Green Bama

Both the university and college students look to save money. How could we possibly achieve both and push the University of Alabama into the future?

Without our parents nagging us, we dorm dwellers have no major reason to turn off the lights or keep the air conditioner at a cost-efficient temperature. As of now a contest promoted by a student and endorsed by the university is taking place in which the dorm that reduces the most energy wins a gaming console. I like the effort and especially the posting of energy consumption of each residence hall, but it probably won’t enact enough effort.

I have an alternate plan. Instead of competing against other dorms for a shared $300 reward, residence halls would fight to beat their own energy consumption from the previous semester. Then university would then reward each student with a rebate based on the energy savings. I wouldn’t be the one to decide the real numbers, but the rebate could go towards living expenses of the next semester, tuition fees, or something to that extent. Hopefully, the savings would total enough to spread them to each student, creating the self-interest to take part.

This is not just an environmental movement anymore. This is a green, as in financial, movement. I am not asking for solar panels on top of university buildings or wind turbines on the quad. I just would like to save money on my living expenses. If it happens to help both the environment and the energy future of the university, so be it.