Green Studying

Take your own (re-usable) coffee mug to Starbucks and Campus Grounds.
Buy local /organic / fair trade coffee and tea.

Turn off / "sleep" your laptop during your breaks.
Write / print on both sides of the paper.
Use blank paper rather than lined paper (or write in the margins).

Share your study guides online rather than printing excessive copies.
Carpool to the lib, Krankie's, Panera and your other study spots.

Feel free to suggest more below in the comments section.

Tips for a Green Christmas

Here are some tips to having a greener Christmas from the Piedmont Environmental Alliance! With finals just (and I mean, just) around the corner, I thought it would be nice to get people into the Christmas spirit.

Enjoy the Holidays While Minimizing Your Impact on our Planet

• Buy local – This term is getting a lot of press lately for good reason. Buying local reduces transportation costs while supporting your community retailers and farmers.
• Buy used – There are many local consignment shops or other retailers that specialize in “gently used” items. Etc. Consignment Shoppe on Jonestown Rd in Winston-Salem is a great place to buy high-quality second-hand items at affordable prices. They carry a large selection of clothing, children’s wear, furniture, electronics, books, games, and more. PEA members receive $5 off your purchase. http://www.peanc.org/content/etc-consignment-shoppe
• Plan your trips – A little planning will save you gas money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; combine errands, map out your shopping routes, and carpool to events.
• Avoid disposables - Remember to take your own bags with you into stores when shopping; use washable utensils, glassware and plates and cloth napkins for parties.
• Purchase an eco-friendly tree – buying a real tree is more environmentally friendly than a fake tree, but the best choice is a tree grown without chemicals. Our favorite local spot is Reed Island Farm, a “cut-your-own” farm one hour North of Winston-Salem. Since you’ll be driving, bring family and friends and make a day of it in the mountains. We aren’t aware of any places closer that are as eco-friendly. If you know of a place, let us know. http://www.reedisland.com/RIF/rif.htm http://www.mtrogersfraserfir.org/realvsfake.html
• Re-use whenever you can - Cut off the fronts or inside messages from holiday cards you receive to make gift tags; wrap your gifts with newspaper, brown paper bags with a brightly colored ribbon, the Sunday comics, reusable fabric and cloth ribbons, or old calendars or catalogs.
• Reduce waste - Send e-cards or set up a holiday blog, rather than mailing cards. Decorate with greenery, flowers, leaves, berries, nuts, pine cones, gourds and fruits instead of plastic, paper or electric decorations; compost your greenery after the holidays.
• Green your meals- Buy local and/or organic whenever possible; consider vegetarian alternatives or purchase humanely and sustainably raised meat options.
• Reduce energy - Consider forgoing electric holiday lights; or, if you enjoy lights, use LED lights that consume one-tenth as much energy as conventional holiday lights and last much longer.
• Give gifts of charity– local eco-favorites include donations to PEA (of course!), Piedmont Land Conservancy and Yadkin Riverkeepers. Many non-profit organizations have gift memberships.

Another Election

We'll be voting on two posts tonight... and looking forward to the next year.

Things to look forward to:

• Copenhagen, of course
• Clarification of the recently leaked emails
• NASCAR is going green
• the PEA Earth Day Fair (which will be held on campus again)
• and ZipCar is coming to campus
• another bike clinic
• Earth Hour
• Sustainability and Food Weeks
• movie screenings
• dirt tie-dye, local cotton shirts
• NC Senate Race
  

And obviously a lot more. Bring your ideas, your enthusiasm and your friends!

Thanksgiving Goodness

For those flying/driving home for Thanksgiving (and everyone interested), an unsettling NYT report titled "Paying More for Flights Eases Guilt, Not Emissions."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/science/earth/18offset.html

So some common-sense words of advice:
1. Carpool home if you can
2. Carpool to the airport
3. Carpool while you're at home


Also some tips for having a "green" Thanksgiving:

• Buy an organic free-range turkey or, better yet, a tofurkey
• Purchase local produce!
• Emphasize vegetarian sides
  
• Avoid individually packaged goods at the grocery store (buy in bulk)
  
• Turn off the heat. Don a holiday sweater; help out in the kitchen
• Recycle Thanksgiving decorations
• Use all of your leftovers! Send some home with your guests, a local soup kitchen

Astound your family with these easy, exquisite veg recipes:
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/vegetarian-thanksgiving.htm

Free Bicycle Tune-ups (NEW LOCATION REYNOLDS 330)

Do you have a bike? Need some minor repairs? Need your chain oiled? Need your seat or handlebars adjusted? Thursday's your lucky day!

Outdoor Pursuits will have a tent set up on Poteat Field from 2:00 to 5:00 where employees from Ken's Bike Shop will be available to perform free minor bike repairs.


Also, please take a moment to fill out this survey for any student at Wake who bikes/ owns a bike. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for one of two $25 gift cards to University Stores.