university of pennsylvania eco-reps manual · 2019. 12. 17. · ivy league institution to sign the...

University of Pennsylvania Eco-Reps ManualHow does your lifestyle affect the planet?

3

Letter from the Sustainability Coordinator.............................5Sustainable Lifestyle............................................................................6Energy.........................................................................................................14Consumer Choice................................................................................22Waste & Recycling...............................................................................26Transportation......................................................................................34Water..........................................................................................................42

Table of Contents

5

A couple of years ago, Bono, from U2, addressed the graduates at Penn’s commencement ceremony. I was in the audience that day, and heard him ask this question:

What are you willing to spend your moral capital, your intellectual capital, your cash, your sweat equity in pursuing outside of the walls of the University of Pennsylvania?

There’s a truly great Irish poet – his name is Brendan Kennelly, and he has this epic poem called the Book of Judas, and there’s a line in that poem that never leaves my mind. It says: “If you want to serve the age, betray it.” What does that mean --to betray the age?

Well to me betraying the age means exposing its conceits, its foibles, its phony moral certitudes. It means telling the secrets of the age and facing harsher truths.

Every age has its massive moral blind spots. We might not see them, but our children will. Slavery was one of them and the people who best served that age were the ones who called it as it was--which was ungodly and inhuman. Ben Franklin called it what it was when he became president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.

Segregation. There was another one. America sees this now but it took a civil rights movement to betray their age. And 50 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court betrayed the age on May 17, 1954, [when] Brown vs. Board of Education came down and put the lie to the idea that separate can ever really be equal. Amen to that.

Fast forward 50 years…What are the ideas right now worth betraying? What are the lies we tell ourselves now? What are the blind spots of our age? What’s worth spending your post-Penn lives trying to do or undo?

For many of your generation, the answer to Bono’s question will decide how we respond to today’s environmental uncertainties. Will your future be one of ecological degradation or restoration? Resource depletion or conservation? The exhaustion of finite energy sources or the discovery and development of renewables? Mass extinctions or biodiversity?

You don’t have to wait until you graduate to determine the kind of future you want to see. If Penn is to set the standard for how communities meet environmental challenges, it will be because you decide that it matters enough to change the way we act – to “betray” the age in order to meet its greatest needs.

The final success or failure of this effort lies in your hands. Whether the environment becomes your life’s work or simply your passion while at Penn, ask of the University the same high standards of care and commitment that we ask of you. By joining the Eco-Reps team, you will help meet the environmental challenges facing Penn today and build a better future for us all tomorrow.

Dan Garofalo, AIA, LEED AP

Environmental Sustainability Coordinador

Footnote: for the full speech, see http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/between/2004/commence-b.html

Welcome

Sustainable Lifestyle 7

Sustainable LifestyleWelcome to the first year of the Penn Eco-Reps Program. As the inaugural class, you have a special opportunity set a precedent . The Sustainability Team at Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES) established the Eco-Reps Program as a way for students to get involved with campus sustainability efforts. By engaging your friends and peers in small actions and providing them with information, you can help them lead a more sustainable lifestyle. With over 10,000 undergraduate students on campus, empowering them with facts about the environment, collectively and individually and how to make positive changes can make a significant difference.

Eco-Reps Program Structure

Through the course of the academic year, you will attend workshops hosted by the Sustainability Team on a variety of topics ranging from energy to consumer choice.

Workshops will contain important and relevant information to share with your friends and hall-mates. These meetings will also be a time to discuss with fellow Eco-Reps what has worked and what has not. Each monthly workshop will cover a given topic area which will be the main theme behind all of your events and programming for the month. You are expected to devote four to five hours per week to engagement and other related activities.

The opportunities that you will have to educate your peers, friends and everyone you meet are endless. Penn is positioned to be a leader for change in the field of sustainability and you can help to make that change. The Eco-Reps program will allow you to not only engage your peers but also meet other students passionate about the environment and sustainability. You will gain insight into current and future environmental issues and ways in which you, and the University, are addressing them.

Who Should I Know?

There are numerous opportunities in and around your College House to make a difference. The first step in doing so is to get to know your fellow residents, house staff, housekeeping staff and anyone else you see on a daily basis. Since these people are your target audience for change, getting to know them early will help you achieve your goals.

The most important people to get to know are your fellow hall-mates. Introduce yourself to them early and be a friendly face that they feel comfortable talking to about any problems they encounter or any ideas they may have related to sustainability. Explain the Eco-Reps Program to them and let them know about the different topics you will cover and how you plan involve the hall through specific programming.

Other important points of contact for the year are your House Dean, faculty and staff. Check your House website

8 Sustainable Lifestyle

for their contact information. The Eco-Reps in your building should set up a joint meeting with the House Dean to go over your proposed programming and how it can be incorporated into the larger house dynamic. Keep in touch with your RA/GA so that you can work together to plan programming related to your specific monthly topics and make your hall more sustainable.

Your Residential Services Administrator (RSA) will also be an important ally. The RSA is in charge of the functioning of your building. They can help you get recycling bins, give permission to put up signage throughout the building, and address other housekeeping and building-related issues.

Getting the Message Across

The purpose of the Eco-Reps program is to create behavior change related to sustainability, ultimately resulting in an overall environmental impact. In conversations with your friends, you can provide them with the information that you have gained through your experiences, education, and training and learn

from their opinions. You should find out what your hall-mates think about sustainability and the environment. Find out if they’re curious about a specific environmental topic or if they have experience they can bring to your programming.

Programming is a great way to engage your peers. You can plan events for your hall and/or team up with other Eco-Reps to organize a larger event. You can integrate academics into programming by asking a professor who is doing research related to your monthly topic or who has relevant work experience in that field. Additionally, study breaks focusing on a monthly topic can be an easy way to get people together for discussion. Preparing some discussion questions or information about current events is a great way to educate people and keep them involved.

As an Eco-Rep you should try to be a person that people feel comfortable coming to with questions and concerns. Everyone on your floor brings a different collection of experiences and backgrounds. Some may have experience in environmental issues, while others

may not. It is your responsibility as an Eco-Rep to be a resource for your peers about environmental information and where to find more. You are the daily face of sustainability at Penn and professionalism is important in this work.

Tools to Affect Change

The Eco-Reps Program is are based on a field of knowledge called Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM.) There are whole books and websites dedicated to using CBSM to change behavior around sustainability. Every Eco-Rep should know the five tools of CBSM, commitment, prompts, establishing norms, and incentives, which can be used to enhance your work. The following are a few examples of how to incorporate CBSM methods:

Prompts. With the permission of house staff, make use of your hall bulletin board to put up flyers about different events and useful information. This is a non-intrusive way to remind people about their environmental impact. For example, most people know that when they leave the room they should turn

how do you live?


off lights that they are not using, however, many times we simply forget. A simple prompt can remind your hall-mates to complete this simple task that will end up making a large impact.

Establishing Norms. Establishing norms will probably be the hardest part of being an Eco-Rep. Norms guide how people should behave in their surrounding environment. For example, if one roommate, Bill, sees another person, John, putting in a CFL into their lamp Bill may question John and lead to a norm change. Personal interactions, like this CFL example, are a great way to establish new norms around sustainable ideas.

Communications. There are numerous sustainability events that you can plan for your hall. Also remember that you can work with other Eco-Reps and bring a large event to your entire house. Share ideas that work with other Eco-Reps, and with the Office of Environmental Sustainability.

Incentives. Provide prizes for excellence in sustainability in your house. Run a raffle. Set up a competition between halls. The prizes don’t have be much – it’s the

competition and recognition that matter.

Social change happens when you change internal attitudes, external structures, and/or work to make good behavior automatic. It’s your job to help make this happen.

Sustainable Lifestyle

Lifestyle changes can have the greatest impact on your environmental footprint. Behavior change is at the root of the Eco-Reps Program. Easy everyday changes, large and small, can lessen your impact on the environment. In your first month as an Eco-Rep, your main role will be to inform those around you about the first steps that they should take to reduce their environmental impact.

Before we delve into the changes that can be made, it is important to realize that not everyone is going to jump aboard the “green” bandwagon immediately. Being able to provide reasons for making these changes is important. Sustainable living provides opportunities to:

• Reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact;

• Improve your quality of life (water, air, landscape, etc);

• Conserve energy and natural resources; and

• Find new business markets and growth/job opportunities.

Climate Action Plan

In 2007, the University of Pennsylvania became the first Ivy League institution to sign the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Upon signing the commitment, President Amy Gutmann said “At Penn, we must recognize the impact of a research institution of our size and acknowledge that our actions extend beyond the campus and have global consequences.” As a part of this commitment, Penn has tracked its carbon emissions since fiscal year 2007.

Within two years of signing the Climate Commitment, Penn was required to produce a plan which

make the change to a sustainable lifestyle

10 Sustainable Lifestyle

outlined long-term plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The University created the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) to guide Penn’s efforts to comply with the ACUPCC. The Climate Action Plan was unveiled on September 15, 2009 and is available at www.upenn.edu/sustainability/cap.html.

The recommendations of the Climate Action Plan are organized into six themes: Utilities and Operations, Physical Environment, Waste Minimization and Recycling, Transportation, Academics and Communications. The recommendations are as follows:

Utilities and Operations: The goals are to reduce energy usage by 5 percent from the 2007 baseline in fiscal year 2010, and a 17 percent decrease from the 2007 baseline by 2014.

Strategies include:

• Eliminate the growth in energy use in existing buildings through education and management;

• Improve the efficiency of existing buildings’ utility systems, and adopt conservation measures such as building re-commissioning, metering, and incentives for better energy performance; and

• Continue purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs).

Physical Environment: The goals are to create and maintain a sustainable campus by increasing green space, decreasing building energy consumption, and increasing education and awareness of sustainable design.

Strategies include:

• Adopt LEED Silver Certification, with Penn-specific goals, as a minimum standard for new construction and major renovations;

• Provide training to Penn staff on sustainable design and construction practices; and

• Implement increasingly sustainable protocols for site planning and landscape maintenance.

