Top Ten Effective Environmental Choices at GC

For Goshen College students:

1. Carpool, bike, walk or use the trolley instead of driving your car.
   Burning fossil fuels for transportation makes by far the largest impact on the carbon footprint of a typical North American.
2. Dress for the season. Turn thermostats down in winter and up in summer.
   Heating and electrical use makes the second largest impact on your carbon footprint. Notify Physical Plant personnel of drafts or other heating/cooling problems.
3. Create entertainment that doesn’t consume fossil fuels.
   Attend GC sports events, ride bike on the Millrace trail, hang out at the Rec-Fitness Center, play with squirrels, read aloud with friends, create a Kick-off act, go canoeing, walk to the dam, watch clouds, sunsets, moon and stars.
4. Turn off computers and monitors at night or put to sleep (depending on the computer).
   To save even more energy, use a power strip for your computer, monitor and TV, which draw power even when they are turned off. Turn the power strip off when not in use.
5. Reduce artificial lighting.
   Sleep at night; work during the day; turn off lights when not in use. Use only fluorescent or LED bulbs.
6. Reduce use of appliances that produce heat.
   Consider using a wooden rack to dry your laundry and just plain air instead of a blower to dry your hair.
7. Eat less meat and more locally produced food.
   Meat production uses large amounts of energy and resources. For locally produced food, check out the Goshen Farmer’s Market and Maple City Market.
8. Recycle everything possible.  Buy recycled products.
   Use recycling bins on campus courteously. For complete instructions.
9. Use less paper.
   Print on both sides or use scrap paper with one good side left. Use online resources and submit assignments electronically.
10. Reduce new clothes purchases.
    Goshen has great second-hand stores: Goodwill, Salvation Army, The Depot, and several consignment shops. Try organizing a clothing swap with friends.

Other ways to reduce our environmental impact: Avoid disposable dishes; carry cloth shopping bags; look for natural fabrics.

For Goshen College faculty and staff:

1. Carpool, bike, walk or take the trolley instead of driving your car.
   Burning fossil fuels for transportation makes by far the largest impact on the carbon footprint of a typical North American.
2. Make energy-wise housing and transportation purchases.
   If at all possible, live close to your workplace. Investigate energy efficiency.
3. Dress for the season. Turn thermostats down in winter and up in summer.
   The second largest environmental impact we make is heating and electrical use in our homes and workplace. Notify Physical Plant personnel of drafts or other heating/cooling problems on campus.
4. Turn off computers and monitors at night or put to sleep (depending on the computer).
   To save even more energy, use a power strip for appliances that draw energy even while switched off (televisions, computers, etc.). Turn the power strip off when not in use.
5. Turn off lights when not in use. Use only fluorescent or LED light bulbs.
6. Reduce use of appliances that produce heat.
   Computer projectors give off lots of waste heat. So do clothes driers and ovens.
7. Eat more locally produced food and less meat.
   Food transportation and meat production use large amounts of energy and resources. Try to grow at least one food item yourself.
8. Recycle everything possible. Buy recycled products.
   On campus, recycle office paper and aluminum cans in recycling containers. Recycling facilities south of Newcomer Center can receive cardboard, paperboard, newspapers, magazines, glass, tin cans, and #1 and #2 plastics.
9. Use less paper.
   Print on both sides or use scrap paper with one good side left (if you have a printer that works well for this). In classes, use online resources and assignments to reduce paper use.
10. Use older editions of textbooks.
    Follow the lead of the psychology dept. Adopt textbooks that are one edition older than the current one so that used copies are available for all students.

Other ways to reduce our environmental impact: Avoid disposable dishes; carry cloth shopping bags; look for natural fabrics; use cloth diapers.