Sustained!

Toxic Chemicals Video

2010-07-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Leaked Footage from the Toxic Chemicals Lobby?

From the environmental coalition Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families:

"Watch the wacky video we created to galvanize public support for Congressional action, and have fun with a pretty serious issue. The characters you will meet in the video are cartoons, but the plot is ripped straight from the headlines."

Video available here!

Green Living Rebellion

2010-05-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

While we realize that not everyone rushes to do exactly as we advise in our residence Green Living e-mails, it takes a special brand of person to put time and effort into active rebellion. We were struck by the determination of the photographer of the following photo; in response to our water conservation campaign, this highly motivated individual has vowed to run his shower for an hour each time he receives an e-mail from our program. Hopefully he’s putting as much effort into his finals!

We also think he’d have more fun if he showered with a friend, instead of leaving his shower empty.

Free Used Boxes!

2010-04-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Store Your Stuff Sustainably

Reuse old boxes to store your stuff for the summer! Used (but clean!) corrugated cardboard boxes will be available at the donation site between the Hark and Story each day. Brought to you by the HLS Green Living Program - enjoy!

Watcha Gonna Do With All That Junk??

2010-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Moving out? Don't Throw It All Away!

Sell or donate your belongings. It's easy:

SELL IT!

https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/furnituresales/

DONATE IT!

Donations will be distributed to local charities and animal shelters by

Harvard Habitat for Humanity and the HLS Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF)

From now through May 28th bring donations to bins between Hark and Story, in the Hark (near the ramp), in thePound basement mailroom, in the North common room,

or in the Hastings basement (under the stairs near the kitchen).

LINENS AND TOWELS (please place in SALDF’s boxes)

BOOKS

CLOTHES

SHOES (tied together)

OFFICE SUPPLIES

TOILETRIES & CLEANING SUPPLIES

FURNITURE & RUGS

MIRRORS

ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT

ROOM SUPPLIES (fans, crates, bulletin boards, blocks)

FOOD (non-perishable)

Donate almost anything in usable condition except for dishware and utensils “borrowed” from the Hark—please return these items! If you would like a receipt for your donations, e-mail Timothy at kim.timothy.sj@gmail.com.

Benefiting charities include Habitat for Humanity, the Cambridge YWCA Family Shelter, Greater Boston Food Bank, Unite for Sight, Better World Books, Students United to Fight Hunger, and local animal shelters.

And don’t forget about HLS e-waste recycling:

Recycle batteries, cell phones, all cords & cables, chargers, CDs, DVDs, USB keys, CFLs (cushioned and sealed), and other small electronic waste in buckets in the Pound basement mailroom, Pound 3^rd floor, Langdell Circulation Desk, 125 Mt. Auburn lobby, Hauser basement Help Desk, or outside the Facilities Office on Holmes 1.

Larger items such as printers, hard drives, computer monitors, etc, can be taken to the ITS Help Desk in the basement of Hauser; small e-waste items with sensitive stored data can also be dropped off to ITS for secure destruction and recycling.

Brought to you by the HLS Green Living Program and Harvard Recycling

QUESTIONS? Contact your Green Living Rep or cara_ferrentino@harvard.edu

Apply to be a Green Living Representative!

2010-04-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Join a team of fellow HLS students working to engage dorm residents and the entire student community in Harvard’s Greenhouse Gas Commitment and Sustainability Principles. Green Living Program Reps work through peer-to-peer education as well as collaboration with other campus groups and the HLS administration to encourage energy conservation, water conservation, recycling, and waste reduction.

Deadline to apply: noon on Wednesday, April 28 (early applications encouraged!)

Hours a week: 3 (on average)

Pay: 18$/hr

For more information, and to apply, visit http://green.harvard.edu/hls/green-living. Send questions to HLS Sustainability Coordinator Cara Ferrentino (cara_ferrentino@harvard.edu).

The Green Living Program is a partnership between the Law School and the Office for Sustainability.

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY

2010-04-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

at the HLS Earth Day Fair!

Thursday, April 22

11:30am-1:30pm

Outside on the Hark Patio*

Food, vendors, games, prizes, information, and more!

With remarks from Dean Minow at 11:55am!

- Browse booths from local/green businesses and food shops

- Challenge a friend or co-worker to a recycling quiz—win a prize!

- Swap an incandescent bulb for a 15w CFL for a desk lamp

- Drop off batteries and other electronic waste for recycling

- Learn about HLS environmental groups and programs

Sponsored by the HLS Green Living Program, with the HLS Green Team, Joint Council, ELS, ELR, SALDF, Harvard Office for Sustainability, Restaurant Associates & Facilities Management.