Transportation: The goal is to emphasize and plan a quality pedestrian campus environment, encourage use of public transportation for commuting, and provide safe, efficient local transportation services for the University community.

Strategies include:

• Investigate public transportation subsidy through partnership with SEPTA;

• Improve bicycle and pedestrian environments; and

• Improve the fuel efficiency of Penn’s vehicle fleet.

Waste Minimization and Recycling: The goals are to double Penn’s diversion rate of paper, cardboard, commingled recyclables to 40 percent by 2014, and reduce Penn’s overall waste stream through improved purchasing practices and by providing education to the Penn community.

Strategies include:

• Institute a comprehensive waste minimization and recycling policy;

• Provide widespread education about why and how Penn recycles; and

• Ensure adequate provision of recycling and waste bins within campus buildings and public spaces.

Climate Action Plan Launch, September 15, 2009


Academics: The goal is to make climate change and environmental sustainability a part of the curriculum and educational experience for all Penn students.

Strategies include:

• Launch a new University undergraduate minor in Sustainability and Environmental Management, available in Fall 2009;

• Provide sustainability-related programs for faculty, staff and students, such as workshops, proseminar classes, and the focus of the 2010 Penn Reading Project; and

• Expand student participation in sustainability research.

Communications: The goals are to develop clear, concise, and accurate information about Penn’s sustainability commitments, while encouraging Penn’s community to participate in continued learning in this field.

Strategies include:

• Establish and reinforce messages that individual behavior is critical in meeting the Climate Action Plan goals;

• Ensure that all communications are accurate, easily accessible, and provide valuable up-to-date information; and

• Create events that galvanize the campus community and bring attention to the University’s sustainability campaign.

• The Green Campus Partnership is an umbrella organization established to address environmental sustainability planning and policy development at Penn and to coordinate programs and initiatives for a more sustainable campus.

Your Role

You are an active participant as an Eco-Rep in helping Penn achieve the goals outlined in the Climate Action Plan. Describing what the Climate Action Plan is and what it means for students, can be a good way of starting a conversation about behavior change.

Resources

1. University of Pennsylvania Green Campus Partnership , www.upenn.edu/sustainability

2. University of Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan, www.upenn.edu/sustainability/cap

3. Community-Based Social Marketing, www.cbsm.com

4. Quick Reference: Community-Based Social Marketing, www.aea.nt.ca/%5Cfiles%5CCBSM.pdf

13

At a university as large as Penn, energy consumption is a major environmental issue. Buildings, students, staff, faculty, and vehicles all consume significant quantities of energy throughout Penn on a daily basis. Energy is an incredibly important topic for it encompasses so many topics. Energy is more than just electricity. A discussion about energy can include the use of natural resources like coal, petroleum, natural gas, and uranium. The energy field is constantly changing with renewable energy technologies being discovered and refined.

Penn relies on a diverse source of energy to support the University’s daily needs. Coal, natural gas, nuclear electric power, and diesel fuel are all used in generating electricity for PECO, Penn’s electricity supplier. Natural gas is used for combustion to create the steam Penn purchases and moves throughout the campus to heat its buildings. Petroleum is needed to create the gasoline used in Penn’s vehicle fleet. And lastly, wind

power purchases are a large part of the University’s energy portfolio.

As you can see, the full picture of energy consumption is far more complex than only electricity! However, this is one of the key areas where students can have a major impact on Penn’s energy footprint. As residents on campus, you have the ability to significantly impact your own energy consumption patterns as well as those of your College House peers through reductions in electrical consumption, efficient heating and cooling, and hot water conservation.

This section discusses a number of strategies to effectively reduce energy consumption. The end of this section presents a list of conservation activities you can integrate into your daily life and discuss with your peers.

Background

The use of energy sources can be highly complex and vary throughout

a number of sectors. Whereas nuclear energy is used solely for generating electricity, natural gas is needed for a variety of uses - making fuel for vehicles, heating homes and businesses, industrial processing, and creating electricity.

One of the primary concerns regarding the production of most of the world’s energy is the use of finite fossil fuels. Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—provide 85% of energy consumed in the U.S., but take hundreds of millions of years to form and are essentially irreplaceable.1

Due to the continuing rise in global population and increasing energy consumption per capita, reliance on these limited resources presents a concern for U.S. and world energy security. Over the next several decades and centuries, these resources will continually become more scarce.

1 US Department of Energy, “Fossil Fuels,” http://www.energy.gov/energysources/fossilfuels.htm.

Energy

14 Energy

Scarcity is one of the reasons governments and private corporations are working feverishly to promote and develop renewable energy technologies.

In addition to the environmental concerns surrounding nonrenewable energy sources, the processes of extraction, transportation and combustion also pose serious threats to environmental and human health.

The methods of harvesting these resources all require a variety of mining techniques, which all have detrimental environmental impacts on the surrounding ecosystem and nearby communities.

The physical extraction of primary energy sources, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and uranium, and the combustion of these materials, have detrimental impacts on the local environment. Extraction can disrupt nearby ecosystems and wildlife, with the possibility of groundwater contamination and endangering the health of laboring miners. Once these sources are extracted, their storage and transportation requires additional infrastructure, energy, and manpower before they are combusted in the process of generating electricity.

Of all the stages in generating electricity, combustion poses the biggest threat to the environment due to a host of resultant emissions and by-products which severely threaten human health and environmental stability. Carbon dioxide (CO2), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Nitrous oxides (NOx), and a host of other emissions and particulates threaten air quality and contribute to climate change through the release of greenhouse gases. Likewise, physical by-products such as fly ash and nuclear waste must also

be handled carefully due to their extreme toxicity.

Extraction of Non-Renewable Resources

• Petroleum: Drilling for oil can disturb ocean habitats. However, advances in new technology have made the process less invasive. The Rigs-To-Reef program now encourages the reuse of oil rigs as artificial reef, which has helped to replenish depleting coral reefs.

• Natural Gas: Exploring and drilling for natural gas have adverse impacts on land and marine ecosystems. There are 305,000 miles of interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines. Newer technologies look to lessen the environmental footprint of extraction.2

• Coal: Coal mining can result in significant environmental degradation if it is not done with serious provisions and forethought. Water quality can be affected due to debris and acidic water from underground mines. Mining can change landscapes and erase scenic views. Today, more precautions are being made to restore landscapes damaged by surface mining.

2 Energy Information Administration, “About Natural Gas Pipelines,” http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/analysis_publications/ngpipeline/index.html.

U.S. Energy Consumption by Source, 2008

(Information from the Energy Information Administration, http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/)

BIOMASSrenewable heating, electricty, transportation

HYDROPOWERrenewable electricty

GEOTHERMALrenewable heating, electricty

3.9%

2.5%

WINDrenewable electricty

0.4%

0.5%

SOLAR & OTHERrenewable light, heating, electricty

0.1%

PETROLEUMnonrenewable transportation, manufacturing

37.4%

NATURAL GASnonrenewable heating, manufacturing, electricty

24%

COALnonrenewable electricty, manufactuing

22.6%

URANIUMnonrenewable electricty

8.5%

Energy 15

Additionally, more mining companies are taking precautions to avoid water contamination.3

• Uranium: Uranium is mined throughout the world in a variety of locations—posing the same threat to ecosystem disturbance and scenic views as coal mining. Likewise, 86% of uranium is delivered from overseas, requiring large fuel quantities for transportation.4

Emissions and By-Product Basics

• Carbon dioxide (CO2): CO2 is considered one of the primary greenhouse gases associated with the potential for man-made climate change.5 81% ofgreenhouse gases emissions are caused by the combustion of fossil fuels for energy.

3 Energy Information Administration, “Coal Basics,” http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=coal_home-basics 4 Energy Information Administration “Uranium Basics,” http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=nuclear_home-basics . 5 Environmental Protection Agency, “Carbon Dioxide,” http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2.html.

• Carbon monoxide (CO): A poisonous gas emitted in the combustion of petroleum, CO reduces oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues and organs, threatening human health, especially that of individuals with heart and respiratory ailments.6 CO is also a greenhouse gas, which traps heat and contributes to the potential for climate change. Although considered a weaker greenhouse gas, CO can interact with other air emissions to extend the life of stronger greenhouse gases.7

• Sulfur dioxide (SO2): SO2 is a primary cause of acid rain, a major environmental concern to plants and animals that live in water. SO2 also worsens or causes respiratory illnesses and heart diseases—particularly in children and the elderly.8

6 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): “Mobile Source Emissions—Past, Present, and Future,” http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/carbonmon.htm7 Greenhouse Gases Online: “Other Greenhouse Gases: Sources, Sinks, and Science,” http://www.ghgonline.org/otherco.htm8 Energy Information Agency (EIA): “Oil and the Environment,” http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=oil_environment

• Nitrogen oxides (NOX): NOX is a dangerous pollutant formed by the combustion of fossil fuels such as oil and coal. Travelling extremely long distances, NOX causes a variety of environmental and health-related problems, such as smog, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter.9 Nitrogen oxides also contribute to the formation of acid rain.10

• Particulate matter (PM): PM is a dangerous by product of coal and oil combustion. PM emissions are small, solid particles, which are extremely hazardous to human health and air toxicity causing asthma, difficulty breathing, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer. PM is a primary source of haze throughout the world and can be carried far distances by air currents. 11

9 Environmental Protection Agency, “Pollutants,” http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/nox.htm10 Environmental Protection Agency, “ Acid Rain,” http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/index.html11 Environmental Protection Agency, “Mobile Source Emissions—Past, Present, and Future, “ http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/pm.htm

U.S. Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector

(Image courtsey of Energy Information Agency, www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pecss_diagram.html)

