YUSU

Climate change is among the greatest challenges facing the world today. But this is a fight we can win.

It leads to the deaths of tens of thousands of people each year and threatens the livelihoods of millions of people on the planet. Even in the UK, where its effects will be moderate, we can expect many more extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts over the coming decades.

Scientists agree that the threat of climate change requires urgent action to avoid its most catastrophic effects. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), comprised of the worlds top climate scientists recommends that carbon emissions must peak by 2015 and be cut by as much as 80% by 2050.

This is a challenge that requires us all to act. The good news is that there are many easy ways to improve your own impact on the environment, many of which are outlined in other sections of this website. YUSU’s doing its bit, having pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 10% during 2010 as part of the 10:10 campaign.

But it’s an issue that needs national and international political action too. YUSU Environment & Ethics is involved in campaigning for a global deal on climate change. Email us to get involved.

We’re working hard to reduce our contribution to the threat of climate change. In November 2009, YUSU pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 10% during 2010 as part of the "10:10 campaign". 10:10 is a nationwide initiative to encourage individuals and organisations to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% during 2010, with the ultimate objective of reducing the UK’s emissions during that period.

Over the next few months we’ll be looking at how to reduce the emissions of all of YUSU’s activities; transport, lighting, heating and waste management. Read our blogs to keep up to date with our progress.

Following the successful adoption of 10:10 by YUSU, the Environment & Ethics committee is campaigning to get the university to sign up to the campaign. We’ve written letters, sat in meetings, and organised a flashmob. It’s a tough call, but we’re sure that by enhancing the wide support of students and staff, it’s something we can achieve.

There are many ways to get involved: you can sign up to 10:10 as an individual at www.1010uk.org, sign a petition to the university created by the People and Planet society, or email us to be updated on further campaigning actions. We’ll keep you posted through our blog on what we’re up to.

Currently, the university spends over £3million a year on energy, producing over 20,000 tonnes of CO2. By doing our bit to conserve energy, we can improve our impact on the environment and see more university money being spent on student services and degrees. By following these simple tips you can improve energy efficiency:

Lighting: turn off lights when you leave the room and use energy saving light bulbs, each one could save you up to £10 a year.

Heating: turning down the heating by 1°C or using it for 1 hour less a day can save 10% of the energy used and you’re unlikely to notice any difference in temperature. Also keep exterior doors and windows shut while the heating is on; you’ll warm up faster! Wear a jumper to keep cosy.

Kettles: boil only as much water as you need.

Cooking: covering pots and pans while cooking will lower cooking time and save energy. Using a microwave instead of an oven to cook food (where appropriate!) can cut costs by 70%.

Fridges/freezers: let food cool down before you put it into the fridge and keep the door closed as much as possible. Defrost freezers regularly to keep them working at maximum efficiency.

Washing machines: try to use a low temperature setting (30–40°C) and only do your washing when you have a full load. Avoid tumble drying if possible.

Washing yourself: where possible have a shower rather than a bath.

Electrical equipment: remember to turn TVs, Hi-Fis and computers off at the wall rather than leaving them on standby where they still use about 50% of the energy they do when on.

Energy conservation saves money and saves the environment. There’s a lot of energy to conserve around the University of York, and we want to make sure that the University are doing everything possible to reduce our impact on the environment.

If you see an incident of unnecessary energy usage around the university, please let us know at switchmeoff@yusu.org. It could be lights being left on when no-one’s around, an over-heated room, or a switched-on computer not being used. Wherever you see energy being used when it need not be, we’d like to hear from you.

We’ll pass on your suggestions to the University’s Energy Conservation Manager, follow it up to ensure that progress is being made and keep you updated on any developments.

On campus

It’s fairly straightforward: each kitchen has recycling bags for cans, cardboard, glass, paper, and plastic. It’s your job to empty the bags when they get full into the wheelie bins outside your accommodation.

Most buildings on campus have recycling bins for cans and plastic bottles, so look out for these when you’re on the move. Near the photocopiers and printers, there are blue-lidded paper recycling bins. Old computer equipment can be recycled too, with money raised going to RAG; see www.yusu.org/comprec for details.

Off campus

All areas of York have a kerbside recycling scheme and depending on where you live, you may be able to recycle glass, cans, paper, plastic, and cardboard.

Most student houses will have fortnightly recycling collections organised by St. Nicholas Fields. They cover parts of Tang Hall, Lawrence Street, Hull Road, Heslington Road, Aldwark, Holmefield, St. Peters Quarter, South Bank, and Bishophill. Otherwise, the council will be in charge of recycling collections; see www.york.gov.uk/environment/waste/recycling/ for details.

Why not take your unwanted items to a charity shop? While you’re there, you can pick up a bargain; you’ll be surprised by the quality, selection and price. There is also a recycling centre for many items not included in the curbside collection at Hazel Court near Hull Road.

Reducing waste

A lot of household waste is unnecessary in the first place and it’s easy to reduce the amount you accumulate. Re-use plastic bags wherever possible, try to buy food without excessive packaging. Try to re-use plastic bottles and avoid buying bottled water.

It’s possible to print on both sides of the page on campus printers. See the Computing Service Printing page for details.