With special guests: Harvest Co-op, Q’s Nuts and Christina’s Ice cream, The Danish Pastry House, Quad Bikes, Buffalo Exchange, Stonehearth Pizza, Jute and Jackfruit Eco-Clothing, Green Spot Studio Eco-Jewelry, and more!

*In case of rain, the Fair will relocate inside to the first floor of the Hark.

Going Gothic

2010-04-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Finding a New "Eco-Font"

Looking into ways to save money on toner cartridges, a University of Wisconsin professor suggested an "Ecofont" to his IT department. IT came up with an even easier solution—the commonly available Century Gothic font.

The eco-font saves ink by filling each letter with tiny holes. Century Gothic effectively removes even more ink. Tiny changes in the amount of ink used to print each character adds up in the aggregate—whether that's your ink cartridge costs or Green Bay's nearly $100,000 in toner costs. Century Gothic uses 30 percent less ink in printing than the typical Arial setting, but there is a slight trade-off in paper use.

Find out more at NPR.

Get Dirty: Part II

2010-04-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Harvard Garden Planting

What:   Official Launch of the new Harvard Edible Garden
When:   April 17, 2010
             Garden Work: 11-3pm
   Remarks and official opening: 1:30pm
Where: The Garden is located on the corner of Mt Auburn Street and Holyoke, in front of Lowell House
More info: http://green.harvard.edu/garden

Students, Staff and Faculty have been busy planning a sustainable, edible garden on the intersection of Mt Auburn Street and Holyoke Place in Cambridge. The official opening day for the garden is April 17th, and we will celebrate with an inaugural community work day.
Come starting at 11am to help move soil, fill our newly-built raised beds, and start some spring planting. There will be an afternoon break for food and remarks at 1:30pm. Work will finish around 4 PM at the latest. Feel free to help out for all or part of the day. ELS will meet at 12 noon in front of the Hark to walk over to the garden site!

Get Dirty: Part I

2010-04-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

Waste Audit

The spring Green Living waste audit is coming up soon! Last fall, your trusty Green Living Reps conducted a waste audit of residential trash (Ames, Dane, Shaw, Holmes, Hastings, North), and found that:

26% of our trash by weight could have been recycled or reused
This is down since the first Green Living audit in Fall 2005, when 45% of the trash could have been recycled or reused.

Here’s how the audit worked: your custodians saved trash bags and labeled them with each dorm's name and date. The Reps met up with your trash at a recycling warehouse in Allston, where we took everything out of bags and sorted it into recycling, food waste/compostables, reusable items that could have been donated, and residuals (actual trash). Next, we weighed each of these components and put them in separate bins for processing. It was an enlightening, if smelly, experience!

Here are some of the recyclable/usable things we found in your trash:

Why is recycling important?

Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial airline fleet every three months.
Making cans from recycled aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce cans from virgin material.
Every year enough paper is thrown away to make a 12’ wall from New York to California.
Glass can be reused an infinite number of times; over 41 billion glass containers are made each year.

For more fun facts about recycling, check this link.

For a reminder of what can be recycled at HLS, go to here.

Reducing Food Waste!

2010-04-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, an estimated 1,400 calories of food per person is wasted in the US every day. This turns into a pollution issue-- even though it's biodegradable, you've got to find someplace to put all that rotting food.

When your Green Living reps did our trash audit, we found LOTS of food that you threw away!

How can we reduce this amount?

Store your food properly!
Many items will last longer in the refrigerator or freezer. Close bags and use twist-ties or clips to keep bugs out.

Freeze!
Perishable items last longer in the freezer. Most people know you can freeze meat and fish. But you can also prolong the life of bread, butter, cheese, tomatoes, bananas, and more! Check the full list at http://frugalliving.about.com/od/foodsavings/tp/I_Can_Freeze_That.htm

Buy only what you need!
This can be difficult if you're shopping for one. Stores with bulk sections, like Harvest Co-op in Central Square, allow you to purchase only what you need. In the produce aisle, look for by-weight instead of large packages-- for example, buy only a few apples instead of the tote bag.

Plan your meals!
This is difficult because it requires some foresight, but it can save you money and time in the end. There may be several ways you can use one item so you won't get bored but you'll still make it through the entire package. For example, carrots could be carrot sticks, soup ingredients, part of a stir-fry, a salad ingredient, or a side dish.

