Posted on March 27, 2008
Turning off the light when you’re not in the room is a simple task, but this month it could win dorm dwellers a free T-shirt.
The Clean Energy Coalition and the Office of Residence Life are hosting the first “Green Wars-the Village Strikes Back” putting the Village dorms head-to-head to see which dorm can conserve the most electricity and water.
“We want to show that the quality of life can be just as good using less energy,” said junior Ryan Powanda, founder of the Clean Energy Coalition.
Facilities management will provide weekly updates on each dorm’s energy and water usage. At the end of the month-long war, which ends April 14, the dorm that conserves the largest energy percentage will be awarded T-shirts. Any non winning dorms that conserve at least 10 percent or more will receive $100 for their Community Council, according to Powanda.
“Simple things can really make a difference – like turning off a computer at night,” Powanda said. “Lights don’t need to be left on when you’re not in the room, the faucet doesn’t need to be left on when you’re not brushing your teeth. “If we all could do it, it would really make a difference.”
The Village area was chosen because each of its dorms has its own electric and water meter, according to Powanda. Also, they wanted to keep the operation small for its first year.
“We wanted to get out all these green living tips and really focus on the Village and kind of empower them to reduce their own usage more in their dorm life,” Powanda said.
Powanda founded the CEC in 2006 to unite all of the environmentally related clubs on campus to focus on sustainability and renewable energy. It currently consists of 12 clubs including the EARTH club, the Association of Energy Engineers and the Environmental Business Club.
Last year, the CEC proposed the Green Fund, which lobbied for a collection of student fees to be used to increase the campus’s energy efficiency.
Despite the 81 percent student vote in favor of the Green Fund, it was rejected by the university because they had already completed its budget for the following year and disliked the idea of increasing student fees, according to Powanda.
“The university chose not to establish a Green Fund to fund sustainability projects,” said Towana Moore, associate vice president for business services. “Once the recommendations have been reviewed and decisions made about implementation, the university will fund the sustainability recommendations chosen.”
According to Powanda, JMU wants to enact more environmentally efficient measures through state funding rather than at the cost of the student. No state funding for such efforts have been approved.
Although the Green Fund was rejected, the university attempts to conserve energy through their operation-policies. Low-flushing toilets, low flowing showers and faucets, occupancy sensors and more efficient fluorescent light fixtures all contribute to campus wide energy and water conservation.
Besides creating the CEC, Powanda advocates environmental issues outside of JMU as well. In fall 2006, he won MTV’s “Break the Addiction Challenge” by catching the eye of the JMU press with his “green” efforts. Eager to use his $1,000 prize to fund CEC events, he is still waiting on his reward from MTV, who has failed to respond to phone calls and e-mails.
Powanda said he hopes that the Village’s competitive spirit sparks a surge of conservation.
