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In an effort to become a sustainable institution, Yale University is
making institutional changes related to use of natural resources
(i.e., food, energy, water, land, air), systems and processes
(i.e., energy use, transportation, procurement, building design
and construction, waste management), and cultural sustainability.
If the institutional efforts on behalf of the Yale Administration
are to succeed, we must begin to foster a culture of individual
commitment as well....Wondering what you can do?
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On-campus: If you have a thermostat, in the winter months turn it
down when you leave for the day and at night before you go to bed.
Before raising the temperature, first layer with warmer clothes.
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Off-campus: If you have a thermostat, in the winter months turn
it down when you leave for the day and at night before you go
to bed. If you lower your thermostat by 1º Fahrenheit over
24 hours, you could save about 3% on your heating bill.
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You can quickly reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by
flicking the switch on lights, your computer, television, and other
electronic equipment when these items are not actively in use.
Do not forget to place your computer on stand-by when not in use
for a short period of time or off if you will not be using it for
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Activate power management features on your personal computer.
Power management features "place inactive monitors and computers
(CPU, hard drive, etc.) into a low-power sleep mode." This takes
less than 10 seconds and can lead to annual electricity and cost
savings of roughly 675 kWh and $34 per computer! This electricity
reduction is equivalent to preventing the emissions of 965 lbs of CO2.
(Savings estimated using ENERGY STAR's savings calculator and assuming
Yale's marginal electricity cost, $0.51/kWh.)
Program your computer to save energy More
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Laptop and cell phone chargers, TVs, stereos, and other electronics
continue to draw electricity from the grid when plugged-in.
Unplug your laptop and cell phone charger when you are not
charging the batteries. Also, unplug your TV and stereo when
you go out of town for a few days.
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Look for the Energy Star label when buying electronic equipment
and appliances. This program certifies equipment meeting specific
quality and energy efficient criteria set by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.
Once certified, these products receive the ENERGY STAR® label. The
ENERGY STAR®
website provides specific information on
labeled products in over 40 categories of office equipment,
appliances, home electronics, lighting, heating and cooling,
and commercial food service products. By choosing energy efficient
products, you reduce electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions,
while also saving money in the long run. |
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Energy Savers Tips
Department of Energy's Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
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Why spend extra cash on gas and parking, when you can share
a ride with others or get some exercise during your commute?
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Walking and biking saves energy and money, is good for your heart,
and gives you a chance get some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors.
Need another reason to bike? New Haven may be the birthplace
of the bicycle! (See article: "Book traces bike's birth to
Elm City" or book: Bicycle: The History by D. Herlihy.)
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| Campus Bus |
Yale Minibus operates day and night to transport students and
staff around the university.
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| Local and Express Bus |
CT Transit operates local and express bus lines to campus and
the New Haven Green. You can even bring your
bike on board.
For more info, call (203) 624-0151.
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| Commuter Rail |
The Shore Line East train service provides 'fast and easy transportation between New London and New Haven and beyond' on weekdays. Commuters can purchase one-way, ten-way, monthly, and monthly + bus tickets. |
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Get 24/7 access to Zipcars parked right on campus! Simply reserve online, let yourself in with your Zipcard and drive. Our low hourly and daily rates include gas, insurance and reserved parking.
You only need to be 18+ to join. Members age 18-20 can use the Zipcars that live on the Yale campus. Members age 21+ also have access to thousands of Zipcars all around Boston, Chicago, London, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington DC.
For more information,
click here. |
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To join a vanpool, contact
Rideworks at 800 255-7433 or 777-RIDE.
Car or vanpooling is easy to do and gives you an opportunity to
meet new people, save money on gasoline, parking, and car maintenance,
lessen traffic, and help reduce air pollution and emissions of
greenhouse gases. Driving alone for a 30-mile round-trip commute
(costing 36.5 cents per mile for gas, oil, maintenance, tires,
and depreciation + parking of $3.25 per day) adds up to roughly
$14 per day or $3,200 per year. Opting to carpool just once a week
will save you at least $680 annually. |
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Yale employees who commute to work using mass transit can
participate in Yale's pre-tax mass transit benefit,
Transportation Expense Plan.
