November 7, 2007

The Margin
Lighten up!

Tom Kingston l contributing columnist

Stanford University is giving away 7,000 light bulbs. They expect this will reduce energy costs by $50,000. Incoming first-years were asked by e-mail over the summer to bring to campus only lamps that use a standard screw-in bulb. These students will be given compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs): which use 13 watts — much less than the standard 60 watt desk lamp bulbs.

In the program's second phase, the Sierra Club will provide an additional 5,000 CFLs as part of a nationwide initiative to promote the use of efficient lighting on college campuses. These CFLs will be distributed to upper-class students, graduate students and staff.

The CFL giveaway is part of Stanford Student Housing's Living Green program, which encourages students to use energy and water efficiently, to reduce and recycle waste, and to make sustainable choices when eating or shopping.

"Our nationally recognized Living Green program seeks to make sustainability a part of students' daily lives in their homes on campus," said Rodger Whitney, executive director of student housing and chief housing officer for Stanford.

The green program helps not only the environment but students' wallets as well.

"Through the joint conservation efforts of students and our department retrofit projects, we have reduced annual housing utility costs by $650,000, which helps keep room rates in check," Whitney added.

If the CFL giveaway program proves successful, student housing administrators say they would like to offer it in future years.

Stanford is similar to St. Michael's College in that both schools are nearly 100 percent residential. The difference is we do not yet have a sustainability program within the Residence Life department.

What we do have is a band of sustainability crusaders known as Green-Up, the student environmental club. Green-Up’s CFL giveaway began last year. Using money from the Green-Up club budget and a contribution from the Student Association, they acquired 1000 light bulbs and marched through the dorms getting people to give them a try.

The second phase of Green-Up’s CFL giveaway is going on this year, with an additional 750 compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The folks at Stanford are quite proud of themselves, as they should be, for their new energy conservation program is the largest of its kind at an American university.

Similarly, Green-Up should also be proud for taking the leadership on sustainability by implementing and coordinating a tremendous energy conservation program.