16 Energy

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): VOCs are a major contributor to ground-level ozone and are emitted in the combustion of petroleum. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, congestion and worsened bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Ozone also reduces lung function and inflames the linings of the lungs, while repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue. Also dangerous to the environment and surrounding ecosystems, VOCs can interfere with plants’ ability to produce and store food, making them more susceptible to certain diseases, insects, competition, harsh weather, and other pollutants. VOCs also inflict damage to trees and plants, reducing forest growth and crop yields, potentially impacting species diversity in ecosystems.12

• Mercury and other heavy metals: Mercury has been linked with both neurological and developmental damage in humans and other animals. Mercury concentrations in the air are usually low and of little direct concern. However, when mercury enters water— either directly or through deposition from the air—biological processes transform it into methylmercury, a highly toxic chemical that accumulates in fish and animals (including humans) that eat fish.13

12 Environmental Protection Agency, “Ground Level Ozone http://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/health.html13 Energy Information Agency, “Coal and

• Lead and other air toxins: Lead, benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and other air toxins are emitted during the combustion of oil and are extremely dangerous to the health of human and animals, which can compromise ecosystems and endanger human health14

• Spent fuel and hazardous waste: Spent fuel from nuclear power generation is a highly radioactive substance and must be stored in special conditions for safety reasons. There is currently no alternative for reusing spent fuel, thus making it a major concern for environmental reasons. The potential for spills during transportation or storage poses a threat to environmental welfare. However, most nuclear waste is low-level radioactive waste, which poses a smaller threat to the environment. The government carefully regulates both of these by-products.15

• Fly ash and bottom ash. Fly ash and bottom ash are residues created when coal is burned. In the past, fly ash was released into the air through smokestacks, but by law much of it now must be captured prior to release. In the United States, fly ash is generally stored at coal power plants or placed in landfills. Nearly half is recycled for use in cement

the Environment,” http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=coal_environment14 Energy Information Agency, “Oil and the Environment,” http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=oil_environment15 Energy Information Agency, “Nuclear and the Environment,” http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=nuclear_environment

production or as a raw material for other products including road construction materials.16

Conservation Benefits

By practicing smart energy consumption habits, Penn students have the ability to significantly reduce the University’s environmental footprint and to help educate their peers about the possibilities for energy conservation.

The “Electricity Per Square Footage” chart on page 17 demonstrates the electrical consumption of each College House, as compared to that house’s square footage.

Partly, these figures are a result of human behavior, but to a large degree building equipment and design plays an enormous role in energy consumption as well.

The total make-up of a house’s energy footprint is the result of multiple factors including heating, cooling, building equipment, hot water usage, lighting, fans, and pumps.

16 Environmental Protection Agency, “Coal Combustion Products Partnership,” http://www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/c2p2/index.htm

Heating29%

Fan4%

Lighting3%Pump

1%Cooling

33%

Domestic Hot Water

10%

Equipment20%

College House Energy Usage

(Graphs from TC Chan Center’s BPAT Master)

Equiptment 20% Heating 29%

Domestic Hot Water

10%

Cooling 33%

Fan 4%

Lighting 3%

Pump 1%

Energy 17

Eco-Reps will work collectively to develop strategies for reducing these numbers through a collective understanding and behavior change.

Energy at Penn

Penn has committed itself to a number of energy savings initiatives and has outlined its goals for energy reductions through 2014 as part of the Climate Action Plan. In addition to fostering a culture of sustainability throughout the entire campus, this plan targets significant reductions in carbon emissions through energy reduction strategies.

Here are some of the energy-related goals outlined in this Plan:

• Reducing energy consumption throughout campus using education and behavior change programs

• Staff Eco-Reps

o These programs are seeking to contribute to a 1.5% reduction in Penn’s total carbon footprint

• Assuring high standards in energy efficiency for all new buildings

o Working towards LEED accreditation on buildings

o Achieving Energy Star rating of 75 on buildings

• Improving the energy consumption of existing buildings through conservation strategies and building improvements

o Insulating all campus’ un-insulated steam pipes

o Replacing inefficient insulation

o Laboratory ventilation improvements

o Expanding electricity metering and sub-metering throughout campus

• Adopting basic conservation measures

o Installing water-efficient bathroom and toilet fixtures

o Installing energy-efficient lighting throughout campus

o Installing building occupancy sensors to minimize wasted energy

• Re-commissioning existing building systems

• Investigating renewable energy opportunities

• Continuing purchase of wind RECs

• Developing incentive programs for schools and centers to reduce their footprint

• Continuing of Aircuity pilot

• Implementing Office Greening Initiatives

Penn is the largest purchaser of wind power, in the form of renewable energy credits (RECs), among all U.S. colleges. As part of a commitment with PECO, the University purchases 15% of its power from wind RECs—offsetting 30% of its carbon emissions. According to PECO, Penn’s purchases are equivalent to the

0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00 120.00 140.00

Kings Court Residence

DuBois House (Lo-Rise North)

Quadrangle Dormitories

Hill

Harnwell House - Hi-Rise East

Harrison House - Hi-Rise South

Rodin College House - Hi-Rise North

Van Pelt House - Low-Rise South

Class of 1925 House

Mayer Residence Hall

Grad Tower A - Sansom East - Nichols House

English House Residence

Grad Tower B - Sansom West

Stou�er Triangle Dorm

Electricity (kBtu) Per Square Footage

kbtu/sf

(Graph courtsey of TC Chan Center’s BPAT Master)

18 Energy

(Graphs from Penn’s Climate Action Plan)

Carbon Reduction Scenario

5-Year Targets

Carbon Reduction Scenario

Long-Term Targets

planting of 33 million trees or not driving for 428 million miles!

What You Can Do...

Although one person’s actions may seem small, it’s important to keep in mind that the Penn community consists of over 40,000 individuals.

Conservation efforts happen one person at a time but add up quickly!

Here is a list of some basic behavior changes that can have a significant impact in your College House’s energy consumption. Consider using these as talking points when discussing conservation strategies with your friends and peers. Remember—Penn has a 5% energy

reduction goal by June 30, 2010 alone!

Shut off electronic devices while not in use. By shutting off electronic devices when not in use, students can dramatically reduce their total electricity consumption. Many devices still consume significant quantities of energy while not in use.

Energy 19

Always unplug devices to avoid vampire electricity. Vampiric electricity is otherwise known as ‘standby power’. This is electricity consumed by a device even when it is turned off. Many devices draw considerable energy when shut off for convenience features such as clocks and instant-on functionality.

Open your blinds and curtains for natural lighting. Overhead lighting requires significant electricity to run throughout the day. One easy way to reduce energy consumption is by taking advantage of sunlight and turning off your dorm room lights during the daytime.

Set your computer to sleep mode. Always be sure to configure your computer’s sleep-mode settings. Computers are one of the most significant users of electricity of all consumer devices. By setting your computer to sleep mode after a few minutes, you can reduce your wattage consumption dramatically.

Purchase Energy Star products. Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing electronic products, such as mini-refrigerators, computers, and printers. The Energy Star label identifies the most energy-efficient products according to

their consumption and can be an incredibly useful consumer tool.

Wash clothing using only cold water. The energy used to heat water is substantial. By working together with your College House peers to change to cold-water washes, you can significantly reduce your House’s energy consumption.

Consider air-drying clothing instead of using a dryer. For students who really want to go the extra mile, hanging clothing on a clothesline to air dry can eliminate the energy usage of dryers all together.

Use compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Energy Star CFLs save $30 over their lifetime, use 75% less energy, and last ten times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs (energystar.gov). Encouraging your College House peers to install CFLs is an easy way to encourage energy-savings behavior.

Always turn off lights when leaving a room. One of the simplest things you can do to reduce energy consumption is making sure to turn off lights whenever you’re leaving a room. Do this in your dorm-room and throughout campus!

Do one thing. Long lists can be intimidating and make people feel overwhelmed. Remember, sustainability starts with one behavior at a time! Encourage yourself and your peers to start using one simple behavior

Resources

1. Energy Information Agency, www.eia.doe.gov

2. Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov

3. Environmental Protection Agency, “Climate Change,” www.epa.gov/climatechange/index.html

4. Department of Energy, www.energy.gov

5. University of Pennsylvania Energy Conservation, www.upenn.edu/sustainability/energy.html

Penn students have the ability to drastically contribute to reductions in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the University’s energy usage.

21

The purchasing decisions that we as consumers make on a daily basis have a large impact on environmental welfare. From extraction and transportation, to manufacturing, consumption, and disposal—each step of a product’s lifecycle has a degree of environmental impact for better or worse.

In recent years, consumer interest has driven businesses and manufacturers to consider the environmental consequences of their products more closely. Recycled-content goods are gaining popularity in businesses and homes. Locally-produced products have also gained significant consumer traction.

At Penn, with over 20,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, consumer decisions play a major role in campus sustainability and the local economy. The Eco-Reps program will focus one month’s worth of activities on purchasing decisions, such as school supplies, food, clothing, electronics, and more.

Background

One way to effectively measure the environmental costs associated with a product is to evaluate its lifecycle. The process of determining the cradle-to-grave footprint of a product is called a lifecycle assessment (LCA) and is an increasingly popular model for analyzing environmental impact. In conducting an LCA, the processes of extraction, production, transportation, consumption, and disposal/recycling are assessed and provide a strategy for visually mapping the environmental costs associated with a given product or commodity.

The green arrows in the diagram on the following page represent the natural resources used throughout the life of the product. Each step of the LCA requires some degree of resource consumption, whether the manufacturing materials harvested during extraction or the fuel used for transportation. These inputs are the energy needed for each step along the production process.

Conversely, blue arrows represent the environmental impacts of all LCA stages. These may include greenhouse gas emissions, air, water, or land pollution, or harmful by-products of the manufacturing process.

Companies with all sorts of different manufacturing and business backgrounds have begun to use LCAs as models for communicating information about their products’ environmental footprints. This type of accountability is important in providing consumers with information about the full story of a product’s lifecycle. Although usage counts as a significant portion of a product’s footprint, much happens before and after consumer usage.

With many businesses focusing intently on greenhouse gas emissions, LCAs can be used to divulge information on emissions. An LCA developed by Apple, shown on page 24, illustrates the greenhouse gas emissions and associated percentage for each step in their production lifecycle.

