abusing that resource. If we leave the showers on for an extra 10 minutes while we run back to the room, there is no one there to reprimand us for our wasteful ac-tions.

We take resources for granted because we can, and the disturbing part is that it will take a drastic loss for most to notice. Here’s a challenge for all those living in the halls: go one day with lim-ited resource usage—perhaps go a whole day completely free of usage and see what it is like. Think about the fact that this may be a glimpse into what life will look like in 20-30 years when there are no resources left.

The good news is we are not doomed—there is something (several things) that we can do to conserve. Would you like to become a member of a “living green” community? Looks like there is room for you, your friends and even those who are not yet your friends in this community. Make it a priority to join today. It’s not difficult, there are no membership fees, and I’m sure some of you environmentally conscious people have joined without even realizing.

From personal experiences, what turns me on to conservation most is seeing my active peers on campus. Nothing brightens up my day more than seeing a student go out of his/her way to pick up five newspapers and walk the extra

30 feet to recycle them. In addition, there are students who remain con-scious of conserving by recycling, mini-mizing electricity use and advocating those efforts to others.

Residence hall life is one place where opportunities to go green are knocking on your door, literally. In Creswell Hall, the going green efforts are so immense that there is no excuse for the lack of participants. For example, the RA on my floor works to encourage recycling and will personally come knocking on our doors asking us to participate in creating our own recycle bins for our rooms. In addition, the signs posted by each mirror in the bathrooms serve as daily reminders that “every drop counts.” The girls on 8C in Creswell Hall have been doing their part because I have yet to notice a sink left turned on or a shower running excessively. These small, daily water conservation efforts are making sizeable impacts on our so-ciety as a whole.

Looking for a new year’s resolution? Turn 2011 into a year for conservation by taking shorter showers, turning the sink off when its not in use, turning off your lights, unplugging everything when you’re finished, doing larger laun-dry loads, and recycling bottles, paper, and cans.

The University of Georgia encompasses a wide spectrum of individuals with dif-fering opinions. However, one thing we can all agree on is our complete reli-ance on natural resources. Further-more, we also agree on the fact that we need and want to keep these resources around. It is true that individual contri-butions will eventually come together to make a difference, but it is even more important to be examples to the gener-ations to come and work to raise awareness in others. So, for the con-servation of our environment, let us put all of our extraneous differences aside and tackle sustainability together. Fi-nally, there is a community for all 35,000 students to live in unison—the “living green” community.

Article contributed by Jackie Rachadi, a first-year student from Alpharetta, Ga. who resides in Creswell Hall and is majoring in pre-business.

University Housing Sustainability Initiative: Green Cleaning

desire to reduce the number of chemicals used during cleaning, over the past couple of years, Uni-versity Housing has reduced its number of general cleaners from up to 15 to the three being used today. Other more specialized cleaners continue to be used as needed. In addition to using green cleaners, housing staff also use vacuums that improve indoor air quality and mi-cro fabric towels that can be reused in order to conserve paper while cleaning.

Did you know that your residence hall is being cleaned with green products? Green cleaning products are environmentally-friendly prod-ucts that are free of chemicals and toxins. Green products are water based, have no odors, improve indoor air quality and most im-portantly, are safe for students and staff. The University Housing building services staff uses three general cleaners—two of which are green cleaning products. Because of a

Page 2 L iv ing Green

RecycleMania 2011—Volunteers Needed

It’s time for RecycleMania 2011! RecycleMania is a friendly competi-tion for college and university re-cycling programs across the nation to promote waste reduction activi-ties to their campus communities. The 2011 RecycleMania competi-tion will run eight weeks from Sun-day, February 6th through Satur-day, April 2nd. The eight week tournament will be preceded by two pre-season reporting weeks beginning January 23rd. UGA has-n’t placed nationally in the tourna-ment since 2008, when the univer-sity received a 3rd place finish in the per capita classic, partial cam-pus division. This year, we hope to once again finish in the top 10!

The overall goals for RecycleMania are: 1. Have a fair and friendly recy-

cling competition; 2. Increase recycling participation

by students and staff; 3. Heighten awareness of the

school’s waste management and recycling programs;

4. Expand economic opportunities while addressing environmental issues in a positive way; and

5. Lower waste generated on cam-pus by reducing, reusing and recycling.

In an effort to coordinate Recy-cleMania in University Housing, a number of subcommittees must be established. These committees are open to all residents and staff in housing. The following subcommit-tees need volunteers: • Marketing Subcommittee: This

is probably one of the most im-portant committees. It will come up with and execute our marketing plan for Recy-cleMania.

• Kick-off Event Subcommittee: This committee will plan all of

the details for our major kick-off event.

• Competition Subcommittee: This committee will organize competitions within housing.

• Special Events Subcommittee: This committee will plan a weekly special event through-out the competition.

• Measurement Subcommittee: This committee will work staff from University Housing and the Physical Plant Division to track and report the measure-ment of our recyclables.

