Some of our current goals, specifically for the Elon University Campus:
1) To reduce the excessive usage of personal automobiles by encouraging the use of Zip Cars
2) To promote carpooling with single extensive trips instead of multiple, frequent smaller ones
3) To decrease the unnecessary usage of lights by Elon public buildings late at night and early in the morning
4) To have fountains turned off at the same time
5) To start a campaign to replace all bulbs on campus and in dorm rooms with CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights)
6) To have more paper recycling bins installed around campus instead of solely in dorms
7) To encourage awareness for climate change and, particularly, peak oil in general
For more information about Climate Change, Peak Oil, and what you can do to not only conserve energy and the environment, but also your personal costs, please visit the following web sites:
http://www.ipcc.ch/ - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.peakoil.net/ - The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=602 – A useful website which can calculate how much you save yourself and the environment by switching your bulbs to CFLs
At the beginning of the 21st century, author Daniel Quinn wrote, “If we continue . . . to consume the world until there’s no more to consume, then there’s going to come a day, sure as hell, when our children or their children or their children’s children are going to look back on us – on you and me – and say to themselves, ‘My God, what kind of monsters were these people?’” Despite the grim nature of climate change, peak oil, excessive energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and the irresponsible mismanagement of natural, finite resources, these are all realities that must be dealt with sooner or later by the people and political leaders of every nation. Ignorance is bliss only as long as what you are ignorant of remains separate from your world of affairs; by the time it begins to severely impact and permanently influence your world, initiative is often useless.
