Nov. 18:
Greener Virginia-CommonHealth workshop, USB 102, 1-3pm

Earth Portal

The Earth Portal is a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment.

The university will be an environmentally literate community whose members think critically and act, individually and collectively, as model stewards of the natural world. – A JMU Defining Characteristic

What can I do?

A Guide 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

Use compact florescent lights, turn off unnecessary lights, turn off lights when leaving, avoid space heaters, share fridges, and enable the energy saving settings on your computer, and turn off your monitor if not in use for more than a few minutes. The 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. In 2008, Americans saved enough energy with ENERGY STAR products to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 29 million cars – while saving $19 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. JMU spent $14.5 million on various forms of energy in 2008. 19% of JMU's energy was in the form of renewable energy.

Use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are done using equipment. Even when turned off, electronic and IT equipment often use a small amount of electricity. Check out a power meter from Carrier Library’s 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.

Ride a bike, walk, or take any other non-motorized form of transportation once a week. Ride the bus or carpool to campus at least occasionally. Or, ride your bike to your nearest bus stop, where you can put your bike on the bus. Harrisonburg Transit service is free to the riders with JAC cards. See when and where you can catch the bus

While on campus, walk one-way and take the two free intercampus shuttles which run every 15 minutes. View the two schedules: ICS 1 Schedule & ICS 2 Schedule. Or park at the Convocation Center and take the Convo Express. Go to the JMU x-map to calculate how many calories you burn as you walk to and from your destinations on campus. Transportation accounts for 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. (USEPA)

More tools and transportation information are at the transportation portal

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. Practice water conservation. 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. 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.

Digitize your work. Think twice before printing, send emails instead of paper letters, and keep files on computers instead of filing cabinets. Recycle paper when you do print. The average office worker throws out 350 lbs of paper a year. (National Resource Defense Council)

Learn more at the JMU Dining Services’ sustainability website.

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. See Fact or Fiction for a list of what JMU recycles and information on how to order a free desk-side recycling bin. 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 $0.40 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

PARTICIPATE

Participate in our living laboratory: attend classes at the Arboretum, train to run Science on a Sphere, attend the planetarium shows, reserve a hybrid vehicle from the motor pool for business trips, or sign up for a class.

RecycleMania at JMU 2009, Third in State - Waste Minimization

No Drive Day 2008

Campus Sustainability Day 2008: Trash Sort and Sustainable Business Competition Announcement