Penn State and Old Main Earth Week Efforts -- Giving to Penn State -- The Pennsylvania State University -- Office of University Development

This week (April 20-26) is Earth Week, and across Penn State, units will be participating in a variety of ways. The Finance and Business Environmental Stewardship Team has developed a program titled "My Twenty" that encourages all individuals to modify twenty aspects of their behavior to achieve a 20% reduction in use of natural resources. The following Web site provides some helpful suggestions: www.takecharge.psu.edu/my20/.

At Penn State, some specific initiatives are underway at many buildings including Old Main.

During Earth Week, the Office of Physical Plant will implement the following:

Change the janitorial supplies to include high recycled content paper towels and toilet paper.

Maximize the use of green cleaning products.

The specific initiatives that underway in many areas of Penn State are listed below. Gary Schultz recommends that these specific initiatives be undertaken in Old Main, and urges all areas to consider undertaking the following:

Ensure all copiers are loaded with paper having a high recycled content.

Where practical, set temperatures at least one degree lower in winter and one degree higher in summer.

Take the stairs as much as possible

Turn out lights when you leave the room and reduce lighting whenever possible

In Old Main, the Finance and Business Office is offering a free light bulb exchange program for your office's desk and table lamps. Just bring all your office's incandescent light bulbs to room 208 and they will exchange them for equivalent compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to save energy and reduce greenhouse gases.

Learn some ways to make an easy change at http://www.takecharge.psu.edu/ways.shtml.