In the face of rapidly rising fuel prices, Brown administrators have resolved to limit the consumption of energy on campus this winter.
In the short term, the University is asking students and faculty to take such steps as turning off lights, putting computers into sleep mode and unplugging seldom-used appliances.
In the long term, administrators and members of the Environmental Task Force are looking at ways to increase the efficiency of Brown's outdated heating and electricity systems.
The issue of energy consumption grabbed students' attention on Oct. 20, when Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene sent a campus-wide e-mail outlining steps the University will take to reduce energy costs.
This winter the University is controlling the temperature in buildings around campus so that it never rises above 68 degrees and encouraging students and faculty members to turn off lights and other sources of energy whenever they aren't completely necessary.
"Anything we can do to reduce electrical use is of the highest priority," said Research Efficiency Manager Kurt Teichert, who works in Facilities Management and is leading the ETF in its mission to reduce energy consumption.
Teichert stressed that saving energy is important not only from an economic standpoint, but also from an environmental standpoint.
"Our electrical use is one of the biggest environmental impacts," he said, adding that students were more likely to turn off their lights and computers if they thought they were helping the environment, as opposed to saving some money for the University.
"Increasing awareness of the environmental impacts and opportunities - that's going to make a lot more sense to some students than just economics," Teichert said.
Jenna Horton '08, a member of the Brown Environmental Action Network, agreed, adding that she cared much more about environmental consequences than about cutting back on energy costs.
"I don't think students are going to respond to a message from David Greene saying 'keep a sweater on hand,' " Horton said, referring to a line from Greene's e-mail. She does not believe that Brown is encouraging students to conserve energy for environmental reasons.
Javier Zapata '09 said that Greene's e-mail did not inspire him to conserve energy but instead made him upset that Brown expected him to pay for the University's financial distress.
"I don't plan on making any other changes. I'm already freezing cold," Zapata said.
"As much as it was important, the e-mail was blatantly focused on the economic short term. I find that's not going to address the larger problem," Horton said. The larger problem, according to Horton, is the long-term plan for energy reform, including a change not only in how much energy we consume, but also in where the energy comes from.
"Unless they start thinking about ways to diversify the energy portfolio, rather than being dependent on oil prices, they'll have the same problem in future years," Horton said, claiming that the University's proposed energy policy is no more than a "short-term, band-aid fix."
Horton is not the only Brown student concerned about Brown's long-term energy policies.
"I received a couple dozen responses from students, many saying they thought that a more aggressive energy policy was the way to go," Greene said. The students included suggestions for further action the University can take in the future.
"Many had great ideas," Greene said.
Teichert acknowledged that the policies outlined in Greene's e-mail did not address the long-term need for a reduction in energy consumption and a need for change. He explained, however, that Brown has been independently formulating a long-term plan to become more energy efficient.
Because so many of Brown's buildings are old, their heating systems are often outdated or broken. In a process that will take several years, the ETF is working to find the faulty systems and bring them up to modern standards.
Teichert said that until now, the University has focused solely on reducing energy consumption, rather than searching for new forms of energy.
"Our emphasis to date has been reducing demand as opposed to supply," Teichert said.
This, Horton said, is where Brown could work to improve its policies.
"It makes environmental and economic sense to invest in renewables. It just makes financial sense, especially if the price of oil will keep fluctuating," Horton said. She believes that Brown could reduce its effect on the environment by researching new forms of energy as opposed to simply cutting down on consumption of fossil fuel.
Teichert also believes that renewable energy will be important in the future and hopes that small-scale ventures on campus, such as using solar panels to help power a building, will teach students about new forms of energy. On a large scale, however, renewable energy is not realistic for Brown in the near future.
"It is an expensive thing to invest in," Teichert said, adding that though renewable energy might prove cost effective over time, Brown does not currently have the resources to devote to such a large project.
For the present, Teichert, Greene and Horton all stressed that the best thing students can do for the environment and the University is to limit use of electricity and heat as much as possible.
"A lot of what the University advocates is about small steps: Turn off the lights, put the computer in sleep mode. These are small things that don't require great sacrifice," Horton said. Even the smallest actions play a role in energy conservation.
"It all adds up. Anything that seems negligible has an impact if enough people do it," Teichert said.
