Chancellor's Corner - January 2008
Together, we can think critically about our daily use and make NC State a role model in our state and our nation.
Chancellor James L. Oblinger
Sustainability and Conservation are an Imperative
Three buckets of water may seem like just a drop in the barrel when you consider the 800,000 gallons of water that our university uses on a daily basis.
But for Barry Olson, associate director for facilities in University Housing, the water represented a crystal clear opportunity to talk conservation and consumption with a student who was preparing to wash his car behind a campus residence hall. Olson reminded the student that car washing is off limits under current campus water restrictions, as the City of Raleigh and the virtually the entire state are under emergency water restrictions.
We have all been making changes during the last six months as Raleigh, NC State and the state of North Carolina have tried to curb water usage in the face of persistent and extreme drought. As one of the city's largest consumers, we are determined to be a leader in the conservation effort, leveraging our expertise to offer online tips and guidelines to the state's citizens and making subtle changes to reduce our own usage by more than 20 percent, the figure mandated by Governor Mike Easley.
Perhaps more pressing than a Gubernatorial mandate - at least in the minds of our students - is the issue of Wolfpack pride, which also hangs in the balance. In November, I joined Student Body President Bobby Mills to issue a water conservation challenge to our neighbors at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since Nov. 10, we have been watching our water meters and recording any reductions in our residence halls. We will keep charting our progress until the ACC Tournament, when officials from both schools will announce which student body has saved the most water when compared to the previous year's consumption.
For the water conservation challenge, at least, there are a few ways in which we can all do our part. If you see a leaky faucet on campus, report it to Facilities immediately. Think about your daily routine and how you might reduce the water you use.
Students may have already started to see a difference at the sink, where Facilities has replaced 3,000 aerators on faucet heads. This tiny change - which most people do not notice at all - reduces our gallons per minute from 1.5 to 0.5. Early next month, we will start installing new showerheads that reduce the flow from 2.5 gallons per minute to 1.6. We also have re-evaluated our housekeeping services to provide the same level of service with less than half the water used. We are hoping students will embrace these changes as positive measures that we are undertaking to reduce our consumption and that everyone will work together to curb usage in the residence halls, campus restrooms, the gym and all across campus.
Whether it is a drought or a competition with Chapel Hill that drives us, water consumption is an important issue at NC State, even when the water tables are high. Our recent conservation efforts are part of a multi-year effort to reduce consumption on campus so that we can continue to be good and conscientious stewards of our resources and leaders in conservation efforts statewide. We are obligated to do all that we can to protect and preserve our natural resources, whether it is water at the sink or the fossil fuels that propel our cars and heat our homes.
In today's world, sustainability and conservation are no longer an option, but an imperative. Together, we can think critically about our daily use and make NC State a role model in our state and our nation.
Thank you for all that you do for NC State,
James L. Oblinger