Eco-friendly - How green is your lab? (Aug/14/2008 )
After 2 years of silent energy-saving efforts, I was caught. 
- not aught and punished but someone noticed I have been doing that. 
All I used to do was turn off the lights on my way out if no one is there - not all of them but may be 2 tubes if 6 are on when no one is using the lab room and all the tube lights of culture room when no one was there. 
Tradition was all lights on 
till someone leaving the lab late night (or early morning) decides it is time no one will come. 
How much energy or resources do U see being wasted around you? Any simple things that can be done to be more eco-friendly? 
lights off if no one is there...
which, when i'm the only one in my lab, but the lab down the hall doesn't see me, so they turn off our lights... and i'm left in the dark, alone 
...
save water... as much as possible.
bike to work weeks... at least 2x a year.
keep the fridge door closed when searching for stuff in boxes.
keep the cold room door closed.
the copier seems to be the biggest issue. we have emails every other day complaining that people aren't picking up their printing, and thus killing trees.
V
You guys know this is all for you - it's not even spit on the ocean for the environment. If it makes you feel good or morally superior - carry on but consider the term "fatuous."
"killing trees" - gotta love it. Bike to "work" (grad school is work?) to weeks a year!!! Al Gore should kiss you on the lips!
Still - to bb's comment - it doesn't hurt anyone. Why would anyone give you trouble about it? They can turn them back on. Or are folks' hands usually full and it could constitute a safety hazard?
Not a trouble to anyone and yes, small things also count so doing my part.
Want to know how else it is done.
Bike to school - perfect. I hate going to nearby place for dinner on car. Walk and burn calories too
To work, I cannot go on bike. It is 5 mins walk and if I come by bike, it would take 10mins (5mins for taking out and parking). Papers - they are wasted like anything over here. So many advertising pamphlets in the mail box
Wish they had spam filter in post boxes too. Printing on both sides can save a lot. But, I have yet to see everyone do the same. if it has not happen yet, try talking to the building manager to change the lights to energy saving lights, saves power and saves 'money'. Do so in stages as the old tube die.
turn off the incubators when not in use. (mainly to extend the life of the motor).
We've had a new building here, and all the lights are remotely closed from 12am to 7am. The only downside is when you are still in the lab by midnight ^^
Try maximising the use of my micropipet tips, reuse pipets for water, buffers, etc. I keep most of my papers in electronic formats, and therefore, i do not use paper as much. Recycle as much as I can.. stuff like that
That brings back memories
The lights in my building turns off at around 10pm, and whilst walking in the corridor sometime after the lights had gone off, I accidentally scared a friend who was just leaving his lab. He gave quite a shout. Small things do not count - unless your talking about your ego. That's bull. I sure hope there's more rigor in your science than your enviro-logic. This is about you.
Think of 10 million or more computer users who switch off their display before a 15 min (or longer) break. Or if 10, 50 or 100 million people use energy saving bulbs... 20W instead of 100W, for 5-6h per day, up to 365 days. Quite simple to calculate.
Think global - act local. (But some should start to think at all)
Yup, we have all kinds of people who are paid to work... you know, for a wage... in order to buy goods and services. we have things called secretaries, and managers, and doctors, and pharmacists... we're at a fricking hospital dude.
Seriously, if everyone did one thing, it will add up.
We have a drought, and were on water restrictions. Because everyone was told to help save a little water, we put off the dams running dry for a couple of years. meanwhile, technology is being built to recycle water, and reverse osmosis.
my little bit of water saving didn't do it... everyone's did.
i treat everything as if it matters... or at least try too (when i can be bothered).
would a million people like to send me $1? one buck isn't much, it really doesn't count.
V
jorge, you work in environmental bacteriology? really, should you be a tree hugger?