Consumer Choice

22 Consumer Choice

According to Apple, product usage accounts for the majority of an electronics’ greenhouse gas emissions, totaling 53% or 5,352,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing is responsible for the second-largest quantity, at 38% or 3,873,000 metric tons.1


By purchasing sustainable products, consumers have the ability to significantly influence environmental welfare in a variety of ways. Buying environmentally-friendly products can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, limit the amount of waste

1 Apple, “Apple and the Environment,” http://www.apple.com/environment/complete-lifecycle/.

entering landfills, generate fewer pollutants, and lessen the number of virgin natural resources needed to create new merchandise.

It is important to remember that consumption is power! By demanding products with recycled-content ingredients or with high energy-efficiency, consumers can change the marketplace and the products that businesses design and manufacture. Consider organic foods as an example. As people have increased their purchasing of organic products for health and environmental reasons, the availability of organic products has increased exponentially.

Below are a few examples environmentally-friendly products and some of the benefits associated

with these purchases.

Energy Star or Energy-Efficient Devices. Purchasing Energy Star or energy-efficient devices can dramatically reduce the amount of electrical consumption associated with household products such as microwaves, refrigerators, computers, and more. By reducing electrical consumption, consumers can drastically decrease their greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental consequences of generating electricity. U.S. citizens are huge consumers of electricity, surpassing all other nations. However, consumers have the ability to significantly reduce these numbers through their purchasing decisions.

In 2008 alone, Energy Star products helped citizens reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 29 taking million cars off the road, while saving $19 billion on energy bills!2 It is important to remember that while energy-efficient products may cost a little more initially, they save more money in the long run. As electricity prices continue to rise, energy conservation can be an important strategy for saving money and helping to protect the environment.

Local and Organic Foods. Food is one of the most fundamental components of everyday living. Yet much of the food consumed by people on a daily basis has serious environmental consequences associated with its production and distribution. For instance, a lot of food is shipped from far-away countries, thousands of miles, to neighborhood supermarkets. This type of extensive transportation is responsible for enormous quantities of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By supporting local agriculture, consumers can help 2 Energy Star, “About Energy Star,” http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index.

(Image courtsey of http://www.publications.alcan.com/sustainability)

Lifecycle Thinking

Consumer Choice 23

to reduce the environmental consequences of food transportation and support their local economy—providing jobs and contributing to economic prosperity in their community.

Similarly, conventionally-grown foods have serious environmental consequences. Conventional food production relies heavily on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which pose serious environmental problems. Synthetic fertilizers decrease or destroy the natural microbial activity in soil, reduce the nutritional quality of the food being grown and promote a lack of sustainable land use causing significant top-soil erosion. Pesticides have similar environmental problems, such as serious toxicity threats, water, air, and land contamination, and human and animal health issues.3 Purchasing local and organic foods can help to eliminate and reduce all these problems.

3 US Environmental Protection Agency, “Pesticides: Environmental Effects,” http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ecosystem/index.htm.

Recycled-Content Purchases. Many products today are sold with a percentage of recycled-content materials. Papers and plastics are excellent examples of materials with an increasing amount of recycled-content items for sale. School supplies such as notebooks and binders can be purchased with recycled-content paper and plastic, which help to support environmental sustainability. Rather than purchasing items made from virgin materials, recycled-content products divert waste from entering landfills and help create new markets for recycled goods.

Currently, some recycled-content supplies cost more than conventional products, which deters consumers from purchasing these products. However, as more individuals and offices leverage their purchasing power towards recycled-content goods, prices have begun to even out with conventional ones. Logically, it shouldn’t cost more for recycled materials than virgin ones. However,

the costs of extracting virgin materials are not calculated in the price to consumers. Rather, they are passed along to the environment and nearby ecosystem. As consumers continue to seek recycled-content products, markets for these items will continue to emerge.

Next time you’re making a purchase at a store, whether it’s a piece of food or a new computer, consider the lifecycle of that item. Where did it originate? What materials is it composed of? How did it reach the store shelf? Is there a better environmental alternative? All of these are legitimate questions with environmental issues attached to them.

Consumer Choice at Penn

Penn’s Purchasing Services has developed a comprehensive commitment to environmental stewardship through green purchasing, conservation, and

(Image courtsey of http://www.mountain-riders.org)

24 Consumer Choice

construction designed to conserve natural resources. These initiatives help to support the sustainability goals of the University’s Climate Action Plan. Sustainable purchasing initiatives include the purchase of recycled-content products, environmentally-preferable products and services, bio-based products, energy and water-efficient products, alternative-fuel vehicles, and products using renewable energy. University staff can search for green products when making purchases through the online marketplace purchasing tool.

Some other examples of Penn’s green purchasing commitments include purchasing Energy Star computers and electronics through Green IT; 30% recycled-content for all University-brand paper; solar-powered campus holiday lighting; non-toxic building and cleaning materials; and much more!

Some of the green vendors who supply Penn with products and services include:

• Carpeting: InterfaceFLOR

• Office Furniture: Global, Haworth, Kreuger International, Knoll, and Steelcase

• Office Supplies and Computer Equipment: Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Office Depot

• Research Product Supplies: Fisher Scientific, New England BioLabs, Promega

• Travel Services: Amtrak, PhillyCarShare

What You Can Do…

Next time you’re making a purchase, consider the source and content of that product or service. Is there a greener alternative? Could this be acquired second-hand? What is the product’s lifecycle?

These considerations are important in promoting a sustainable marketplace and preventing the need to produce new products. Environmentally-interested consumers can help to create markets for sustainable products and services through their purchasing decisions.

Buy recycled-content products. Purchasing recycled-content products helps to minimize the use of virgin materials for constructing new items. Many paper, plastic, rubber, and textile products can be purchased with up to 100% recycled-content.

Buy second-hand. Second-hand products are often available through friends, stores, websites, and other venues. These purchases also help to reduce reliance on virgin materials

and the environmental consequences of extraction, transportation, and manufacturing processes. Buying products second-hand can also have significant cost-savings in addition to environmental benefits.

Share. Before buying something new—consider whether you have a friend who might already have something for you to borrow. Sharing with friends and House peers helps to promote a culture of waste reduction and environmental benefits.

Purchase energy-efficient products. Look for energy-efficient devices, such as Energy Star products, when purchasing electronics. Energy Star appliances will have a logo on the box and show the energy savings compared to conventional brands. Energy-efficiency is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and the threat of climate change.

Purchase local and/or organic foods. Remember, purchasing local foods helps to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Local foods often have better nutritional value and flavor as well, since they’ve traveled a significantly shorter distance from the vine to your plate. Supporting organic foods also promotes a healthier environment by reducing the demand for synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

Apple Life Cycle

(Image coursey of www.apple.com)

Consumer Choice 25

Buy from companies with good environmental records. Purchasing from companies with good environmental records can show your support for their efforts. Even if a product you’re buying doesn’t have any environmentally-friendly features, supporting responsible companies helps to show your support.

Buy non-toxic products. Consider purchasing non-toxic products, such as textiles with bio-based dyes and bio-based cleaning agents. Reducing the demand for synthetic chemical products helps to promote a cleaner environment and reduces pollution and contamination from chemical residues.

Resources

1. University of Pennsylvania Purchasing, www. upenn.edu/sustainability/purchasing

Go Local

27

Waste & Recycling According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, between 1960 and 2007 the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.6 pounds per day.1 On Penn’s campus this would translate to 184,000 pounds of trash a day! In 2007, U.S. citizens generated 254.1 million tons of waste, but we did manage to recycle and compost approximately 85 million tons of trash - which is a 33.5% recycling rate.2 Recycling both reduces waste and land-filling and reduces the number of natural resources consumed.

It is easy for people to say that they don’t want to recycle because the environment is not their top concern – but there are huge economic savings from recycling as well. Forty-percent of the trash that 1 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Reduction, “The Benefits of Recycling” http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/landrecwaste/cwp/view.asp?a=1244&Q=504437&PM=1 2 US EPA “Municipal Solid Waste Charts” http://www.epa.gov/osw/facts-text.htm

is found in US landfills consists of paper products – something that is recyclable!3 Every ton of 100% recycled paper saves an estimated 4,100 kilowatt-hours of energy, 7,000 gallons of water and 60 pounds of air pollutants. If all paper towels were made with 100% recycled materials, approximately one million tons of used paper would be kept out of waste stream of the US.4

Moreover, recycling makes important contributions to the US economy. As the world’s population doubles in the next 40 years, recycled materials will be a significant source of metal for manufacturing. Those in the minerals and materials business are concerned with how to keep this burgeoning population supplied with the necessary materials.”5

3 National Geographic ‘Green Guide – Paper Guide’ http://m.nationalgeographic.com/gg_1/81/;jsessionid=B1B08EE08EAC8E835636DD5ED3001C72.wap1 4 Green Seal, ‘Green Report” March 2004 http://www.greenseal.org/resources/reports/CGR_tissuetowel.pdf 5 U.S. Geological Survey, ‘Recycling of Metals is a Strong Component of Sustainability, USGS Studies

However, perhaps instead of recycling, we should concentrate on reducing the amount of waste we produce in the first place. Waste management is the process by which society reduces the amount of waste that is produced. This is an increasingly important feature of environmental programs, as proper disposal of our trash becomes ever more difficult.

Counties across the US are facing one of two major waste problems:

1. The opening of landfill or waste treatment plants: areas facing the opening of new landfills have to deal with ramifications such as leaching of toxins into the water supply, and stigmas associated with living near a landfill (environmental justice issues)

2. The closing of landfill or waste treatment plants: localities

Indicate’ McKinley, M. (6/17/1999) http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1295

28 Waste & Recycling

facing the closure of these plants have to find new areas to dispose of their waste – and waste transportation is an expensive and complicated business. 6

Recycling and waste management has obvious economic and ecological benefits:

• Reducing expenses by buying less and buying longer-lasting products;

• Reducing exploitation of natural resources; and

• Consuming less energy and producing fewer greenhouse gases, by requiring fewer products to be manufactured and transported.

