Practice

The student-run JMU bicycle library, CycleShares, provides cost-free short-term bicycle use and bicycle maintenance to students.

What is JMU doing?

ISNW Newsletter — The Verdant Progress
July 2011 Issue: 2010-11 Campus Environmental Stewardship Highlights
September 2010 Issue:  2009-10 Campus Environmental Stewardship Highlights

HR Horizons Articles
Celebrate Earth Day with a Week of Activities HR Horizons - April 2011
How Bad for the Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be? HR Horizons - January 2011
Save Time, Money, and Fuel by Carpooling HR Horizons - October 2010

What can I do?

A Starting Point for Stewards of the Natural World
Where to begin?  Here, with the Guide for Stewards of the Natural World.
Want to learn more? See the full Go Green Virginia Guide and the ENERGY STAR information page.

ENERGY

Power Down and Unplug

• Turn off unnecessary lights, turn off lights when leaving, use compact florescent lights, avoid space heaters, share refrigerators, enable the energy saving settings on your computer, and turn off your monitor if not in use for more than a few minutes. The annual energy used by all corporate PC’s that are left on all night costs $172 billion and produces 14 million tons of carbon dioxide. (http://www.ase.org/)
• Purchase energy-efficient appliances with the ENERGY STAR label. When you purchase appliances, look for ENERGY STAR rated units that meet strict energy efficient guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars — all while saving nearly $18 billion on their utility bills. (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index)
• Produce renewable energy by using the elliptical machines at UREC that have been specially outfitted to produce electricity. 19% of JMU's energy qualifies as renewable energy.  The elliptical machines at UREC produce very little energy, but are an important educational tool.
• Use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are done using electronics. Even when turned off, electronic equipment often uses a small amount of electricity. Check out a power meter from the ISNW permanent reserve and measure the energy savings potential from using a power strip to fully disconnect your electronics. Using a power strip for your computer and all peripheral equipment allows you to completely disconnect the power supply from the power source, eliminating standby power consumption.

TRANSPORTATION

Move Efficiently

• Visit Navigate JMU to find the best ways to get around campus.
• Ride a bike, walk, or take any other non-motorized form of transportation to campus at least once a week. Or, ride your bike to your nearest bus stop, where you can put your bike on the bus.  Use JMUs online tool to identify a carpool. See when and where you can catch the bus, how to identify a carpool, and fine other transportation resources at Navigate JMU.
• While on campus, walk one-way and take the free intercampus shuttles which run about every 10 minutes.  View the bus schedules and other tools at Navigate JMU. Transportation accounts for 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. (USEPA)

WATER

Conserve Water

• Reduce the length of your showers, watering, and dishwashing. Reduce the amount of water you let flow into the sink as you wash your hands or shave. Wash full loads.  Use cold water.  Hang dry clothes. Call your building coordinator to report water or other maintenance issues.

See how JMU is managing stormwater.

WASTE

Consume Wisely 

• Buy locally-produced products. Avoid canned and bottled beverages and use the water fountains. Buy in bulk. Harrisonburg has a local Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and Tuesdays, April-June and now every other Saturday in the winter months. Get your local foods guide.
• Eat locally at JMU.  JMU’s Dining Services offers 200 locally-grown choices. In the US, some grocery store’s’ produce travels 1,500 miles from the farm to your refrigerator. Further, fresh, unprocessed food is healthier. Learn more at the JMU Dining Services’ sustainability website.
• Digitize your work. Think twice before printing, send emails instead of paper letters, and keep files on computers instead of filing cabinets. Use a partial piece of paper for brief documents such as flyers and agendas.  Recycle paper when you do print. The average office worker throws out 350 lbs of paper a year. (National Resource Defense Council)

 

Reuse

• Practice the 5 R’s: rethink, repair, reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Avoid disposable cups, utensils, and bags by carrying your own mug, utensils and reusable cloth bags.  Use reusable containers at select dining locations. Actively participate in recycling on campus. Also, check out the Deskside Bin Recycling Guideline. By bringing your lunch to work in a non-disposable container, you save 60 lbs of waste per year on average. On campus, fountain refills for JMU 22 oz mugs are less than 24 oz drinks in a disposable cup! When you do use a plastic bag, reuse it and recycle it on campus.
• Use both sides of a paper.  Designate a printer tray for draft printing only.  Put paper with one used side in that tray, widen your margins, and print your drafts on the reused paper. As policy, the Copy Centers on campus will ask if you want back-to-back printing.  Say yes to this!
• Have confidential material shredded rather than burned. Learn more about recycling and waste minimization at the Recycling website