Greenify your J-Term Break!

This winter, we Harvardians are experiencing something completely foreign: a LONG winter break! The new J-Term break is an exciting and much deserved period of relaxation during which students can see friends and family and NOT have to worry about studying for exams. That being said, most of us are going to be off campus for a long time, and it is important to make sure that you leave your room in a condition that will not unnecessarily waste energy or natural resources. Here are a few simple tips on how to greenify your room before you leave for J-Term.

First, make sure that you turn off all the lights and unplug all electronic devices. Leaving the lights on while no one inhabits your room or suite for a month is a blatant waste of electricity. It’s not a huge inconvenience to have the last person in your suite turn off all the lights when he or she leaves to their desired J-Term destination. Unplugging all electronics (including chargers, power strips and extension cords) is an equally important task, because anything plugged into the wall, even if it’s not plugged into a computer or a phone or another functional electronic device, sucks up electricity and energy. Making sure the lights are turned off and everything is unplugged is a simple way to reduce your campus carbon impact over break.

Second, make sure that you turn off sink and shower faucets all the way, so that water is not dripping from them for the entirety of J-Term. This is especially important in the older houses along the river that often have less-than-modern water systems that are prone to leaking. However, it’s important that everyone make sure they’re not wasting water over J-Term, so double check those faucets!
Third, turn down the heat and adjust the thermostats in your room. Most rooms at Harvard have adjustable thermostats (many in the river houses have the temperature controls on the radiators). Before you leave, turn down the heat to save energy. Your room doesn’t have to be warm if no one is in there. Hopefully, the building managers will turn off the heat during the J-Term break, but just in case you should turn down your thermostats. And don’t worry about your room being cold when you come back! Your building manager should definitely make sure the heat is turned back on before students are due to arrive back on campus in late January. If you’re concerned or have any questions, email your building manager or your Resource Efficiency Program REP to see what the heating situation is in your house.

Finally, sign up for a green-over before J-Term! The Resource Efficiency Program reps in every house are offering “green-overs” which are 20 minute checks of your room to make sure your room is using as little energy as possible. Green-overs include taking care of leaky faucets, drafty windows that let heat escape and providing energy-efficient CFL light bulbs. They’re quick, easy and really helpful! So email your REP rep and say you want a green-over before J-Term break!

Happy J-Term!