Background7

Paper Recycling. Paper is taken to a recycling plant where it is separated into types and grades. Separated paper is then washed with soapy water to remove inks, plastic film, staples and glue. It is then put into a large holder where it is mixed with water to create slurry. A variety of paper products, like cardboard, newspapers and office paper, can be created from slurry by adding different materials. This slurry is spread into large thin sheets and left to dry. Once it is dry, the slurry is rolled up ready to be cut and resold.

Glass Recycling. Glass is sorted by color and washed to remove

6 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Reduction, “Waste Reduction” http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/landrecwaste/cwp/view.asp?a=1244&q=486692 7 Guides Network UK, ‘The Recycling Guide’ http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/science.html

any impurities. It is then crushed and melted and molded into new products. It is then ready to be reused. Glass does not degrade through the recycling process so it can be recycled again and again.

Aluminum Recycling. To prepare for recycling, aluminum is sorted and cleaned. Heat is then applied to the aluminum that turns it into molten aluminum; removing the coatings and inks that may be present. This molten metal is then cast into large blocks, called ingots, each of which contains about 1.6 million drink cans. Ingots are sent to mills where they are rolled out flat, giving the aluminum greater flexibility and strength. It is then remade into aluminum products such as cans, candy wrappings and ready-meal packaging. This process can take as little as 6 weeks to complete.

Benefits of Recycling

Economic

• Recycling one ton of aluminum cans is equal to an energy conservation of 1,665 gallons of gasoline. That savings could provide gas a car to drive 48,757.5 miles – enough to drive from Penn to San Francisco almost 17 times!

• Recycling one ton of mixed paper saves 185 gallons of gasoline

• By converting waste into valuable products, recycling creates jobs and adds significant value to the entire U.S. economy. According to the National Recycling Coalition, recycling creates four jobs

for every one job created in the waste management and disposal industries. 8

• Energy savings accumulate in the manufacturing process for recycled materials since the materials have already undergone processing. Recycling in Pennsylvania in 2005 saved enough energy to power 941,000 houses. 9

Environmental

• Recycling mitigates water and air pollution associated with the manufacture of new products and reduces greenhouse gases emissions.

• Recycling 85 million tons of trash is equal to a reduction of 193 million metric tons of CO2. That equals the yearly greenhouse gas emissions from over 35 million vehicles.10

• Recycling and waste management reduces the need for incineration and landfilling. As these decrease, the detrimental environmental effects of acid leaching, air pollution, etc will be less of a problem for us. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, recycling is cheaper than incinerating and landfilling waste materials.

• By recycling newsprint, office

8 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Reduction, “The Benefits of Recycling” http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/landrecwaste/cwp/view.asp?a=1244&Q=504437&PM=19 Ibid.10 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Reduction, “The Benefits of Recycling” http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/landrecwaste/cwp/view.asp?a=1244&Q=504437&PM=1

Waste & Recycling 29

paper and mixed paper, Pennsylvanians saved the equivalent of 78 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years. 11

• Recycling saves energy which means fewer polluting emissions released into the atmosphere. The steps in supplying recycled materials to industry (collection, processing and transportation) typically use less energy than the steps in supplying virgin materials to industry (extraction, refining, transportation and processing.)

Penn-Specific Information

While waste may not be the largest contributor to Penn’s carbon footprint, it is certainly the most visible. A 2008 waste audit revealed the potential to double the University’s diversion rate of traditional recyclables by adopting campus standards for signage, receptacle design, and collection protocols. You can download some great signs for your dorm at www.upenn.edu/sustainability/resources/posters.html

Penn’s Climate Action Plan calls on the University to reduce its overall waste stream, and increase its diversion rate of paper, cardboard, and commingled recyclables to 40% by 2014.

Currently, Penn recycles about 20% of its total waste stream, diverting over 1500 tons of material from landfills. Facilities and Real Estate Services is responsible for the collection of 11 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Reduction, “The Benefits of Recycling” http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/landrecwaste/cwp/view.asp?a=1244&Q=504437&PM=1

municipal waste and recyclables at Penn.

The University also recycles computers, printers, batteries, and fluorescent light bulbs. All leaves on campus are collected and composted, then re-used as mulch on the campus landscape. In addition, Penn’s Morris Arboretum provides composting facilities for the entire neighboring municipality of Springfield Township, allowing both garden waste drop-off and free compost pick-up.

In 2008, Penn competed for the first time in the EPA’s RecycleMania competition, a national contest that aims to raise awareness of recycling programs and goals at campuses across the US. Penn competed again in 2009 and showed improvements in both diversion rate and overall waste reduction, placing first among the Ivies for the Least Cumulative Waste in lbs/person.

PennMoves

For the past two years, Penn Business Services has conducted PennMoves, a move-out recycling and re-use drive, with the goal of reducing waste and preventing usable items from going to landfills. In 2009, over 45 tons of material was diverted, and over $30,000 was raised from the sale of these items. Through United Way, this money was donated to West Philadelphia charity agencies.

Computers and Electronics

Computing equipment “e-waste” contains a lot of heavy metals and toxic materials that can seep into

In 2008, Penn recycled...

265 lbs of batteries

2,600 lbs of bulbs

7,200 lbs of carpet

512,720 lbs of cardboard

462,000 lbs of shredded paper

11 solar powered cans

1,130 lbs of ballast

1,968,000 lbs of mixed paper


the water supply or poison the ground. All of these materials can be contained, and most can be reused if they areproperly disposed. Last year, Penn recycled over 122,000 pounds of old electronic equipment through a local firm, Elemental. Visit the Green IT website to learn more about how to dispose of electronics responsibly.

Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS) provides awareness initiatives about electronic equipment that may contain heavy metals and other materials that can be hazardous to human health and the environment.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and Batteries

Batteries and CFLs are both products that are considered hazardous or universal waste. These types of products require special disposal and recycling procedures to ensure that their contents and ingredients do not harm the environment. Like other fluorescent lights, CFLs contain a small amount of mercury that is needed to make them energy-efficient. While the amount of

mercury in a CFL is very small (about 5 mg), it is still considered hazardous waste and should be handled with care.

College House residents and staff can recycle their CFLs and batteries by placing them into specially-labeled white buckets located at each College House information desk.

Minimizing Waste in Dining Halls

Penn Dining sells reusable tote bags and reusable water bottles in the retail dining locations. Our residential dining halls have gone tray-less which both reduces food waste and conserves water and energy by eliminating the need to wash trays and reducing the volume of heated water required for washing. Tray-less dining also reduces the use of chemicals that are found in detergents and rinsing and drying agents needed to wash trays. Other waste management initiatives at Penn’s dining facilities include eliminating the use of plastic bags for to-go meals, introducing compostable takeout containers, and recycling used cooking oil.

Food Waste Composting

Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services partnered with local businesses to create the Moravian Street Recycling and Composting Center. Here, waste from the adjacent restaurants and offices is captured and sorted, including food waste, fryer grease, and recyclables. This project was supported by a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection.

What can be recycled on campus?

Paper

• Office Paper

• Junk Mail

• Bulk Packs

• Glossy Paper

• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Notebooks

• Catalogs


• Paperbacks

• Phone Books

• NO hardcover books or wax paper. Hardcover books can be donated to your local library. Many bookstores (including the Penn Bookstore @ 36th and Walnut) offer buy-back opportunities for used textbooks.

Cardboard (Empty & Flatten)

• Cardboard boxes

• Clean pizza boxes

• Brown paper bags

• Fiber board (ex: cereal boxes)

• NO wax-coated cardboard

Glass, Plastics #1 & #2, and Metals

Glass, plastic containers labeled with a #1 or #2, and metals are recyclable materials that are collected together, or “commingled,” in College Houses, academic/administrative buildings, and outdoor locations across campus.

All materials must be emptied and rinsed. Metal caps and lids should be detached from jars and placed in the same bin. Rinse and flatten plastic containers, and discard plastic bottle caps in the trash.

Glass

• Glass Food & Beverage Containers: Flint (clear), Emerald (green), Amber (brown), Blue

• NO window glass

• NO light bulbs

Plastics # 1 & # 2• To determine the number of

the plastic container, look on the bottom for a #1 or #2 label

• Plastic soda and water bottles

• Shampoo and detergent bottles

• Milk jugs and salad dressing bottles

• NO #3, #4, #5, #6 or #7 plastic

• NO plastic bags or food wrappers

• NO plastic bottle caps

• NO plastic Solo cups (unless labeled #1 or #2 – most are #6)

Metals

• Aluminum cans

• Empty aerosol cans

• Steel & ferrous cans (canned goods, coffee cans, etc.)

• NO batteries or electronics

• NO aluminum foil

Trash

The following items are not recyclable, and should be placed in the trash.

• Plastics #3 through #7 and plastics without a number go in the TRASH:

• Styrofoam, packing peanuts

• Plastic bags and film

• Plastic utensils, cups, plates

• Plastic food wrapping

• Poly-carbonate bottles

• Tupperware containers

• Hardcover books and binders

• Frozen food and juice boxes

• Milk and ice cream cartons

• Orange juice cartons

• Food wrappers and bags

• Dirty paper plates, cups, napkins

• Food waste (uneaten food)

What you can do...

Carry your own coffee cup (CYOC). Bringing your own cup not only saves money for the University (they don’t have to purchase more disposable cups), it also reduces the waste stream.

Carry your own reusable silverware. Most plastic utensils are made from polystyrene, a #6 recyclable that is not currently being recycled in Philadelphia. By volume, the amount of space used up in landfills by all plastics is between 25 - 30%.

Print double sided. According to the EPA, the average person in the US uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year. Penn has approximately 24,000 students – if 5,000 students printed everything double sided, the estimated annual


dollars savings would be $260,000. Additional annual environmental benefits include eliminating 28 tons of solid waste, a reduction in water consumption of 500,000 gallons, and a decrease of 87 tons in wood consumption.