The 2011 housing portion of Recy-cleMania is being coordinated by Joel Eizenstat. If you are interest-ed in serving as a member of a RecycleMania subcommittee, p l e a s e c o n t a c t h i m a t jeizenst@uga.edu or 706-542-7068. RecycleMania is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise program and the National Recycling Coalition (NRC). It is coordinated as a pro-ject of NRC’s College and Universi-ty Recycling Council (CURC).

University Housing continues to explore technology and other alter-natives that can eliminate the use of all chemicals in the future. One possibility, the ionator EXPTM, is currently being tested in Brumby Hall. If it proves effective, the ionator EXPTM may reduce the need for having a chemical-based disin-fectant. In the meantime, housing staff will continue to research the best products available in the mar-ket that are the safest for students and staff.

Did you know . . .

The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth twice a day can save up to 8 gallons of water per day—that’s 240 gallons a month!

Volume 3, Issue 3 Page 3

University Housing’s Partnership to Increase Energy Efficiency

The Department of University Housing and Engineering Outreach Services (EOS) have established a three-part agreement aimed at finding and correcting energy inef-ficiencies throughout many resi-dence halls. EOS brings four years of successful campus energy audits identifying potential annual savings of over six million kilowatt-hours of electricity ($390,000), 11 million lbs. of steam ($132,000), three million cubic feet of natural gas ($44,000) and 7.5 million gallons of water ($64,000). Housing ex-pects this partnership to result in significant savings both in utility costs and decreasing the total car-bon footprint the department has on the environment. The first part of the agreement involves benchmarking the effi-ciency of University Housing facili-ties against facilities of other insti-tutions. This entails the develop-ment of a utility usage tool for all residence halls. The utility tool will create a means to track energy improvements as they are imple-mented—allowing housing to plot true efficiency gains and plan fu-ture energy improvement projects.

Housing utility data will be com-pared to survey data of other insti-tutions providing a benchmark of expectations for acceptable efficien-cy. Second, EOS will conduct an energy audit of the heating/cooling, light-ing and other systems of Myers and Reed Halls. This effort will review how students use heating/cooling controls, the efficiency of major heating/cooling equipment and how lighting is utilized throughout typi-cal days. Results will aid in deter-mining best programming for equip-ment and provide suggestions for the replacement of inefficient equip-ment and building components. Finally, as renovation efforts are conducted in Payne and Mary Lyndon Halls, EOS will provide de-sign support to ensure new systems will be as efficient as the state of the economy allows. A renovation effort affords housing a unique op-portunity to install building sys-tems, equipment and components with better efficiency. However, the process of determining efficiency requires many iterations of cost versus benefit analysis to ensure

selected solutions provide the best outcomes given the state of the economy. Invariably, some solu-tions will not provide operational pay back wi th in rea l i s t i c timeframes and will prove too costly. EOS consultations will aid in selecting the best solutions for the long term operations of Payne and Mary Lyndon Halls. The University Housing and EOS partnership is expected to provide students a more efficient place to live while attending UGA. The three-part approach will not only have a lasting effect on the specific operations of Reed, Myers, Payne and Mary Lyndon Halls, but will provide housing with tools for identifying future improvements. This effort continues housing’s strive for sustainable student housing and provides another point of pride for residents living on the campus of UGA. For more information on Engineer-ing Outreach Services and their contribution to the state of Geor-g ia , p l ease v i s i t h t tp : / /outreach.engineering.uga.edu/.

Upcoming Event: RHA Sustainability Program

SAVE THE DATE:

March 8, 2011; 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Myers Hall

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) will be having its annual com-mitment to sustainability program on Tuesday, March 8th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Myers Programming Room. In the past, par-ticipants have had the opportunity to learn about different aspects of sustainability and participate in activities related to “going green.” This year, will be no different! RHA has plans to host a sus-tainable art show which will feature pieces made from various household items. We hope you will join us in our efforts to educate the campus on the importance of green initiatives. There will be free food, free t-shirts and free fun!

UGA Office of Sustainability Upcoming Events . . . January 28 So Right-So Smart Film Screening and Discussion 12 p.m.; Classic Center, Grand Hall January 29 Green Life Expo 9 a.m.; Classic Center For more information about these events and additional upcoming events, visit http://www.sustainability.uga.edu/index.php?

Page 4 L iv ing Green

Greening a Disco-Era Wallflower

As part of the green initiatives at the University of Georgia, Universi-ty Housing has begun certifying the apartment buildings at Family and Graduate Housing. Through the Leadership in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design (LEED) rating system, the first of these buildings to pursue a LEED certification is Building N, a three-story building with 36 two-bedroom units. When the buildings were built in 1970, there was not a lot of concern about energy use and energy effi-cient buildings. This presented a unique set of challenges in the modernization of Building N.

The U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was formed in 1993 and established the LEED rating system as a way to define and measure ”green buildings.” The rating sys-tem uses a set of prerequisites and credits in five major categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environ-mental quality. The number of credits achieved determines the certification level of the building; certified (40-49 points), silver (50-59 points), gold (60-79 points) and platinum (80+ points).