Share!
One of the benefits of living in a dorm is that there are always people around willing to eat extra food. But this might take a little bit of planning to ensure you share your food BEFORE it gets old. You could also shop with friends and split groceries, or cook meals together where everyone contributes a few ingredients or a dish. You can also Iron-Chef your leftovers: http://lifehacker.com/5511821/iron-chef-your-leftovers-and-stop-throwing-away-perfectly-good-food or use this site, which helps you find meals using the ingredients you already have: http://bigoven.com/leftoverwizard2.aspx

Barter, trade, optimize social value!
Talk to your neighbors and see if they have any food they can trade-- if you want salad but have lots of greens, for example, you could trade half a lettuce for a cucumber. Pareto will be happy, and so will you.

Compost!
Sometimes, despite your best intentions, you end up with a fuzzy cheese or dead banana. Rather than throw it away, take it to the Hark dish return and they'll compost it for you.

For more info, check out: http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Down:2:Earth

2010-04-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Boston's Green Living Festival

What: Down:2:Earth (D2E) - Boston's third annual Green Living Festival
When: April 9, 2010 (All day) - April 11, 2010 (All day)
Where: Hynes Convention Center 900 Boylston St. Boston, MA
Details: D2E is a weekend long event that showcases the best in eco-friendly products and sampled by the companies themselves in one location. Exhibitors include Boston Bikes, snackTAXI, Clif Bar, and Green City Growers. Find out more at http://www.d2eboston.com/ , or email miriam@d2eboston.com with questions.

The Resource & Our Resources

2010-03-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

The Harvard Community Resource is a university-wide newspaper, and for the month of April its focus is on green news around Harvard! Check out all the articles here to find out more about GHG reduction efforts, bicycling resources, the Green Team, and green initiatives in offices and cleaning at Harvard.

The Resource also put together this list of interesting Harvard environmental factoids:

Bottled Water Taste Test

2010-03-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 11:30-1:30, in the Hark

Come sample tap, purified, and bottled water and see if you can tell the difference!

In the meantime, check out this funny take on the bottled water industry by Penn & Teller:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPAjUvvnIc

Image from this website.

FLOW Screening

2010-03-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

In 2 parts!

Part 1: Wed. March 31, 12-1pm, Austin West

Part 2: Thurs. April 1, 12-1pm, Austin West

Cupcakes (vegan!) from Kickass Cupcakes will be provided!

FLOW is an award-winning documentary that investigates what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. FLOW explores the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Brought to you by Prof. Jon Hanson and The Situation, the Green Living Program, and the Environmental Law Society.

Earth Hour

2010-03-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Power down for a full 60 minutes!

Earth Hour will take place this weekend, March 27th from 8:30 - 9:30 pm. Turn off your lights and appliances and show your solidarity with others committed to fighting climate change! Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, where 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. This year 2000 cities worldwide plan to participate in the event!

The Cove Screening

2010-03-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

What: Movie showing of THE COVE!
When: Thursday 3/25 at 7pm
Where: Pound 107

Join us to see The Cove, an amazing movie and the 2010 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary. It is produced by the same people that have been all over the news for their sting operation that led to the closing of the restaurant "The Hump" for selling endangered whale meat. See article here.

Snacks will be served! More info can be found on the SALDF website.

Brought to you by the Student Animal League Defense Fund.

From Blue to Green

2010-03-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Recycle Your Denim at Gap and Save 30%!

From now until March 14, turn in your old worn-out denim clothing at participating Gap locations and receive 30% off a new pair of jeans!

Gap is partnering with Cotton Inc. to recycle denim donations into cotton fiber insulation ("UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation"), which is used to build housing in low-income communities.

According to the company website, "UltraTouch™ is composed of 85% recycled cotton fibers and is an environmentally safe, non-itch insulation without carcinogenic warnings, formaldehyde or chemical irritants. It provides exceptional thermal performance and acoustically provides 30% better sound absorption than traditional fiberglass insulation. In addition, it is one of the only insulating products that contain an active mold/mildew inhibitor."

More information on this project can be found here.

Image from http://jenniferstuartdesign.blogspot.com/

Harvard Green Video Competition

2010-03-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Like making videos? Care about the environment? Want to win $700?

*Submit to the Harvard Green Video Competition!*

Harvard’s Office for Sustainability is sponsoring a competition for short video clips highlighting how individual actions can help reduce environmental impacts at Harvard, and they want you to submit!! First prize wins $700 and second wins $300—plus both videos will be publicly screened at Harvard’s first-ever Green Carpet Awards ceremony taking place later this spring (exact date TBD) honoring environmental work on campus.

The goal of the project is to educate and inspire students to make changes on campus through humor, creativity and powerful messaging. Read below for more details and rules of the competition, and definitely check out of any following recommended videos for inspiration. Deadline to submit is Thursday, April 15. Please contact us at sustainability@harvard.edu with any questions about the competition.

