Schapiro Hall led Columbia in a national competition among college dorms to reduce their electricity output, but fell behind other schools in the race to be green.
The results of Campus Conservation Nationals, an energy-reduction contest that took place over three weeks in November, were announced over winter break. Schapiro residents, with a 12.9 percent reduction, beat residents of Carman Hall, who reduced by 5 percent, and Hogan residents, who reduced by 4.9 percent.
But the 13 participating Columbia buildings had an average reduction of 3.1 percent, far below Depauw University in Greencastle, Ind., which led with a 25.8 percent reduction in its electricity. St. John’s University in Battery Park City led schools in New York state, reducing its output by 12.2 percent.
Nilda Mesa, assistant vice president for environmental stewardship, said that saving 10 percent or more in a college campus setting is “possible and quite good,” and praised Schapiro’s residents for leading the way.
But many Schapiro residents attributed their building’s success to existing attitudes about energy use, not to the competition.
“I definitely shut off my light when I left my room, and I try and turn out the lounge light when no one is there and it’s late,” Schapiro resident John Orthwein, CC ’12, said.
Schapiro resident Edward Kraśniewski, CC ’13, said he tries to be aware of his energy use anyway, so the competition didn’t provide an impetus to improve.
“There was no conscious effort that month by my floor or RA,” he said.
Stephen Chan, CC ’12 and an RA in Schapiro, said that during the competition, he turned off his computer and shut off running water, though he had done that in the past.
“The campaign makes you more conscious of that,” he said. “You chat it up when you see people in the lounge, and, hopefully, they listen and follow your lead.”
The worst-performing Columbia residence halls were Hartley and Woodbridge, which increased their electricity outputs by 3.5 percent and 3.6 percent respectively over the three weeks. Columbia beat its only Ivy League competition, Brown University, which saw a 0.3 percent increase in its electricity consumption.
Mesa said Columbia is doing its own work to decrease energy use, including installing energy- and water-efficient laundry machines and appliances. The University spends approximately $1 million a year in efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent on the Morningside campus, she added.
EcoReps, the campus environmental advocacy group which has organized a competition similar to Campus Conservation Nationals in the past, is planning to change its approach to conservation issues, EcoReps member Todd Nelson, CC ’12, said.
Nelson said the group wants to focus on “intellectual engagement,” instead of just telling people to unplug electronics or take shorter showers during their Ecolympics, planned for the spring.
“Everyone can tell you to turn off the lights or turn off the water,” EcoReps outreach co-coordinator Stephen Yang, SEAS ’11, said. “But once you’ve seen the data behind it and you’re able to show how much of an impact you will have, that’s when students will really see the benefits of their actions and not feel like turning off this one lamp won’t change anything.”
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