New Environmental Initiatives

Dear Students,

Welcome back to what I am sure will be another dynamic year at Mount Holyoke. I wanted to highlight two new additions to further our support of the College's Clean-Air/Cool Planet Campaign to reduce the campus green house emissions.  

Mount Holyoke is now an "Incandescent Bulb Free" campus.  We have changed our lighting standard to Compact Fluorescent.  We are asking all students to use only compact fluorescent bulbs when using additional lighting in your rooms.  To support this initiative, Facilities Management generously provides incandescent bulbs free of charge.  Screw-in replacement bulbs are available in the laundry room of each Residence Hall.  

The Residence Halls have also gone "Energy Star".  We are asking students to purchase only Energy Star certified refrigerators, limited in size to 2.9 cu.ft. or less per student. We have had a successful first year with the Energy Star program.  Last year we saved close to 5 tons in our carbon output.  That is not a bad start!

To assist you in supporting our green efforts, the Office of Residential Life has arranged a rental program with QPS Marketing to provide convenient Refrigerators and Microwaves/Refrigerator units that you rent for the year.  The rental units are energy efficient and meet the fire safety standards for our campus. A rental refrigerator is a great way to save space, defray costs, and save time. QPS Marketing delivers the units right to your room before you arrive on campus and picks them up at the end of the academic year.  You can order directly with QPS Marketing. They will accept orders online at http://www.qpsmarketing.com/, or you can mail or fax your order by using the order form .  If QPS Marketing receives your order by Sunday 8/30/09, your items will be delivered to your room prior to your arrival on campus.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact QPS Marketing via their website (http://www.qpsmarketing.com/) or email (sales@qpsmarketing.com). 

Should you choose to purchase an Energy Star Rated compact refrigerator, we have found units complaint with our size limitations at BestBuy and Salemi Appliance.  The Colleges also recommends the Danby product line.

We are excited about these new initiatives.  I hope you will assist us in lowering the impact the residence halls have on the environment.

Sincerely,
Rene Davis
Director
Office of Residential Life