More information is also available on our website at www.green.harvard.edu/greencarpet
*Movies—now not just in color, in GREEN!*

Need some inspiration?
Resource Efficiency Program’s GreenTube Competition
Phillips Academy Rap
Proper Education
Bottle Dance

Black Balloons

and for animation:
The Story of Stuff

350.org’s ‘Because the world needs to know’

Global Community Wombat Video

Judging

The panel of judges will consist of Harvard staff and faculty and will base its decisions on the following criteria:

Creativity
Inspiration
Strength of environmental message
Humor
Quality of production
Harvard focus

Rules

Videos should be no more than 3 minutes in length (and we encourage short and high quality over length)
Videos must be available in digital format and submitters must allow the Office for Sustainability to post video on OFS website
Submission will take place through a Harvard OFS YouTube account: http://www.youtube.com/group/HarvardOFS (instructions onwww.green.harvard.edu/greencarpet)
Team and individual videos are allowed
Videos must be the original work of the applicants
Any factual claims or references to research must be credited
If a submission involves two or more applicants, the award will be divided equally among them.
Videos must not have received extensive funding from non-profits, government agencies, or private companies.

Stop the Waste Pizza Party!

2010-02-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

Help Create a Better Bottle Bill

Did you know that right now in Massachusetts, more than ONE BILLION bottles a year end up in our landfills, littered or incinerated? That’s enough to fill Fenway Park!

The Better Bottle Bill Coalition needs your help on an urgent campaign in Massachusetts to pass the Updated Bottle Bill this spring that would dramatically increase recycling rates of bottled water.
Please join us for a free pizza information session to find out how you can be part of this important campaign.
When: Wednesday, March 3, 2010 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Where: Harvard Kennedy School of Government79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA
Room: Taubman Building, Room 301(Courtyard entrance, 3rd floor. Enter campus from Eliot St.)

This spring, the Massachusetts State legislature will vote on a Bottle Bill Update that, if passed, will dramatically increase recycling ratesby including water bottles and other non-carbonated drinks in the 5 cent deposit system. Under the current bottle bill only carbonated drinks are covered by a deposit. So, while 80% of carbonated drinks are recycled, the recycle rate for water bottles is less than 25%. Without the deposit incentive, a billion bottles a year end up as waste.

Although this much-needed update has overwhelming support, powerful beverage companies and distribution lobbies are working behind-the-scenes to block the bill from passing this spring. But the Better Bottle Bill Coalition, a group of concerned students at Harvard and beyond, is fighting back. Please join us as we work with MASSPIRG, Sierra Club and MassRecycle to pass the bill and stop the waste!

This is your chance to gain firsthand knowledge of the state legislative process and to make a lasting contribution to our community. We are hoping to mobilize a large group of organizers and also fill several leadership positions. This is a dynamic campaign with room to accommodate many levels of commitment – small or large, you can make a difference!

Please join us next Wednesday for some delicious pizza to find out more.http://blip.tv/file/2796139
http://www.massbottlebill.org/ubb/index.htm

Natural Gas: Fueling America's Clean Energy Future?

2010-02-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

The Future of Energy: Aubrey K. McClendon - Chesapeake Energy

Join the Environmental Law Review in attending the natural gas segment of "The Future of Energy" series to ask some hard questions about the benefits of natural gas. Chesapeake Energy is is currently engaged in developing natural gas via a new technique called hydraulic fracturing. As many of you know, there are serious environmental problems associated with hydraulic fracturing. Learn more about it by reading this ProPublica article (McClendon is actually quoted in that article advocating for increased transparency).

If you are interested in joining ELS at this event, please send Rachel an e-mail at revans@jd10.law.harvard.edu. Students will meet up on the Langdell steps at 4:45 next Wednesday to head over together.

Here is the event info:

February 24, 2010 - 5:00pm
Harvard University Science Center Lecture Hall D One Oxford Street Cambridge, MA
"Natural Gas: Fueling America's Clean Energy Future"

New drilling and completion technologies have allowed the U.S. natural gas and oil industry to develop resources in shale reservoirs that were previously considered uneconomic. Shale gas has quickly transformed the industry and provided consumers with reliable sources of supply and the ability to reshape the nation's energy policy. Natural gas is clean, affordable, and abundant. It is the most practical answer to our nation's growing need for clean energy and reduced dependence on foreign oil.

Aubrey K. McClendon has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since co-founding Chesapeake Energy in 1989. Chesapeake Energy is now one of the largest producers of natural gas in the nation and the most active driller of new wells in the U.S. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, their strategy is focused on discovering, acquiring and developing conventional and unconventional natural gas reserves onshore in the U.S., primarily in the "Big 4" natural gas shale plays: the Barnett Shale of north-central Texas, the Haynesville Shale of East Texas and northwestern Louisiana, the Fayetteville Shale of central Arkansas and the Marcellus Shale of the northern Appalachian Basin.