Don’t eat from polystyrene containers. Polystyrene, commonly referred to as Styrofoam, is currently not recycled in Philadelphia thus adding to our overall waste stream. It can also be detrimental to your health. The higher the fat content of the food the more styrene is leached from the container into the food. Studies have shown that styrene in the body mimics the hormone estrogen; disrupting your natural hormone balance of estrogen is linked to health issues like thyroid problems, breast and prostate cancers.

Pay your bills online. If every US citizen stopped receiving paper bill statements we’d prevent the loss of 18.5 million trees every year. Additionally, we would prevent the production of 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.

Pick the item with the least packaging. This will cut down on waste production and energy consumption.

Watch what you throw out. Monitor your desk side waste basket for the non-recyclables that you throw out and see how much you contribute to land fills. Think about how you can use different items that would be more easily recycled.

Bring your lunch from home, go for a litter-less lunch. According to the

EPA, only 5% of the plastic bags in the municipal waste stream in 2005 were recycled, compared to 21% of paper bags. Brown-bagging your lunch will reduce our campus waste stream.

Use reusable gift wrap. Give gifts in reusable gift bags or use old shoe boxes and newspaper to wrap – get creative! People appreciate the thought and time that goes into a gift just as much as the gift itself.

Use recycled paper. It takes 70 - 90% less energy to make recycled paper than normal paper, and it reduces the loss of forests worldwide. Proof read electronically. What does a ream of paper really cost? A study by Citigroup and Environmental Defense found that the usual $2 per ream cost ignores many environmental costs. Include the cost of paper storage, printing, copying, and recycling, disposal and postage you end up with 31 times the purchase price – a real cost of $62 a ream.

Learn the recycling rules. You’ll be amazed at how much you can actually keep out of the trash! Penn has a campus-wide recycling goal of 30% - RecycleMania is a great way to get people on campus involved in our efforts toward this goal. Reuse and recycle glass jars and bottles. Recycled glass production emits 20% less air pollutants and 50% less water pollutants.

Read the paper online. If you do choose to read in print be sure to recycle. Old newspapers are used to produce a variety of new products, but approximately one-third goes directly back into newsprint.

Purchase items in aluminum or glass over plastic. Twenty recycled aluminum cans could be made with the energy it takes to manufacture a single brand new can. Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil compared to the production requirements for virgin materials.

Use recycled-content bathroom paper. Bathroom tissue and paper towels are used only once and cannot be recycled, thereby eliminating the potential for replenishing what has been lost. However, the use of tissue containing 100% recycled material and as much post-consumer waste as possible can reduce the impact of these short-lived items. Use of post-consumer fibers reduces the impact on landfills by saving 3.3 cubic yards of space for every ton of paper that is rechanneled.

Recycling helps preserve our environment, supports our economy and saves you money. The best way to really make recycling work is to use recycled products and packaging. It’s up to you to close the recycling loop - use your purchasing power and buy products made from recyclables.

Resources

1. PA Department of Environmental Protection, “Recycling,” www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/recycle.htm

2. EPA Wastes, “Resource Conservation – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm


3. The Recycling Globe, recyclingjournal.com

4. “Recycling Pays Philadelphia,” www.recyclingpays.phila.gov

5. Blue Mountain, www.bluemoutainrecycling.com

Think before you throw

35

Transportation Alternative transportation is a term that refers to forms of mobility excluding private cars. In Philadelphia, there are a large number of transportation alternatives, which help people to move throughout the city while accounting for fewer emissions and pollution than automobiles. Likewise, in University City, there are a variety of alternative transportation modes available to students, faculty, and staff.

Buses, trains, trolleys, subways, bicycles, car shares, van services, and walking are all used daily by individuals throughout Penn and the entire city. These modes of transportation play a critical role in keeping Philadelphia a cleaner, safer, and less congested place to live, provide jobs for the region, and reduce fuel consumption.

Although few Penn students drive to campus, educating your College House peers about the importance of alternative transportation can impact their future behaviors.

Learning about the breadth of transit modes in the area can also deter students from overusing taxi services, which contribute significantly to Philadelphia’s vehicle congestion, pollution, and total emissions. Using Penn Transit Services and SEPTA, students can move throughout the entire city easily and much less expensively. Students can also move throughout the city by foot or bicycle without any financial or environmental consequences.

Here are some quick facts regarding alternative transportation in the US:

• In 2008, Americans took 10.7 billion trips using public transportation

• Between 1995 and 2008, public transportation ridership increased 38%—a growth rate higher than the 14% increase in U.S. population and higher than the 21% growth in the use of the nation’s highways over the same period

• Public transportation is a $48.4 billion industry that employs more than 380,000 people1

• 40% of all trips in the U.S. are two miles or less—74% of which are travelled by car

• The average American spends 18% of their annual income on transportation—significantly more for private vehicles than alternative transportation

• 89% of Americans believe that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use

• 71% of Americans report that they would like to bicycle more, and 53% favor increases in federal spending on improved bicycle lanes and paths2

1 American Public Transportation Association, “Facts on Public Transportation,” http://www.publictransportation.org2 America Bikes, “Top 10 Facts on Bicycling and Walking in the United States,” http://americabikes.org/Documents/Top-10-Facts.pdf

36 Transportation

• In 2008, commuters to Penn drove approximately 30,013,344 miles and consumed 1,358,069 gallons of fuel

• Walking and bicycling represent only 10% of trips in the U.S. 3

Background

Private automobiles represent the largest mode of transportation used by individuals in the U.S. Although public transportation ridership has increased significantly in recent years, private vehicles are by far the most predominant form of transportation. Most households have at least two vehicles, with 20% owning as many as three.

Although private vehicles can be necessary in reaching certain destinations, there are serious environmental consequences that

3 TC Chan Center, Carbon Reduction Action Plan

come attached to an over-reliance on automobiles. The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from carbon dioxide (CO2) in the U.S. Presently, transportation accounts for 28% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.4 CO2 is considered one of the primary greenhouse gases associated with the potential for man-made climate change.5

Air pollution is one of the most significant health and environmental concerns resulting from transportation. Although the pollution generated by vehicles has drastically improved over the last several decades, serious human and environmental health problems continue to stem from automobile exhaust.

• Carbon Monoxide (CO):

4 American Public Transportation Association, “Public Transportation Helps Protect Our Environment,” http://publictransportation.org/takesusthere/docs/environment_fact_sheet.pdf5 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Climate Change—Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Carbon Dioxide,” http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2.html

A poisonous gas emitted primarily from gasoline vehicles, CO reduces oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues and organs threatening human health and is particularly threatening to individuals with heart and respiratory ailments.6 CO is also a greenhouse gas, which traps heat and contributes to the potential for climate change. Although CO is one of the more weak greenhouse gases, it does interact with hydroxyl radicals (HO), and prohibits their ability to reduce the lifetimes of stronger greenhouse gases.7

• Hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbon emissions result due to incomplete fuel combustion in

6 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Mobile Source Emissions—Past, Present, and Future: Carbon Monoxide,”http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/carbonmon.htm7 American Geophysical Union, “Decline in Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide Raises Questions about Its Cause,” http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/khalil.html

Households by Number of Vehicles: 2007

(Graphs courtsey of Bureau of Transportation Serices - http://www.bts.gov)

US Household Spending, 2007

Transportation 37

motor vehicles. Hydrocarbons react with nitrogen oxides in sunlight to form ground-level ozone, a major component of smog. Additionally, ground-level ozone is known for causing severe human health problems, such as difficulty breathing, lung damage, cancer, and reduced cardiovascular function.8

• Nitrogen Oxide (NO): Formed by the combustion of fuel at high temperatures, NO is predominantly generated by motor vehicles. Travelling extremely long distances, this pollutant can cause a variety of environmental and health-related problems, such as smog, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter.9 Nitrogen

8 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Mobile Source Emissions—Past, Present, and Future: Hydrocarbons,” http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/hydrocarbons.htm9 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Mobile Source Emissions—Past, Present, and Future: Nitrogen Oxides,” http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/nox.htm

oxides also contribute to the formation of acid rain, thereby threatening environmental stability.10

• Particulate Matter (PM): Motor vehicles also contribute to growing quantities of particulate matter, small solid and liquid particles, which are extremely hazardous to human health and air toxicity. PM is a primary source of haze throughout the world and can travel far distances carried by air currents. Likewise, these small particles are a major health concern and can cause asthma, difficulty breathing, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer.11

Although mobile vehicle pollution is a major problem for human and

10 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Acid Rain,” http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/index.html11 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Mobile Source Emissions—Past, Present, and Future: Particulate Matter,” http://www.epa.gov/otaq/invntory/overview/pollutants/pm.htm

environmental health, improvements in regulation and technology have accounted for significant emissions improvements over the last several decades. Reductions in most pollutants such CO, NO, and PM can be observed over the last two decades.


Alternative transportation can be an extremely effective means for reducing peoples’ dependence on private motor vehicles and helping to improve environmental welfare. Although the same problems that arise from private vehicles exist for motorized public transportation, the reduction in emissions and pollution generated per vehicle is extremely low by comparison. Simply put—many more individuals can fit into one public vehicle than a private one.

According to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), a forty-seat bus with just seven passengers is more

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Use: 1985-2007

Public Transportation - A Cleaner Alternative

(Graph courtsey of The National Alliance of Public Transportation

link: http://www.napta.net) (Graph courtsey of Bureau of Transportation Sericeshttp://www.bts.gov)

38 Transportation

fuel-

efficient than the average car; a full bus is six times more efficient; and, a full train is 15 times more efficient. Further, the annual carbon savings from a commuter switching to public transportation is more than the savings from home weatherizing, thermostat regulation, replacement of five incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lamps, and installation of an energy-efficient refrigerator combined.12

12 Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, “SEPTA Encourages Riders To Live Green. Launches ‘Go Green, Go SEPTA’ Initiative,” http://www.septa.com/news/press_releases/20080226.html

Another effective strategy to reduce air pollution generated from transportation is to reduce overall traffic congestion. Motor vehicles burn more fuel while idling and in stop-and-go traffic—contributing to greater air pollution numbers and costing citizens billions of dollars in fuel costs annually.13 By removing even a small percentage of vehicles off the road, significant improvements to congestion can be seen.

