Going green is the most recent trend. People are finally realizing the significance of taking action to preserve the earth and its resources. We can be proud of our University for joining this crucial movement and making sure it does its part in a campaign for environmental consciousness.
By converting wasted heat into usable energy, the combined heat and power plant (CHP), recently built on campus, will provide about 99 percent of Fairfield’s electricity and 70 percent of its heat. In turn, this process will be economically efficient in the longterm. Pollution, through sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions, will also diminish with the implementation of the plant.
The significance of Fairfield’s movement toward a more energy-efficient campus spans beyond University boundaries, as Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and Congressman Christopher Shays took part in the unveiling of the plant.
Those outside of campus can appreciate the example Fairfield is setting by conserving energy and lessening the strain on the local power grid.
The grants and funds provided by state and private sectors to complete this plant are proving to be worth it.
Fairfield is implementing other environmental action campaigns campus wide, through the efforts of student and faculty groups. Increased recycling opportunities in residence halls and academic buildings emphasizes sustainability among students, faculty and visitors.
Nearly all campus facilities utilize energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs and, with the installment of smart plumbing projects, including low-flow shower heads and toilets, the University saves nearly 19 million gallons of water annually.
Energy efficiency is a huge priority in today’s world. Such projects can help raise environmental awareness among members of the student body.
While the University has thus far taken positive steps toward environmental sustainability on campus, it must continue such progress to maintain and improve these efforts. Students must also take initiative and be mindful of how they can help in both campus-wide projects in their own day-to-day lives.
Integrating eco-friendly habits into daily life may require a change in habits, but it is up to the Fairfield community to set a precedent for others.
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