Fresh Screening

2010-02-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

With Local Cheeses and Bread!

What: Screening of Fresh; Devouring of Local Bread and Cheese

Where: North Hall Lounge

When: Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 8:30-9:45pm

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. Find out more at www.freshthemovie.com

Beer-curious?

2010-02-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

Learn How to Make Your Own Beer!

What: Beer Brewing Demonstration

Where: Hastings kitchen

When: Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7:30

Come discover how beer is made and discuss the importance of buying local! Modern Brewer will demonstrate the brewing process here at HLS. Snacks will be provided, and a set of beer brewing equipment will be auctioned off at the end of the event. Space will be limited, so come early!

GIS Workshop

2010-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Mapping Massachusetts Communities: An Introduction to GIS & Community Analysis

Boston: April 28th and 29th, 2010*
Hyatt Place Boston/Medford - 116 Riverside Avenue Medford, MA 02155
*Note: These are one day workshops. Participants choose which one day to attend.

Audience: Beginners who would like to map demographic information for Massachusetts communities. Great for Government Agencies, Public Health, Academic Institutions, Non-Profit Organizations, etc. Could be useful for environmental organizations too!

This hands-on workshop focuses on teaching the fundamentals of using a Geographic Information System (GIS) for community analysis. Participants will learn to create thematic maps with Census data, Geocoding (Address mapping) and Spatial Queries. Other features of the workshop are learning to extract Census data and good map layout and design.
For more information about the Massachusetts workshops, please visit http://www.urban-research.info/workshops/massachusetts-gis.htm

Meatrix Screening

2010-02-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

Thurs, Feb 18th
8pm-10pm
Dunster House TV room

You are cordially invited to attend a screening of The Meatrix, a film about the truth of factory farming, followed by a discussion.

Free snacks will be provided!

Presented by Slow Food Harvard / The Harvard College Vegetarian Society: VEGITAS
For more information email Kate Farley, kbfarley@gmail.com

National Parks Movie Screening

2010-02-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

National Parks Movie Screening
Friday 2/12
3:00 - 5:00pm
Pound 200

Professor Purdy's Natural Resources Law class will be hosting a screening of Episode One of the new Ken Burns documentary series: "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."
More info on the series is available here. Episode One focuses on the creation of Yosemite and Yellowstone. The movie is open to all, and some snacks will be available. Hope to see you there!

How do YOU want to celebrate Earth Day?

2010-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

This coming Earth Day (April 22), the Green Living Program will again be hosting an HLS-wide outdoor fair. What did you like about last year's event? What would you like to see new for this year? Post any ideas here. Thanks!

(Earth Day 2009)

Tone Your Backside!

2010-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Print Double-Sided at Langdell

As noted in an earlier post, Langdell now offers the option to print double-sided. You can print your documents for half the price of single-sided printing! However, single-sided printing is still the default option, so make sure you choose the double-sided option before printing if you want to pay less and help the environment in the process.

This week the Green Living Program and library staff posted signs by some of the high-use printers and on the background of the computers, promoting the new double-sided printing option:

TONE YOUR BACKSIDE!

PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED

TO SAVE PAPER AND MONEY!

Print for half the cost by printing on both sides of the paper – save $0.05 cents per page!

Just follow these simple instructions:

Windows:

(1) Select “Print”

(2) Select a double-sided printer

Additional details can be found on the related post on the ITS blog.

Deliciously Green Cupcakes

2010-02-10T07:36:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest but less obvious actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint is cutting back on your consumption of animal products. A U.N. report found that rearing livestock produces even more greenhouse gases than cars. On top of all their manure, livestock has to be fed—primarily corn, a very energy intensive and thirsty crop, and soybeans. There are additional issues with land degradation and water contamination.

But this doesn’t mean you have to quit animal products cold turkey to make a difference, pun somewhat intended. Just cutting back can make a big difference. Vegan baking (using no animal products, including milk and eggs) is the perfect time to give it a try because with good recipes, you won’t miss the animal products at all! Here are a few notes about sustainable baking, along with one of my favorite recipes for cupcakes.

-- Soy, rice, or almond milk is really handy, because you can buy it in aseptic, recyclable quart or half gallon containers that don’t need refrigerating, so you can store them in your pantry until you need them. You’ll never notice the soy milk in your baked goods. There’s soy yogurt, too, and tasty non-hydrogenated margarine. All of these are cholesterol-free.

