This year, Tufts students will once again be asked to "Do it inthe Dark." Between Oct. 18 and Nov. 18, all dorms will compete tosee which can reduce its energy consumption the most.
The Environmental Consciousness Outreach (ECO) and the TuftsClimate Initiative (TCI) are reviving the competition this year toraise awareness of fossil fuel consumption and the importance ofconservation.
"Fossil fuels are a diminishing energy resource," Co-CampaignLeader of "Do it in the Dark" Eric Misbach said. "It's acompetition among all the dorms on campus of who can use the leastfossil fuels."
The competition's winner will get a party after ThanksgivingBreak, where students will be regaled with on-campus performinggroups and free pizza, Misbach said.
The initiative's organizers will also play off the doubleentendre contained in its name. "We're handing out glow-in-the-darkcondoms that say 'Do it in the Dark,'" Misbach said.
TCI and ECO hope that the incentive to reduce consumption willremind students to think about how much energy they are using andto motivate them to turn off lights, computers, stereos, fans andother electronics when they are not in use.
According to ECO, lighting and computers are the two largestenergy consumers in dorms.
ECO will be taking energy readings in all dorms on both Oct. 15,three days before the competition's start, and Nov. 15, three daysbefore it ends.
The readings will show the percentage change of energyconsumption in each dorm in order to measure the amount ofelectricity used over the previous month.
An unscientific poll of 30 dorm residents suggests that there isroom for improvement. When asked if they "always, usually,sometimes, rarely or never" turned off their computers when theyleft the room, 63 percent said they "rarely" or "never" do so.
"I don't know anyone who turns their computer off," freshmanAaron Gerratt said.
Seventy percent of students said they "usually" or "always" turnoff their lights when nobody is in the room.
Some students added that signs reminding residents to turn offlights, especially in the bathrooms, are helpful in raisingawareness.
TCI and ECO have also teamed up to hand out compact fluorescentbulbs (CFB) to students, faculty and staff - as of summer 2004, thegroups had handed out over 3,000 bulbs.
CFBs are more expensive than conventional incandescent bulbs,but last 10 times longer and cut down on energy usage.
Students seem to be supportive of "Do it in the Dark" and otherenergy-conserving initiatives. "I think because it's not yourhouse, you tend to abuse all the 'free' energy," freshman CourtneyChua said.
"For the whole month we'll be tabling in dining halls, thecampus center, and dorms themselves," Misbach said.
In the past, TCI and ECO promoted the contest with chalkings,flyers, banners, and advertisements.
The intent is to raise awareness about energy efficiency atTufts, while saving money by using long-lasting, high qualitylighting.
The initiative hopes to raise student awareness of the energycost of leaving on a computer.
"Over its lifetime, one single Compact Fluorescent Bulb prevents1,000-2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from heating the atmosphere.It also prevents the emission of 8-16 pounds of sulfur dioxide,which causes acid rain," says the Tufts Climate Initiative LightingBrochure.
"Sometimes I forget to turn the lights on and want to know whyit's so dark," said freshman Liz Yates. "I turn off my electrictoothbrush, too."
Other students agreed. "I think that the ECO initiative is agreat idea," said freshman Aaron Gerratt. "It is a little sad thatwe have to have a contest in order for people to actively try touse less electricity."
So turn off those lights, laptops, bathroom lights, andelectronics when they are not needed. After all, the worst thingthat will come of it is some free food.
