Posted by Snow in 
Sure, there’s all kinds of green energy. As alt-fuels go, some are better than others. Some green fuels depend on nature, like wind and sun energy. Some burn clean but have messy industrialized production methods. Some have organic production methods but require mechanization and fossil fuel vehicles and gas to get to the customers.
What’s coming clear in the new recession, Obama era, gray economy is that green alt fuels are becoming more friendly options because somewhere in the mix is reduced cost. But these must be balanced against the continued harm of fossil fuel dependence in the mainstream.
Solar heat in plentiful, but you need equipment and sun on demand. Wind power is fabulous, if you live in a windy city. Methane gas and natural gas is great if you have the facilities and understand how to make the vehicle work. And hybrid cars are so quiet they are literally sneaking up on students.
Right now a lot of green energy is in the evangelism. The message that green is good is everywhere. Finding the green good and using energy to make the message stick is having some encouraging results.
The challenge lies in incorporating green living changes permanently into everyday lives without backtracking via other waste means and ways. Sometimes companies, schools, and institutions can complement the way people are trying to live more sustainably at home.
One of the ways modern students and their college institutions have embraced green change is the replacement of food trays in the dorms and eating halls to….no tray at all. Students have cut down on mashing at the all you can eat option as well, further cutting down on waste.
Trayless Tuesdays have given way in many cases to the eradication of all trays. Washing the trays takes huge amounts of water many considered wasted. the used water could become gray water, but expenses get chopped with the trays stacked away. No mention of where all the trays are going.
Many dorms are doing away with services like free laundry and passing savings onto students. Some states like Michigan recycle the plastic trays into sleds. This is an acceptable form of environmental re-use. They are excused from traylessness.
Colleges are looking for lots of way to narrow their bottom line, and green motivated cuts to services are the usual reason nowadays. Reduction and re-use are excellent ways to get students to help colleges reduce expenses and redirect more value back to them. Saving green, you might say.
RSS Feed