The density of the surrounding res-idential area and the building’s proximity to a variety of services and infrastructure that supports the residents contributed to credits under the sustainable sites catego-ry. Covered bicycle storage for the residents and the designation of preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles

also contributed. An open space adjacent to the building provides habit for vegetation and wildlife. Water use reduction was achieved by replacing existing bathroom fix-tures and faucets with new water saving fixtures and faucets.

The greatest challenge for Building N was meeting the requirements of the energy and atmosphere prereq-uisites and credits. The building’s total energy use, including its me-chanical electrical and plumbing systems, had to be modeled in an energy simulation program and demonstrate an improvement over a base line performance rating. The existing interior lighting was replaced with highly efficient fluo-rescent fixtures and air-conditioning and heating equipment was re-placed with new more efficient equipment to reduce the amount of electricity the building uses. More efficient strategies for insulation were also put into place, including foam insulation injected into the hollow cells of the concrete-block walls and replacing the existing windows with new insulated glass windows with a solar reflective coating.

By modernizing an existing building, University Housing essentially recy-cled a building. Reuse of the exist-ing concrete structure, the interior and exterior concrete-block, and brick walls contributed to points under materials and resources. Se-lecting building materials that are made with recycled content, materi-al produced locally and material made from rapidly renewable

sources also achieved credits. Where possible, products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council were selected. To satisfy the re-quirements under indoor environ-mental quality, smoking was pro-hibited in the building and within 25 feet of building entrances. Fresh air to the apartments was provided through the air-conditioning equipment. All interior finishes, such as caulking, paint and flooring, were required to be low-emitting materials to reduce the quantity of indoor air contami-nates that are odorous and harm-ful such as volatile organic com-pounds (VOC). A common ingredi-ent in the adhesive used in wood products is urea-formaldehyde. The wood doors and cabinets in-stalled inside the building had to be made from low-emitting materi-als and contain no added urea-formaldehyde.

Greening an existing building un-der the LEED rating system has its unique challenges but also distinct advantages. The reuse of existing buildings and the use of materials with recycled content reduces the amount material going into land-fills. The University of Georgia is taking a leadership approach to greening the campus with its pur-suit of LEED certification for Build-ing N. To learn more about the Green Building Council and the LEED rat ing system, vis it www.usgbc.org.

Article contributed by Charles T. Orr, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, CSI, architect and LEED consultant, and can be reached at C_orr@comcast.net.

1. Remember to bring reusable tote bags to all stores for shopping. Each year, Americans throw away some 100 bil-lion polyethylene plastic bags. Only 0.6 percent of plastic bags a r e r e c y c l e d ( h t t p : / /www.worldwatch.org/node/1499).

2. Practice double-sided printing, which can significantly reduce pa-per consumption.

3. Use refillable bottles.

4. Unplug appliances when not in use. Idle appliances and cell phone chargers still draw electricity even when they are not be-ing used. Also, always be sure to turn off your computer when it is not in use.

5. Turn off the water when brushing teeth.

Page 5

Sustainable Resolutions

Russell Hall Athens, GA 30602

The Un ivers i ty of Georg ia Div is ion of Student Af fa i rs

Univers i ty Housing

Phone: 706-542-1421 Fax: 706-542-8595

E-mail: housing@uga.edu

Living Green is a quarterly news-letter distributed to University Housing residents and staff mem-bers and is written and published by the Department of University Housing at The University of Georgia.

For information about this issue of Living Green or to submit arti-cles for future publication, please contact:

Carla Dennis, Editor cadennis@uga.edu

Contributors for this issue:

Barrett Beck

Matthew Deason

Carla Dennis

Joel Eizenstat

Kim Ellis

Martha Matlock

Charles Orr

Jackie Rachadi

Kristy Walker

www.uga.edu/housing

Housing Website Addition

The University Housing website now has a link showcasing department ini-tiatives with regards to sus-tainability. This link in-cludes resources, recycling locations and a list of up-coming programs and events. See for yourself at h t t p : / / w w w . u g a . e d u /hous ing/susta inabi l i ty/index.html.

Resolutions are a popular way to start the New Year. Try to incorporate these five simple resolutions into your daily—more sustainable—lifestyle for 2011 (and beyond). . .

Film Series Spring Line Up Tuesday; February 8, 2011 The Garden

Can the largest urban garden grow in the shadow of corrup on and greed?

The 14‐acre community garden in Central Los Angeles was the largest of its kind in the United States. It was started as a form of healing a er the devasta ng L.A. riots in 1992. Since then, South Central farmers have created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods, but now bulldozers threaten their oasis.

Tuesday; March 8, 2011 Dirt!

A story with heart and soil

Dirt! tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fer lity—from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degrada on.

Tuesday; April 12, 2011 Fuel

Uncovering America’s dirty secret

Record high oil prices, global warming and an insa able demand for energy—these issues will be the catalyst for heated debates and posi ve change for many years to come. Fuel exposes shocking connec ons between the auto industry, the oil industry and the government, while exploring alterna ve energies such as solar, wind, electricity and non‐food‐based biofuels.

Films begin at 7 p.m. in the Creswell TV Lounge and are Blue Card events

Sponsored by the Department of University Housing

Volume 3, Issue 3