13 Texas A&M University, “What Does Congestion Cost US?” http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/congestion_cost.pdf

In 2008, the average number of miles driven dropped by 3%—resulting in a 30% reduction in peak hour congestion.14

In addition to riding public transportation, bicycling and walking can be an effective means to reducing traffic congestion—especially in urban areas, where many destinations are relatively short distances.

Fuel Consumption

Another important conservation opportunity regarding alternative transportation focuses on fuel consumption. While pedestrians and cyclists require no fuel in traveling, public transportation represents a significant advantage over private automobiles. As mentioned earlier, SEPTA estimates a savings of 15 times the fuel needed for a full train in comparison to a private vehicle.

Considering the United States’ heavy reliance on fuel for transportation, advocating for alternative transportation can be an extremely effective way to help reduce this footprint. In fact, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), transportation accounts for 70% of America’s total oil consumption, far exceeding other sectors such as industry, buildings, and utilities.15

Of course, issues regarding U.S. oil consumption have made front-page news for several years now, as our national reliance on fuel imports have been a major economic concern. However, the sheer size of

14 America Bikes, “Top 10 Facts on Bicycling and Walking in the United States,” http://americabikes.org/Documents/Top-10-Facts.pdf15 America Bikes, “Top 10 Facts on Bicycling and Walking in the United States,” http://americabikes.org/Documents/Top-10-Facts.pdf

(Graphs courtsey of Bureau of Transportation Services, http://www.bts.gov)

Transportation 39

these consumption patterns is nearly unfathomable. In 2001, the EIA estimated that if all the fuel used in the U.S. for light-duty vehicles alone was placed in a central location, the size would be equivalent to a football field with 50-mile-high walls!16

Conservation opportunities have the potential to reduce the threats of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, and fuel consumption. However, in order to achieve significant reductions, individuals cannot be looked upon as the sole force in instituting change. Government agencies, NGOs, municipalities, non-profits, civil engineers, car manufacturers, and a host of other entities must work together in achieving better vehicle efficiency, more convenient public transportation, safer roads for bicycling and walking, and more efficient infrastructure for driving.

So many factors affect the overall environmental footprint of transportation that a true group effort is needed. In working together, more efficient transportation can provide citizens with more time, more money, and a healthier, safer planet.

Alternative Transportation at Penn

As an urban university in a dense neighborhood, Penn is committed to supporting and promoting alternative transportation modes that reduce fuel consumption, reduce congestion, decrease overall emissions, and promote a cleaner, healthier atmosphere for students, faculty, and staff. In general, alternative transportation is essential

16 Energy Information Agency (EIA), “Household Vehicles Energy Use: Latest Data & Trends,” http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/rtecs/nhts_survey/2001/index.html

for movement throughout cities. If everyone drove private automobiles, congestion would make traveling nearly impossible. Pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation riders are essential to helping the city function properly.

Of all modes of alternative transportation, none plays a more important role at Penn than walking. Although walking is often taken for granted in discussing transportation, this is by far the primary means of traveling throughout Penn’s campus. The entire university is designed for full pedestrian mobility, and Penn staff work carefully to ensure the safety and accessibility of campus and the surrounding area.

Bicycles play another important role in alternative transit at Penn. The university has worked to optimize bicycle mobility throughout campus with clearly defined bike lanes and fluid access to bicycle corrals and bike racks. Bicycles can also be attached to the front of Penn buses and the LUCY busy to promote intermodal transportation.

Additionally, Penn Transit provides a number of public transportation services that give students, staff, and faculty access to convenient transportation in the immediate and surrounding area. The LUCY bus shuttles passengers between 30th Street Station (the stop for regional rail, Amtrak, and the local subway and trolley lines) and campus. Two routes run continuously in opposite directions, making stops at Penn’s main campus as well as two local hospitals operated by the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The loop also serves the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is free for all members of the University community.

Penn also runs several overlapping passenger routes, the Penn bus and the Penn shuttle, with on-call service available. These routes provide free transit within a roughly 20-block radius of campus and provide reliable, safe local transit. In 2008, Penn purchased new buses which use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and have the capacity to change to biodiesel should a supplier become available.

Some other strategies for promoting alternative transportation and reducing reliance on motorized vehicles include:

• 10% SEPTA Discount for Penn Staff and Faculty

• Purchasable Unlimited SEPTA PennPass

• PhillyCarShare Discounts

• AlterNet, ZimRide, and Share-A-Ride Carpooling Services

• Transitcheks to Consolidate Transit Costs

• Penn Transit GPS Services for Vehicle Location

• Telecommuting for Penn Conferences

• Consideration of Sustainable Traffic Policies (Non-Peak Deliveries; Idling Reduction)

The comprehensive nature of Penn’s transportation planning speaks to the complexity of addressing environmental issues related to transportation. As mobility is an essential part of daily life, comprehensive planning is critical to the success of sustainable transportation policies and ensuring convenience in traveling.

40 Transportation

What You Can Do…

As a student at Penn, there are many modes of transportation available that make private automobiles practically unnecessary. In speaking with students about moving throughout the city, be sure to mention some of the following.

Ride a bike. Bicycling can be one of the most efficient ways to move throughout a city. Bicycling offers the potential eliminate fuel, pollution, and emissions associated with motorized travel, while providing exercise and fast mobility. In fact, bicycling is likely faster in moving throughout the city than almost any motorized service when taking into account the parking time for private vehicles and waiting times for public transportation. Remember your helmet as you head out on your bike to explore the city.

Ride the bus. SEPTA and Penn Transit Services offer extensive bus services throughout the Philadelphia and University City area. These services are extremely efficient modes for traveling in the city and offer full coverage throughout the main corridors of University City. Additionally, SEPTA and Penn are working on improving the efficiency of their bus vehicles. Penn has purchased low sulfur-emitting diesel buses, and SEPTA now has a significant number of diesel-electric hybrids in their fleet—with over 400 of these hybrids being introduced by 2011. Additionally, the Chinatown Bus and BoltBus provide alternatives for traveling to major metropolitan areas from Washington, D.C. to

Boston—whereas, Greyhound can bring students anywhere in the country.

Take a train. SEPTA and Amtrak serve the Philadelphia area and country respectively and provide Philadelphians with a variety of high-speed options for traveling while improving their environmental footprint. The SEPTA regional rail train system is considered one of

the best in the nation and connects to all parts of Philadelphia and the surrounding area at inexpensive rates.

Walk! An emissions-free, pollution-free, and cost-free way to move throughout the city, walking provides an important alternate to motorized transportation. Like bicycling, walking too is an excellent way to combine exercise and transportation while helping to reduce your environmental footprint.

Ride the Trolley. SEPTA’s trolley service extends to many parts of the city and can be conveniently

accessed from campus. Locations at 30th, 33rd, 36th, and 37th St. make catching a trolley exceptionally convenient in the area—and tokens cost only $1.45—the price of on-street, metered parking for one hour for a private vehicle.

Use a car share. Philadelphia boasts two car share companies - PhillyCarShare and Zipcar. Members have access to a varied fleet of cars

that can be reserved by the hour or by the day. Both companies have different membership rates depending on how often you plan to use the car share. According to Zipcar, each Zipcar takes 15 - 20 personally-owned vehicles off the road.

Offset your air travel. If you have to take a flight, consider offsetting the carbon emissions from your travel by donating to an organization that specializes in carbon offsets, like Terrapass. Innovated by Penn students, Terrapass’ services will invest your contribution into carbon-

offset projects and eliminate the carbon emissions from your flight.www.terrapass.com

Use Penn’s public transportation services. Be sure to take advantage of all the free public transportation opportunities available by Penn Transit Services. Check out the website at www.business-services.upenn.edu/transportation. These services are free to all Penn students and eliminate the need for any private vehicles when traveling in the immediate vicinity and to or from Center City.

Transportation 41

Try something new! We realize that trying new modes of transportation can be intimidating, but there are many alternatives for Penn students to fit their convenience. If your College House peers aren’t comfortable bicycling or walking throughout the city, encourage them to try other services. And, be sure to mention all the convenient transportation provided by Penn Transit Services that can eliminate the need for private vehicles!

Resources

1. Public Transportation, http://www.publictransportation.org

2. Energy Information Administration, “Household Vehicles Energy Use: Latest Data & Trends,” www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/rtecs/nhts_survey/2001/index.html

3. America Bikes, www.americabikes.org

4. US EPA, “Pollutants,” www.epa.gov/otag/invntory/overview/pollutants/index.htm

5. SEPTA, www.septa.org

6. Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, www.bicyclecoalition.org

7. Zipcar, www.zipcar.com

8. PhillyCarShare, www.phillycarshare.org

Water 43

Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population nearly doubled – but in that same period, public demand for water more than tripled!1 Why was there such a substantial increase?

While usage varies from community to community and person to person, the average family turns on the tap between 70 and 100 times daily2, and the average Penn student will use 183 gallons of water a day for cooking, washing, flushing, and consumption.

In the U.S. in 2000, a total of approximately 323 billion gallons of surface water was used per day, and about 84.5 billion gallons of ground water was used per day. At this rate, water is consumed here at twice the rate of other industrialized nations.3

1 Earth Water Institute http://earthwaterinstitute.org/waterfaqs.htm 2 Estimated use of water in the United States in 2000 / by Susan S. Hutson ... [et al.] (U.S. Geological Survey circular ; 1268) http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/circ1268/pdf/circular1268.pdf3 Ibid.

