Ways to Support Sustainability

Energy

• Put your computer in sleep mode: Conserving energy by configuring your computer to turn itself off after a period of time is EASY! Call the help desk or do it yourself on the Energy Star website.
• Adjusting the thermostat: By adjusting the thermostat by just a few degrees, down in the winter and up in the summer. According to the DOE, each 1 degree change for an eight-hour period reuces your bill by about 1%.
• Unplug chargers: Remember to unplug chargers and other equipment, many items use between 5 and 10% of their electricity usage when not in use.
• Light bulbs: Did you know that compact fluorscent light bulbs (CFLs) can save up to 75% of your lighting energy? Not only that but they last 6 -15 times as long as your standard incandescent bulb.
• Wash clothes in warm or cold water: About 90% of energy used in washing clothes goes to heating the water. By using warm water instead of hot can cut energy usage for a load of laundry in half.
• Walk, bike, carpool, or subway: Here at Yeshiva, 4% of our greenhouse gases are generated from students, staff and faculty coming to the university. By using a more efficient form of transporation you will be helping keep New York City's air clean and the environment happier!
• Take the stairs: Taking the stairs is both healthy and uses less energy. Just 2 minutes of climbing stairs a day can keep off the 2 lbs that most adults gain in a year.
• Close the fume hood sashes: Fume hoods are some of the most energy intensive equipment on campus. If fume hood sashes are left open, they use about 3.5 times the energy of a house! Remember to close them when they are not in use and when you go home at the end of the day.

Food

• Buy local foods: The average American meal travels an estimated 1500 miles to get from the farm to your plate. Buying local saves fuel costs associated with shipping, increases your local economy, and ensures you are getting fresher goods! Find a local farmer's market near you.
• Buy organic: Organic practices help protect water quality, maintain soil fertility, and enhance biodiversity. Eating produce and livestock raised organically limits the chemicals being put into our bodies and our planet.
• Eat less meat: According to a 2006 United Nations initiative, the livestock industry is one fo the largest contributors to environmental degradation, and modern practices of raising animals for food contributes on a large scale to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change and loss of biodiversity.
• Reduce food waste: Order what you like but remember to eat it! Leftover food makes up for the single largest component of the waste stream by weight in the United States, making up for over 12% of household garbage!

Waste

• Double side paper: One ream of paper uses 6% of a tree.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The EPA estimates that 75% of what Americans throw away in the garbage could be recycled. Think twice before you throw something away, things such as aluminum cans can be indefinitely recycled into new products.
• Seeding Labs: Don't let your old lab equipment sit around or be thrown into the landfill, instead donate it to labs in developing countries through Seeding Labs. Visit Einstein's Equipment Donation & Exchange Page for instruction.
• Equipment Exchange Listserv: Looking to claim or post a piece of equipment that other labs might be interested in at Einstein? Visit Einstein's Equipment Donation & Exchange Page for more details.

Water

• Drink tap water, not bottled: Not only is tap water nearly free, highly regulated and tested often in government labs but it is also uses less petroleum and causes less waste than bottled water. Think twice before buying bottled water and try carrying a reusable bottle with you.
• Don't let the water run: While brushing your teeth and shaving remember to turn off the water. The average bathroom faucet runs at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water a day, which equals 240 gallons a month!
• Take shorter showers
• Leaks: Yeshiva uses over 215 million gallons of water annually. A small 1/8" hot water leak alone can waste 339,600 gallons of water annually costing $6500! Remember to contact Facilities if you see any leaks or dripping faucets:
  • Wilf/ Beren Campuses: Call Facilities at 212-960-5206, M –Th: 9AM to 5PM; F: 9AM to 2PM. For off-hour emergencies contact Security at 212-960-5200.
  • Einstein Campus: Call Facilities at 3000. For off-hour emergencies contact Security at 4111.
  • Cardozo/ Brookdale Center: Call Security at 212-790-0303.