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Pledge to buy a clean car as your next car – if you need a car. |
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Sign (and encourage others to sign) the “Clean Car Campaign”
pledge to (1) make the commitment to “buy the greenest vehicle
available that meets my needs and fits my budget” and (2)
challenge automakers to improve vehicle efficiency,
exceed California emission standards, and use non-toxic
recyclable materials during production. Go to Clean Car Campaign. |
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Go further with one fill-up. |
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When buying a new or used car, consider fuel economy in your
decision. Need help deciding on a car? Perform a side-by-side
comparison of vehicle fuel economy and emissions using the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Vehicle Buyer’s Guide for Consumers. Or select a car’s model and model year and manufacturer at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm and receive instant
information on the car’s miles per gallon, annual fuel costs,
greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution scores.
A car with a higher fuel economy will save you money on gasoline,
while also protecting the environment for future generations and
reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil. |
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Fuel Economy Site, U.S. Department of Energy and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
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Clean Car Campaign Resources
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Gas Mileage Tips
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Personal Vehicles Initiative,
Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada
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Save money on fuel. Owning a 40 mpg vehicle instead of a 20 mpg
vehicle will save you $657 on gasoline each year.
This equates to savings of $2,625 over 4 years
(assuming 15,000 miles of driving/year and a fuel cost of $1.75).
See
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.shtml to calculate
fuel costs for specific vehicles and gas prices.
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Save money on taxes. Connecticut offers financial incentives:
Free yourself of car sales tax by purchasing the following
fuel-efficient vehicles/equipment before July 1, 2008:
hybrid electric vehicle with a fuel economy
rating of at least 40 mpg
dedicated natural gas, liquid petroleum gas
(LPG), hydrogen, or electric vehicle
equipment used in dedicated or dual fuel
compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid natural gas (LNG), LPG,
or electric vehicle conversions or associated with a CNG or
hydrogen filling or electric recharging station.
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Reduce our dependence on foreign oil to improve security.
We depend on imports for 55% of our oil use-a record high.
This U.S. dependence on foreign sources, particularly from
the Middle East, is expected to rise as we consume domestic
resources and continue to buy gas-guzzling vehicles.
By driving less, making use of public or shared transportation,
signing the clean car pledge, and considering fuel economy
in your next car purchase, you can help reduce our demand for
foreign oil and encourage automakers to develop more fuel
efficient vehicles. For more info, see
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/oildep.shtml.
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Conserve resources and protect the environment. The burning of
fossil fuels by vehicles is one of the largest anthropogenic
sources of greenhouse gas emissions and contributors to air
pollution. Driving more fuel-efficient vehicles or simply
driving less, will reduce our impacts on climate change.
For more info, see
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/climate.shtml.
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Give empty cans, bottles, paper, and other used items another
life by recycling them. Yale and New Haven offer simple
ways for you to recycle or donate just about everything-office paper,
magazines, junk mail, envelopes, newspaper, cardboard,
cans and bottles, batteries, computers and other electronics,
printer cartridges, styrofoam, office furniture, and miscellaneous
used items.
How to recycle at Yale
How to recycle off-campus
Other tips:
When moving in, flatten cardboard boxes and place them next to
recycling bins.
When moving out, donate items you don't want or need to the
Yale Recycling SWAP program. Call 432-6852 for a pickup.
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Recycling instead of landfilling 1 ton of aluminum cans offers
significant environmental benefits. |
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Over the life cycle of these cans, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,
which contribute to global warming, would be reduced by 15 metric
tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2 Eq.) compared to landfilling.
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In addition, 186 million Btu less energy would be used
(compared with manufacturing with non-recycled inputs),
which equates to removing 3 passenger cars from the road each
year and consuming 1,483 fewer gallons of gasoline
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Life cycle benefits of recycling compared with landfilling
for specific materials are provided in the table below.
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Note: A negative value indicates a reduction in emissions or energy use.
Estimated using EPA's WAste Reduction Model
(WARM)
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Reduce your initial consumption. Here are a few ways: |
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Reduce paper use by double siding when you print and photocopy.
Edit papers or reports electronically instead of printing out
multiple drafts.
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Reuse plates and tupperware. Remember to bring your own mug or
thermos to a coffee shop or cafeteria. Many food carts and
takeout restaurants will also fill up your Tupperware container-as
long as you have it with you.
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Use resources wisely. Take only what you really need.
For example, think about how many napkins you will use at a meal
or how much food on your plate you can actually eat before filling
it up.
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When you turn on your faucet, make use of every drop of water.
While brushing your teeth or washing your face, why keep the water
running? When you're washing dishes, be wise about water: turn off
the water while scrubbing plates and on while rinsing. |
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Front loading, ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers consume up
to 50% less water and can save $110 per year on utility costs
compared to conventional models. See the
ENERGY STAR website for
more information and a
product list of water and energy efficient
clothes washers.