--A lot of animal-free recipes can be made without anything special to replace animal ingredients. Some only call for baking soda, baking powder, and vinegar, while others might use flaxseed, which is very healthy, to gel the liquid. Applesauce and bananas also work depending on what you’re making. Huge benefit here: the egg substitutes are usually cheaper, and they’re often shelf-stable, so perfect when you’re out of eggs or have no space in the fridge.

--Buy in bulk! Bulk saves packaging, especially when you have reusable containers, and it also gives you a chance to try out things you’d never have given a shot otherwise.

--A not-necessarily-green healthiness tip: Substitute half whole wheat pastry flour and half regular all purpose flour. You can’t tell and you’re getting in some whole grains.

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for chai latte cupcakes that I’ve already made about 50 cupcakes from: http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=386

You can’t tell it’s made without milk or eggs, since it’s deliciously rich and moist. It’s relatively low in calories, and with whole wheat and all the tea and spices, practically healthy! If you like this, check out the book Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World, and its companion, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. No one will ever know, I promise! One of your Green Living Reps said, “I’m from St. Louis, and they’re famous for their cupcakes, and this is probably the best cupcake I’ve ever had," and an anonymous 3L stated that "I don't normally like cupcakes, but these are really good."

Image source: http://greenbabyguide.com/2009/05/11/fabulous-green-baby-shower/

Food Fight Screening

2010-02-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

February 16, 2010, 7:00-9:00 pm
Film Screening & Panel: Food Fight and discussion about Slow Money Alliance
Where: Science Center Lecture Hall A (very close to HLS!)

Does the term “foodie” inspire, irritate, or intrigue you? Do you wonder what the big deal is about food that is locally grown, organic, or “sustainable”? Do you wonder whether your food choices really matter? Join the Harvard University Dining Services Food Literacy Project for a screening of the award-winning documentary Food Fight and a discussion with filmmaker Chris Taylor and Woody Tasch, the founder of Slow Money Alliance. Food Fight explores the political and social changes that shaped 20th century American agricultural policy and food culture and the changing relationship between consumers and big agribusiness. Slow Money Alliance is a new nonprofit that combines principles of philanthropy and investing to “bring money back down to earth” by encouraging investment in small food enterprises, local food systems, and local economies. Questions? Contact theresa_mcculla@harvard.edu for information. The event is free and open to the public.

Also upcoming: focus on nutrition: screening of Supersize Me, Wednesday, March 3, 7:00 pm, CGIS South Building, Tsai Auditorium

Focus on food preparation: screening of Julie and Julia, Tuesday, March 30, 7:00 pm, Science Center Lecture Hall A

Focus on community: screening of The Garden, Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 pm (CGIS), South Building, Tsai Auditorium

Organic Farm Share

2010-02-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

Never thought you could get delicious local food in the bitterly cold depths of winter in Cambridge? Think again. For the first time ever, Red Fire Farm, an awesome organic farm in Western Massachusetts, is offering a bi-weekly "Deep Winter" farm share consisting ofstorage crops (1/3 of the value), greens (another 1/3), and local products (the last 1/3). Although the season has already begun, there are still a few slots available and the Farm will pro-rate the cost if you're interested ($40 per week). One share can easily feed 2-3 people. There are four more deliveries for the season. Sign up by February 11th to join in time for the February 12th delivery. Pick-up is at Metro Pedal Power in Somerville (25 minute walk, 10 minute bike ride, 5 minute bus ride on the 86 from campus) on Friday afternoons. Or for an extra $5 per delivery, you can even have your share bicycle-delivered to your doorstep. So far, we've received a variety of yummy veggies as well as apples, cheese, sauerkraut, blueberry spread, and more.

For more information, check out www.redfirefarm.com or call the farmers at (413) 467- SOIL.

Valentine’s Freecycle

2010-02-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Pass on unwanted items and find what you need at the HLS Valentine's Freecycle!

Friday, February 12
Pound 108
10am-12pm: drop off items
12:30– 3pm: browse & take!

Refreshments will be served.

This Freecycle will focus on items from home: books, movies, music, housewares, games, sports equipment, art supplies, stationery, etc… Please, NO: TVs, computers, large electronics, or large furniture. Save big items for craigslist orHLSFreecycle@lists.law.harvard.edu! Contact HLS Sustainability Coordinator Cara Ferrentino with any questions:cara_ferrentino@harvard.edu.

All leftover items will be donated to local charities. This event is sponsored by the HLS Green Team.

Waste Audit

2009-12-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

Twice a year your trusty Green Living Reps conduct waste audits, and the results of the Fall 2009 audit are in. The good news is that recycling is generally improving!

The not-so-good news is that roughly a quarter of things you threw in the trash could have been recycled. Keep working on this! Our goal is to reduce this amount of recyclable materials in the garbage even further. This is what we learned from the audit:

· 26% trash by weight was items that could have been recycled or reused, about the same as Spring 2009 (24%).

