[UA] Sustainability Final Newsletter

Mon May 18 09:14:47 EDT 2015

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From everyone in the UA Sustainability Committee, good luck with finals

and have a great, sustainable summer!

In this Issue:

  *   Trash2Treasure
  *   Dorm Electricity Competition
  *   Compostable Update
  *   Garden Update
  *   Exec Spotlight
  *   Summer Sustainable Tips

Trash2Treasure:

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Trash2Treasure<https://www.facebook.com/events/397702860438270/> is a yearly reuse event run by MIT UA Sustainability that aims to reduce the amount of waste that MIT throws into landfills at the end of the school year. We'll be collecting students' unwanted items in all of the dorms, storing them over the summer, and selling them back to students on Reg Day for inexpensive prices ($1-5 for most things). All proceeds go towards funding the following year's T2T. Help us make MIT a more sustainable place by donating your unwanted things and signing up<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fFKxnR1EzJIhJtUu7IKnhxAtbDyeCKZ-_JkOsKMp858/viewform> to volunteer!

Dorm Electricity Competition:
THANK YOU for everyone who participated in the Dorm Electricity Competition, which ended on April 30th. Congratulations to Simmons for their champion title, and to McCormick for winning the spirit point competition. We learned that since we last took Simmons electricity data, the building was retrofitted for a 196,000 kWh reduction, which means that this year Simmons had a little help from MIT Facilities!

Let us know your questions, comments, and suggestions about DEC by email: talktodec at mit.edu

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Compost Update:
As the semester winds down, Mission Compostable is happy to see that compost bins have been added to the Student Center and there is uniform labeling of all waste receptacles across campus. For the summer, Compost is transplanting its worm bin to the Undergraduate CSA Garden and is looking forward to working with the Sustainable Orientation crew to make this year's freshman orientation greener.

Garden Update:
Want to eat fresh, organic produce this summer? Interested in trying out your green thumb? This summer, the UA Sustainability Committee will be maintaining the garden across from Next House and we'd love for you to be involved in the planting and harvest -- no prior gardening experience required! Sig<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Q9SPrbOEKrbI4qbTzkEkyPRLztBgKp562xZ-cYeoLJc/viewform?usp=send_form>n<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Q9SPrbOEKrbI4qbTzkEkyPRLztBgKp562xZ-cYeoLJc/viewform?usp=send_form>up<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Q9SPrbOEKrbI4qbTzkEkyPRLztBgKp562xZ-cYeoLJc/viewform?usp=send_form> for a share alone or in a group.

Executive Spotlight: UA Sustainability '15-'16 Co-Chairs

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Becca Sugrue

This year I was head of the Composting Committee, Mission Compostable. I got involved in UA Sustainability because I think I could do the most to change the everyday habits of my peers through this committee and my passion for sustainability has only grown since joining. My major will eventually be focused on sustainable design and it's great to see what the committee does as I work towards that goal. One of my favorite projects was this year's gummy worm bin event. We had our real worm bin and some really tasty snacks and overall it was a great educational event. I obviously try to compost as much as I can and I think it has turned into a life-long habit for myself and hopefully, others I influence. I think sustainability will always be a part of my life and I think it should be for many others in the future.

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Linda Jing

I was involved in sustainability in high school and wanted to continue that when I came into MIT. I am really glad that I made the decision to do so because I have learned and grown a lot under the wonderful leadership of Karen Hao, Jacqueline Kuo and Jason Tong. I think one of the coolest sustainable activities we did was making paper for CPW. It was something completely new and it was awesome to see the pulp that we made turn into actual paper that could be written on. I like to always turn off the lights whenever I plan to leave the room for more than a minute. And I think everyone should remember to do that! It's the little things that make the difference. I don't know what my future plans are as of now, but I would hope that whatever my job will be and wherever I will work, I will be able to make a difference in the people around me and raise their awareness of the importance of being sustainable.

Summer Sustainable Tips:

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  *   Turn off appliances, lights and equipment when not in use.
  *   Do your laundry efficiently by using the warm or cold water setting for washing your clothes. Always use cold water to rinse clothes.
  *   Conserve energy by running your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded, and turn off the dry cycle and air dry dishes instead.
  *   Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and 85 degrees or off when you are away.
  *   Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because the air movement will cool the room.
  *   Nothing is more energy efficient for cooking than your microwave. It uses two-thirds less energy than your stove.
  *   See more sustainable tips<http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/tips/summer.html>

For more information or to provide feedback:
Visit our website: sustain.scripts.mit.edu<http://sustain.scripts.mit.edu/>
Contact us at: ua-sustainability-exec at mit.edu
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mituasustainability

If you are doing research related to climate change, sustainability, or energy, or have something you'd like us to share in our next newsletter, please contact us! We would love to feature your event or research in our next issue.

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