This page is my part of an ongoing project to improve the efficiency of energy use at Bridgewater State College. The original purpose of this page was to provide general resources for communications students who worked on an educational campaign for the campus. Those resources have been retained on this page, and additional resources - related to the January 2002 Energy Awareness & Conservation Week. Those early efforts helped to prepare the campus for a much more comprehensive approach, embodied in the Center for Sustainability. If you have questions or suggestions for this page, please contact me at jhayesboh@bridgew.edu or 508-531-2118.

The energy pledge campaign has helped thousands of people to identify steps that they can take to reduce their energy consumption, yielding both environmental and national-security benefits. I discovered that I am already following a number of the recommendations, but I found quite a few new things I can do to help! Be sure to view the "Green Ribbon Flash" movie to see an enlightening comparison between the patriotism of the 1940s and today's softer brand.

Background

The easiest way to change people's energy consumption patterns is to make sure that they pay increased fees for increased usage. For a variety of technical reasons, this is not possible on this campus (or most others). The energy communication project must therefore be aimed at promoting a campus culture that includes conservation of energy and other resources. In the absence of price incentives, another source of motivation is needed. In my experience, people become interested in changing their behavior when they learn about the consequences of choices they make about energy and other resource use.

Most electricity in the Northeast is generated by the burning of coal. This is a relatively abundant fuel, but its use has a variety of environmental consequences, including a contribution to global warming, acid rain, atmospheric haze. The mining of coal may involve significant land clearing, land alterations, and water pollution at the site of the mine.

Global Energy Transitions

The following resources are relevant to the presentation:

• The Prize , from Forbes, presents political scenarios that could interrupt the flow of oil by toppling the Saudi Arabian government
• Leading Fossil Fuel Producers/Reserves is an Excel spreadsheet that I created - based on figures from Goode's world atlas - to compare the longevity of coal and oil supplies among the major producing countries.
• Oil Price History and Analysis is a special issue of the Energy Economics Newsletter.
• The White House Energy Page presents the recommendations of Vice President Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group, which advocates "Reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy for America's future."
• Three stories from Planet Ark are relevant: subsidies for polluting fuels , fuel cell gains on the stock market , fuel cell losses on the stock market , and fuel cell technology .
• Energy: The Gathering Storm is an analysis of the relationship between energy prices and the current geopolitical climate, by Philip Verleger, who has written extensively on the relationships between failed energy policy and failed policies on terrorism.

General Resources

For a different approach, see the Center for the New American Dream (CNAD), whose motto is "More fun; less stuff."

ENERGY STAR is a program of the U.S. EPA that offers businesses and consumers energy efficient solutions. This site provides a variety of messages about energy conservation for different constituencies - including homes, schools, religious congregations, and small businesses.

To get a lot of information on practical devices for conserving energy and water, go to the Real Goods  home page. This company specializes in conservation products ranging from small items such as low-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow water nozzles to complete solutions to take your household completely off the grid. One possibility: the college could use its volume buying power to provide energy-saving products to students and employees at a discount.

Early in 2001, the following statement got a fair amount of media attention: Interfaith Call for Energy Conservation and Climate Justice.

Campus and Business Programs

Finally, the Alliance for Environmental Innovation works with private companies to implement innovative environmental strategies; some of their ideas may be useful to the campus community.