· This is down since the first Green Living audit in Fall 2005, when 45% of the trash could have been recycled or reused.

Why is recycling important?

· Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial airline fleet every three months.

· Making cans from recycled aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce cans from virgin material.

· Every year enough paper is thrown away to make a 12’ wall from New York to California.

· Glass can be reused an infinite number of times; over 41 billion glass containers are made each year.

For more fun facts about recycling, check this link:

http://recycling.colorado.edu/education_and_outreach/recycling_facts.html

For a reminder of what can be recycled and how to do it, go to: http://www.law.harvard.edu/about/administration/facilities/energy/recycling.html

We'll be doing another audit in the spring, and we'll let you know what we find out! In the meantime, let us know if you have any suggestions for improving recycling signage/infrastructure anywhere on campus.

I'll leave you with some examples of items found in the trash:

The Art of Green Gifting

2009-12-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

Come join the HLS Green Living Representatives for cookies (yay!), tea, and a workshop on how to wrap and give sustainable gifts! Learn how to save money and impress your friends and family with recycled gift wrapping, reusable items, and homemade gifts. Get your fill of creativity and cookies this Thursday, 12/10, Pound 335, at 3:00 pm.

More than 1 million extra tons of trash end up being tossed each week between Thanksgiving and New Years. Help make this excess garbage disappear with these magical green wrapping and giving tips:

Learn how to make this amazing bow from magazine pages and old maps. Use a perfume sample page for a scented bow!

For a simpler but just-as-cute option, try this alternative bow, made from pages of a used book.

Country Living also has a lot of great reusable wrapping ideas, such as wrapping with sheet music. Their website also shows you how to make your own flower gift toppers, which can be created using old newspapers or sewing patterns.

Boakart.com shows you how to weave wraps from grocery bags and scraps of paper, like this wrapping art:

"Furoshiki" is wrapping with cloth. Here are some techniques you can use:

You can also make your own shipping package from store bags. Also, alternatives to packing peanuts are always appreciated - try real peanuts!

If you are looking for gifts to try these new wrapping techniques on, try homemade options from used material, like this t-shirt-turned bag. (Instructions here .)

Also, check out items from earlier posts under Your Green Holiday Gift Guide, Installments 1,2, and 3.

Finally, make your own mini-terrarium by using a clear incandescent light bulb! You may have some laying around if you have recently replaced yours with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. (Idea from apartment therapy)

Your Green Holiday Gift Guide

2009-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Installment 3: Crafty Gifts

Even if you’re not too crafty, you can have some fun trying these projects.

Homemade candy: fudge, truffles, and more!

“Aunt Joyce’s Five-Minute Fudge” It really only takes five minutes to mix.

Alton Brown's truffles.

Homemade hand warmers: If you know how to make a beanbag, you know how to make a hand warmer. Use wool or cashmere or felt material, but instead of filling the bags with beans, fill them with ceramic pie weights. To use these toasty treasures, simply microwave them for a couple of minutes and then slip them in your pockets.

Themed gift baskets: Use a colander for a basket, add some garlic bulbs, gourmet noodles, and a wooden spoon — a little taste of Italy. Or consider a breakfast basket. Or a breakfast basket (syrup and pancake mix), a movie basket (popcorn, candy, and a movie rental coupon), or a gardening basket (a trowel, a gardening hat, and some packets of seeds).

Stuffed animals: Two examples are Martha Stewart's stuffed pig and Crafty Daisies' felt penguin

Gingerbread house: Build a gingerbread house. Or ten. Give them to the little kids (and the big kids) in your life. Lifehacker diva Gina Trapani has a photoset demonstrating how she put together a gingerbread house from a kit. If you bake, you can certainly build a better house from scratch. Your nieces and nephews will thank you. (And so will your brother-in-law!)

Personalized calendars: You can buy a calendar or use a computer printout. MS Word has templates. Add pictures of things or people meaningful to the recipient, important dates (birthdays and anniversaries of family & friends), and maybe a special note or quote every once in a while. For parents/students you can add in the school schedule; for sports fans, their favorite teams’ game schedule, and so on.

Spice sampler: Bulk spices can make an affordable and appreciated gift for anyone who loves to cook, or who is moving into a new kitchen. Don’t know which ones to choose? Find some tempting recipes that call for exotic spices, then include the recipes with the spices. Or, get creative and make a custom spice blend for a meat rub, marinade mix, salad dressing kit, dip, or seasoning (search the web for ideas).

