Showers: Brief and to the Point

September 2, 2010

By Stephanie Boyd, Director, Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives
Recently, an unnamed source (I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo so I am sensitive to keeping the identify of sources confidential)  sent me a copy of a section of the Faculty Meeting Minutes from November 8, 1978.  I laughed.   I cried.

See, back in 1978 we were concerned about energy conservation and we were willing to take bold action.  We had some creative ideas:

  • “All persons should use lights only in areas in which they are immediately working” .
  • “…showers should be brief and to the point”.  (I am still trying to figure that out).

We thought if we just cut back on wasteful usage of electricity and heating energy we could make a difference.  At the time, we were concerned about sky-rocketing energy prices and the risk of running out of oil.   Most of us weren’t as concerned about global climate change, and oil spills, and mountain top removal coil mining as we are today.  But we were willing to take some pretty draconian measures (or at least document those measures at a faculty meeting.)

  • Contact Building and Grounds (now Facilities) when heating problems arise rather than “using the windows as a means of controlling temperature”.
  • “Office and dormitories are set at 66 degrees.  Laboratories and classrooms are set at 65 degrees.”

It is not clear why we thought this 1 degree difference was important, but these temperatures set points are lower than our current day standards by a couple of degrees.   Did we complain about the temperatures then?  Did we think they were reasonable?  Did we implement these policies? ….when did we stop?

  • “Ornamental lighting… will be turned off or removed unless they contribute to safe lighting levels for pedestrians.”

In recent years we have been adding ornamental lighting to ‘wash’ building exteriors and highlight exterior planting.  With all the work we are doing today, trying to save energy through expensive investments, why do we pollute the beautiful, starry night sky with unnecessary ‘ornamental’ up-lighting?

  • “Griffin Hall and Hopkins Hall will be closed after 6 pm and will not be available for study purposes.”

Wow.  Can we do that?

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