San Diego State students living in residence halls are reducing their electricity and water use as part of the 2013 Campus Conservation Nationals.
Since Feb. 4, students from more than 200 colleges and universities who live in residence halls have been participating in the competition, created by The Center for Green Schools.
The three-month competition is meant to motivate students to help with resource conservation in residence halls and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.
Psychology sophomore and Cuicacalli Suites residential adviser Jane Kwon said she feels strongly about taking part in sustainable actions. She said the Cuicacalli residents have done a good job in regards to sustainability.
“I believe SDSU has been trying to reduce the electricity for a while,” Kwon said. “They turn down the lights in the hallways past 12, and as for the water, they only turn on the sprinklers at night so the water goes to the plants instead of evaporating during the day.”
In an SDSU NewsCenter article, SDSU Sustainability Coordinator Mariah Hudson said the CCN is a chance for SDSU to demonstrate its commitment to becoming a more sustainable campus. Hudson said the competition is also an opportunity for students to learn how they can make positive changes that help the environment in their daily lives.
This is the third year of the CCN. During last year’s competition, more that 200,000 students reduced total of 1700 megawatt-hour of electricity and 1.5 million gallons of water. Collectively, participating schools saved $157,925. Kwon estimated that with nearly double the amount of schools participating in this year’s competition compared to last year, a total of $300,000 will be saved.
Tenochca Residence Hall psychology sophomore and residential adviser Sonda Yamashita said she has seen positive changes in Tenochca Hall.
“The competition is going well so far,” Yamashita said. “We’ve had residents talk to us about what they’re doing, like taking shorter showers or unplugging their chargers.”
According to the CCN website, the campaign ss meant to empower students to make strides toward resource reduction.
