Simple solutions
Exceeding our targets
At Camosun College, we're on our way to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 1000 tonnes a year by 2012, beating the target of 200 tonnes we set for ourselves at the start of our Energy Management project in 2007. We're ahead of schedule by working with BC Hydro and the provincial government to measure and optimize energy usage on campus, as well as figure out where we can use the latest green technologies to reduce our energy consumption and make our community more sustainable.
We're not just relying on technology to lower our environmental footprint. Camosun College is making sure we perform a lot of small fixes to reduce energy consumption, including switching off boilers, reducing the temperature of hot water for mopping floors, converting to more energy efficient lighting and even making sure any new carpets we install actually help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Changing behaviour and acting as part of the global community
Employees, staff and students at Camosun College are also helping make sure energy conservation is a community effort.
Angie Bowles shows Camosun energy initiatives.
"We all want to do the right thing for the environment, but it can be complicated because Camosun is also a small city—the 38 buildings spread over 128 acres are home to 13,000 students, faculty and staff," says Angie Bowles, a Camosun College employee who has worked hard to promote energy awareness on campus. "By working together, the Camosun community can be part of the larger movement to collectively curb climate change."
Bowles has spearheaded a number of campaigns to increase energy conservation at Camosun, including working with custodial staff to collect hard-to-find information about how many lights and computer monitors are left on each evening at the end of the business day. This data will be used to help change workplace behaviour and continue Camosun's efforts to conserve energy and become more sustainable.
Taking 40 vehicles off the road
"Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 1000 tonnes per year by 2012 is the equivalent of saving 800 acres of forest, or taking 40 vehicles off the road," says Bowles. "Sustainability is integral to the college's strategic and education plans, and energy conservation is now part of the everyday thinking at Camosun."
Dave says:
27-Apr-2011 12:16pm
Great initiative and people seem to be getting it. Here's another idea. Listen for a minute, anytime from Spring to mid-Fall, and you can hear the equivalent of 44 vehicles spewing emissions over 20,000 km annually.
Our grounds are maintained by carbon-spewing lawn mowers, gas-powered trimmers and gas-powered leaf-blowers. Aside from being unnecessarily noisy they are some of the worst polluters on the planet. Despite regulation, gas powered small engines emit carbon at a rate far exceeding ... read more »