Turn Off the Lights: Reflecting on Colby’s electrical usage
As daylight savings begins, our days in Waterville start to grow longer. It is evident that the sun is now setting hours later, and this sparked thoughts about how dependent I once was on the lights in my room. This led to thinking about my electricity usage and the campus’ overall.
Generally speaking, part of the College’s commitment to carbon neutrality includes aggressive measures to utilize renewable sources of electricity. This is an integral part of combating climate change as it estimated, per the Hindawi Journal of Engineering, that 40 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions come from electricity generation.
The College’s environment commitment took fruition in 1999 and has been an ongoing process since. One of the most notable changes came in 2017 when the College added 5,300 solar panels. These are clearly visible on the way to Exit 130. The solar infrastructure provides the campus with 16 percent of its electricity demand.
While the College has made large strides towards sustainability and has invested heavily in the cause, the student body’s own commitment toward minimizing intake of electricity must also be considered. From simply walking around the dorms, you can see lights left on in hallways, common rooms, and individual rooms. When reflecting on my own actions, my usage of electricity is quite hig out of necessity and comfort. I think it is crucial to reflect on one’s own energy consumption and think of ways to improve.
On this note, I had the chance to discuss electricity usage with Hayden Armos `22, a Community Advisor (CA) in Taylor dormitory.
“Overall, I don’t think dorms are very conscious about electricity use. It’s about a fifty-fifty shot whether or not people turn off light and even less for unplugging appliances,” Armos said.
The situation could positively change with further guidance in dormitories by CA’s. Their cooperation with the Eco-Reps could foster a different dorm culture surrounding electrical usage. At the moment, the CA’s environmental involvement tends to be concerned with topics like recycling.
“I do, however, think that CA’s could benefit from sustainability-specific training. I also think there’s a lot of potential in working more closely with the Eco-Reps than we have in the past,” Armos mentioned.
In the future, this shift in how CA training and discussions are approached could make a long term change in how the campus perceives their electrical usage.
In conclusion, the issue of how we as a College deal with our electricity could certainly improve. While the administration prioritizes an agenda that stresses sustainability, the student body must follow. There are a plethora of necessary electrical uses but cutting back on unnecessary usage can make a big difference.
~ Adrian Visscher `24
