Take a look at an overview of Cornell University’s 6 week energy challenge– Energy Smackdown. The students involved in Sustainability on campus are challenging their colleagues to reduce and/or eliminate energy use through a series of recommended measures.

Cornell’s aim is to be carbon neutral by 2035. The Sustainability group on campus acknowledges that in addition to technological solutions to climate change, behavior change will play a role in achieving carbon neutrality. The Energy Smackdown introduces 2 new energy savings behaviors a week. The group is “game-efying” the quest for carbon neutrality by encouraging individuals and groups to organize and compete for prizes during the Smackdown.

Many of the measures promoted by the Sustainable Campus Cornell community are relevant to businesses, corporations and of course other campuses and schools interested in energy efficiency and reducing the campus carbon footprint. Even households may enjoy implementing these measures and figuring out how best to track the impacts of various measures.

Bringing awareness home

Like the Smackdown participants in Ithaca, each week in my household we try to implement a new energy saving or environmentally-beneficial behavior. We began by having at least one vegetarian meal a week. We recently purchased an Energy Star refrigerator for our apartment and will be tracking the cost and usage impact of replacing a 20 year old refrigerator. We make sure all the energy we use comes from 100% clean wind and solar power.

What do you do at home or at your office to lower your environmental impact? Let us know.