Go Green Week
As part of the campus-wide, student-led Go Green Week which this year took place between 10 - 16 February 2014, EPS representatives organised a number of exciting events and activities to raise awareness of environmental issues among staff and students.
Based in the School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering (EECE), events included:
‘Wear a jumper’ days
For two days, the base temperature setting of the Gisbert Kapp building was reduced by 2°C and staff and students were encouraged to wear extra jumpers and get active to keep them warm all day. This led to an approximate saving of c.5% energy of the whole building.
How to calculate your own carbon footprint
Dr Stuart Hillmansen from the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering encouraged staff and students to pop into this interactive session to calculate their individual carbon footprint
Energy storage – the missing link in a green economy
Lecture by Professor Richard Williams – Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Every day in UK we dump energy from renewable sources. Our energy security is threatened by the increasing dependence on variable sources of supply. We have reached the point when energy storage is now a necessity not just an option.
The lecture by Professor Richard Williams, Head of College, explored how we can store energy with examples of radical technologies (using liquid air) for storing energy and enabling new forms of transport.
During Go Green week, students also installed mini exhibitions on the University’s ‘green’ initiatives. The EECE Railway research group also exhibited their model hydrogen train; just one example of many local research efforts seeking alternative energy solutions
Finally, the team worked with the café in Gisbert Kapp to promote vegetarian meals during Go Green Week. Recognising that farmed ruminants such as cattle and sheep produce significant greenhouse gases such as methane, which can have a negative impact on the planet, students encouraged diners to forego meat for at least one or two meals during the week, with the hope this would be taken on permanently.
The students' activities support the University’s ambitious plans to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 20% by 2020 from its 2005/6 baseline. Already close to reaching the target, these students hoped the activities during Go Green Week would inspire the University community, increase knowledge and awareness of environmental issues and contribute (no matter how small the steps) to keeping the planet clean and safe.
Further information on Go Green Week, is available here