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Do you have a leaky faucet? Alert your landlord, building manager,
or college Master to have it fixed as soon as possible.
One drip over the course of a week can add up to 48 gallons of
wasted water.
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Use cold or warm water when washing clothes; save the "hot"
setting for those especially dirty loads.
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Ordinary showerheads use 5 gallons of water per minute.
If you can replace your showerhead or encourage your college or
landlord to switch to low-flow showerheads, you would reduce water
consumption by 2 gallons for each minute you spend in the shower.
But in the meantime, speed up your shower and save time
(and money on your hot water bill) for work and play.
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49 Ways to Save Water
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Hot Water Energy-Saving Tips, Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency &
Renewable Energy site.
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Water: What You Can Do, Environmental Protection Agency.
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H2OUSE: Other tips for conserving water at home and
calculating your water use.
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Check out
Green Purchasing at Yale. This site provides
recommendations for "green" purchasing of electronic office
equipment (i.e., computers, monitors, printers, copiers and
scanners, and fax machines), copy paper, office supplies,
and toner cartridges. Before your next purchase, review
the products identified with increased energy efficiency,
reduced packaging, increased recycled content, and non-hazardous
materials.
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Interested in buying local items, energy efficient products,
or recycled content office supplies? Just ask your vendor
about those products. Most vendors will be willing to accommodate.
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Look for the Energy Star label when buying electronic equipment
and appliances. This program certifies equipment meeting specific
quality and energy efficient criteria set by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. Once certified,
these products receive the ENERGY STAR® label. The
ENERGY STAR® website provides specific information on
labeled products in over 40 categories of office equipment, appliances,
home electronics, lighting, heating and cooling, and commercial
food service products. By choosing energy efficient products, you
reduce electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions, while also saving
money in the long run.
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Check product labels, and try to buy local, organic, or fair
trade products. Buying locally produced goods helps support
our community and reduces costs (and environmental impacts)
associated with transportation. "Organic" means foods that
are "produced without antibiotics, hormones, pesticides,
irradiation or bioengineering." Organic farmers also must meet
certain requirements on soil and water conservation and proper
animal treatment. For more information, see the USDA
National Organic Program or the
Yale-New Haven Hospital Nutrition Advisor.
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When shopping, pay attention to packaging. A certain amount of
paper, plastic, or cardboard packaging is necessary for most
products, but often becomes excessive (especially on individually
wrapped items). Try to select products that use less packaging
and recycle the plastic, paper, and cardboard waste.
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Planning an event? Why not select sustainable (local or organic food)
options for the menu. Check out the
Yale Sustainable Food Project.
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Check out the
SeaSense Database or
The Fish List for information on
seafood options (abundant or fished sustainably) to
choose and enjoy and seafood that's overfished, illegally traded,
or high in mercury levels to avoid. |
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"Organic" means "that the foods are produced without antibiotics,
hormones, pesticides, irradiation or bioengineering."
Organic farmers also must meet certain requirements on soil
and water conservation and proper animal treatment.
For more information, see the USDA
National Organic Program or the
Yale-New Haven Hospital Nutrition Advisor.
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Seafood Choices Alliance
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Organic Consumers Association
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| Take Action on Land Use |
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Consider growing a garden instead of maintaining
(cutting and fertilizing) a grass lawn. Emissions
from lawn mowing for one hour are equivalent to those from
driving 350 miles in a car! By choosing to grow wildflowers
or native fruit and vegetable plants, you will save on lawn mowing
time and fuel costs, reduce pesticide and water use and the problems
associated with runoff, while also creating a more aesthetic,
productive, and natural environment. |
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Check out or participate with the New Haven
Urban Resources Initiative
(URI), which "works in partnership with community groups to replant,
restore and reclaim the environment in the City of New Haven."
Programs include Community Greenspace work, School and Youth Outreach,
Ecosystem Management and Planning, and Urban Ecosystem Research.
Also, see the Yale
Hixon Center for Urban Ecology. |
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Xeriscape for information on ways to reduce landscape water use.
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Wild Ones Natural Plants, Natural Landscapes
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United Way of Greater New Haven: Search among local listings of
volunteer opportunities related to your issue/interest area
(e.g., AIDS, Arts, Civil Rights, Disabilities, Health Care,
Homelessness, Women's, etc.).
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The Connection, Inc.: A Connecticut Human Service & Community Development
with listing of available volunteer opportunities.
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Other opportunities: New Haven Boys & Girls Club, Fellowship Place,
New Haven Reads.
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See
New Haven Parks, Recreation &Trees.
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