A sobering statistic - the number of people worldwide who do not have access to clean water is 1.2 billion; the volume of water that Americans flush down the toilets every day is 6.8 billion gallons.4

Here are some more useful and interesting statistics about water use (From the USGS, based on 2000 data):5

• Thermoelectric power accounts for approximately 52% of total water withdrawals. Most of the water is derived from surface water and used for once-through cooling at power plants.

• Irrigation accounts for about 33% of water use and is currently the largest use of fresh water in the United States. Irrigation water use includes water used for growing crops, as well as water used to maintain areas such as parks and golf courses.

4 Ibid.5 Ibid.

• Industrial water withdrawals accounted for about 5% of water use. This includes water used for fabrication, processing, washing, and cooling, and also includes water used by smelting facilities, petroleum refineries, and chemical product, food, and paper product industries.

• Combined withdrawals for domestic, livestock, and mining activities represented about 3% of total water withdrawals for 2000. Domestic withdrawals include water used for household purposes which is not obtained from public supply - about 43 million people in the US use well water for their domestic needs. Livestock water use includes watering, and feedlots, while mining use encompasses water used for the extraction of minerals such as coal and ores, crude petroleum, and natural gas.

Water

44 Water

Background

The global supply of water is about 333 million cubic miles, which covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface. Of the surface water, the vast majority – over 96% – is saline water in the oceans. Of the approximately 4% freshwater, over 68% of this is locked up in ice and glaciers, over 30% is in the ground, and only about 0.3% is contained in rivers and lakes. It is important to realize that only 1% of the world’s water is drinkable by humans, but only 0.3% is easily accessible.

The chart below shows that more than 99% of all water is not available for our use – it is instead found in oceans and seas, as ice, and as atmospheric water. Of the remaining 1%, much of that is out of reach in groundwater; we generally only make use of a tiny portion of the available water supplies through the lakes and rivers.

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. The water cycle has no official

starting point, and is driven by heat and energy from the sun. Water vapor cools and condenses to form clouds; when clouds are saturated and can hold no further water vapor, water falls as precipitation – this can be rain, mist, snow, hail, or sleet. Some of this precipitation will then be frozen in ice caps and glaciers, while the rest will remain liquid and replenish water storage bodies. As a whole, the Earth is a “closed system,” – it neither gains nor loses much matter, including water. You can then understand just how far water pollution disrupts our access to fresh, clean water.

Benefits

Keeping in mind this idea of a closed system for global water, a recent government survey which estimated that over 36 states are anticipating local, regional, or statewide water shortages by 2013 is worrisome.6 If we use our water supplies more efficiently, we can help preserve them for future generations, while at the same time saving money and 6 U.S. EPA, WaterSense, ‘Water Supply and Use in the United States’ http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/supply.htm

protecting the environment.

An issue that is not often considered in debates about water consumption is the considerable amount of energy required to deliver and treat water. Treatment facilities and public water supply systems consume approximately 56 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year – this is enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes for an entire year. To break this down into something more tangible - running a faucet for five minutes will guzzle energy comparable to a 60-watt light bulb running for 14 hours!7

As a whole, approximately 4% of the total electricity consumption of the US is used to move or treat water and wastewater. On a household level, considerable amounts of energy are used in heating water for bathing, laundry, and doing the dishes; this can be up to one quarter of total electricity consumption in homes that have electric water heaters. 8

7 U.S. EPA, WaterSense, ‘What Are The Environmental Benefits of Water Efficiency?’ http://www.epa.gov/OW-OWM.html/water-efficiency/water/save/env_benefits.htm 8 EPRI, 2002. Water & Sustainability (Volume 4): U.S. Water Consumption for Water Supply &

All water on Earth

Water usable by humans 1%

(Figure courtsey of USGS (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html)

(Figure courtsey of USGS (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html )

Water 45

If one out of every 100 homes in the US installed appliances and fixtures that utilized water more efficiently, this action could save the country about 100 million kWh of electricity per year, and avoid 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions – this is equivalent to taking 15,000 automobiles off the road for a year. Moreover, if just one-percent of homes replaced older inefficient toilets with WaterSense-labeled models, it would save over 38 million kWh of electricity, which is equivalent to the monthly electricity consumption of 43,000 households.

Overall, if all US households installed water-efficient appliances and fixtures, it would save over 3 trillion gallons of water and upwards of $18 billion each year.9

Apart from reducing energy consumption and saving water, other benefits include:10

• With less water withdrawn from lakes and rivers, these water bodies are healthier;

• Higher flow levels of rivers improve water quality for aquatic life;

• Fewer greenhouse gas emissions as a result of decreased energy used to pump and treat water;

• Less wastewater that requires collection, treatment, and disposal; and

Treatment-The Next Half Century, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, March 2002, Report#: 1006787.9 U.S. EPA, WaterSense, ‘What Are The Environmental Benefits of Water Efficiency?’ http://www.epa.gov/OW-OWM.html/water-efficiency/water/save/env_benefits.htm 10 U.S. EPA, WaterSense, ‘Water Efficiency: A Utility Player’ http://www.epa.gov/OW-OWM.html/water-efficiency/water/utilities.htm

• Less wastewater in our waterways means less pollution overall.

Bottled versus tap water

One of the most common ways we use water is by drinking it. The Bottled versus Tap Water debate has raged long and hard at Penn, and as an Eco-Rep, it is your job to educate people about the pros and cons of this question.

Here are some major points to consider in the debate:11

Health

• Two separate agencies govern drinking water quality in the US. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets bottled water standards and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets tap water standards. Tap water is held to higher safety standards because the EPA has more regulatory oversight than the FDA. The EPA carries out water assessments more often and has stricter criteria for

11 U.S. EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water, ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/faq.html

bacteria and parasite content, according to a 1999 study from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). In fact, the FDA has no standard requirements to test bottled water for certain parasites, such as Cryptosporidium or Giardia, while standards to test for these things do exist for tap water.

• The aforementioned National Resources Defense Council four-year study tested over 1,000 bottles of 103 different brands of bottled water and found that more than 25% of bottled water is actually bottled tap water.

Cost

• While $2 for 24 ounces doesn’t seem outrageous, when you compare it with the amount of money you can save drinking tap water, the differences are readily apparent. The NRDC study also reported that a 5-year supply of bottled water costs more than $1,000, whereas the same amount of tap water costs a mere $1.65.

vs.

46 Water

Environmental Cost

• It takes three to four times the amount of water in the bottle just to make the plastic for the bottle, plus oil is used and carbon dioxide is created to ship the water to the store. While one plastic water bottle a day may not seem like a huge waste problem, over the course of one year, an estimated 9 out of 10 bottles end up in landfills instead of being recycled. If everyone at Penn consumed one bottle of water each day, and assuming that 10% are recycled, within a year we would have landfilled over 13 million bottles!

Can’t convince your friends to go au natural?

• Buy a filter. Brita or PUR filters are a cheap, long-term investment that can improve water taste and water quality.

• Buy domestic. If you can’t break your bottled-water addiction, buy a brand that is produced locally. It will have a lower carbon footprint as it will not have been shipped as far as others.

Penn-Specific Information

One of the most significant environmental challenges facing the City of Philadelphia is pollution of its rivers. Like many of America’s older cities, Philadelphia has a combined sewer/stormwater system, where the underground sewer pipes also carry away excess stormwater after a rainfall. During significant precipitation events, excess stormwater from city roofs, roads, and parking lots can overwhelm the sewage treatment plants, resulting in untreated sewage being washed directly into the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers.

Green roofs, roofs planted with vegetation or grasses, are one of the key strategies that can be used to reduce stormwater runoff. Vegetation on roofs slows the passage of rainwater into the sewer system, with less pollution as a result. In cooperation with the Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds, Penn is leading the way on installation of green roofs, lessening the burden on the West Philadelphia sewer system. There are a number of additional benefits as well: the roofing system keeps the top floor cooler by reducing the rooftop temperatures in summer, and in winter the plants and soil

insulate the building from sub-zero temperatures and icy winds; the plantings extend the life of the roof waterproofing membrane by protecting it from UV light and extreme temperature swings; finally, green roofs provide a habitat for insects and birds, which increases urban biodiversity and ensures a healthy ecosystem.

Penn has a number of green roofs on campus that you can visit: Hill Pavilion at the Vet School, Koo Plaza at Huntsman Hall, the courtyard of Claire Fagin Hall in the Nursing Building, Kings Court English College House, and at the Radian Apartment complex.

Additionally, Penn is working to improve campus water usage via repair and replacement of existing campus irrigation systems, while in our new Penn Park, an innovative storm-water management system is being installed to capture and divert rainwater to underground cells that will then supply the irrigation system for the entire site.

Green Roofs @ Penn

Water 47

What you can do...

Use your own water container. Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled. Plastic bottles take thousands of years to decompose – not to mention the amount of oil required to produce them!

Get your water from the tap. Good for the environment, your wallet and your health. EPA standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA standards for bottled water.

Take quick showers. Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of the year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.

Don’t leave the water running. Washing dishes with the water running wastes a lot of clean water. Also, don’t rinse dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. If you make this a habit, you’ll conserve up to five gallons of water per day. Daily savings in the U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons-more water than is used in the New York City.

Only wash full loads of laundry. The typical American household does nearly 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per full load with a conventional washer. That’s 16,000 gallons of water a year – enough water for one person to drink in a lifetime.

If you see a leaky faucet or showerhead, report it. Contact Facilities through FacilityFocus. This can be accessed through PennPortal, under ‘Residential Maintenance.’

Resources

1. EPA Office of Water, www.epa.gov/OW

2. EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water, www.epa/gov/safewater

3. Fairmount Waterworks Interpretive Center, www.fairmountwaterworks.com

4. Green Campus Partnership, Design Green, www.upenn.edu/sustainability.environment

5. Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center, www.pawatercenter.psu.edu

6. Philadelphia Water Department, www.phila.gov/water

7. Stroud Water Research Center, www.stroudcenter.org

8. USGS Water Resources of the United States, www.water.usgs.gov

9. USGS WaterWatch, www.waterwatch.usgs.gov