[Source: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/11/13/a-do-it-yourself-christmas-34-great-gifts-you-can-make-yourself/]

Your Green Holiday Gift Guide

2009-12-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Installment 2: Buy Nothing Holidays

Buy Nothing Christmas (http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/) is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites but open to everyone with a thirst for change and a desire for action. (I’m curious: did the Canadian Mennonites start a website?!)

Make a wine tote out of old clothes.

Create a secret hollow book: You might not want to sacrifice Sargentich on Torts just yet, but you can probably find an old hardcover lying around somewhere. Glue the pages together, use an X-Acto knife to hollow out the center of the book. Now the recipient can store his or her treasures!

Photoshop your friends and family: A graphic designer created a booklet that Photoshops her 6-year-old nephew onto cheap stock photos of world landmarks, such as the Great Wall, so it looks like he’s traveled the world. This home-made travel brochure is perfect for adventurous young minds. You could also make a Flat Stanley of your younger relatives, if you’ll be traveling.

Memory drawings: “Draw a very simple black-and-white picture of a memory that you have of you and the person (e.g. me and my dad playing NES back in the day). This could be a very simple, Shel Silverstein style drawing. Frame it and gift. The great thing about this (besides being cheap) is that you can give it multiple times to the same person. They will have a growing collection of ‘memory drawings’ from you.”

Create a cookbook: Make a collection of family recipes, and print and bind the recipes for everyone. You could do this at a gathering, where everyone can provide a recipe. You could also make a theme cookbook, for example cookies, and provide samples along with the cookbook.

Write a family history: Pick a topic, and ask each family member to write about it. One person plays ‘editor’, collecting the stories, and presents them all together for Christmas. Sample topics could include: your favorite holiday, the house you grew up in, how everyone met their spouses, the funniest family gathering. This is especially good for older relatives—you could even interview them and write their stories yourself to share with your family. You could print these and make booklets.

You can make more than gifts!

Make a gift bow from any magazine page.

Make your own greeting cards: Craft stores like Michael’s sell boxes of assorted brightly colored cards, or you could just use cardstock. Then, use leftover paper scraps and stickers to decorate them.

Image from: http://www.rogerwendell.com/buynothingday.html

Beyond the Blog

2009-12-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

Want more green?

Blogs are great (we certainly think so), but if you’re hankering for the answers to specific questions such as “can I recycle bottle caps?” [yes], and “what exactly is Harvard’s greenhouse gas reduction goal?” [30% below 2006 levels by 2016], visit the Law School’s official Sustainability site: http://www.law.harvard.edu/about/administration/facilities/energy/index.html.

There you’ll find information about recycling, HLS energy conservation measures, staff involvement, and much, much more!

Your Green Holiday Gift Guide

2009-12-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Installment 1: Gift Jars

Do you eat spaghetti sauce out of a jar? How about applesauce, pickles, olives, or peanut butter? You can use the empty jars (washed, of course!) as gift containers for all sorts of tasty homemade things: cookie mix, powdered drinks, granola, candy, Chex Mix or Puppy Chow (chocolate-covered Chex Mix).

[Source: Wise Bread, http://www.wisebread.com/start-stockpiling-now-four-cheap-christmas-gifts-to-make]

This site lists an overwhelming array of mixes you can put in a jar.

This website gives not only recipes, but ideas for decorating the jar. There are even PDFs of tags you can print.

And something less tasty, but still really sweet:

“I spent a few months contacting friends and family members and asked them to send me memories and old pictures of my grandfather. Then I wrote one memory (or printed one picture) on each of 365 business card sized pieces of cardstock. I folded each in half and secured it with a bit of tape, then placed them all in a big jar I decorated. Every morning for the next year, my grandfather would take out a paper, open it, and see what other people cherished in him. He loved it.” [Source: Get Rich Slowly, http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/11/13/a-do-it-yourself-christmas-34-great-gifts-you-can-make-yourself/ ]

Finally, a gag gift, for people who say they want "nothing" for their gift.

Take the Sustainability Pledge!

2009-12-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

It takes less than two minutes to become one of the thousands of Harvard community members who commit each year to reducing their environmental impacts in small yet meaningful ways: http://green.harvard.edu/pledge/.

Did you take the pledge last year? Great— it’s time to take it again this year! Currently 41% of FAS has taken the pledge, compared to only 9% of HLS (although we’re still ahead of HBS with their 8%). Take the pledge!

Your Green Living Reps recently tabled in the Hark, and collected over 120 signatures. Thanks to all who stopped by to sign the pledge or decorate an incandescent light bulb left over from our CFL swap!

And the Winner Is . . . Shaw!

2009-11-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

Shaw Victorious in Energy Competition

The residents of Shaw took first place in the "Reduce Your Juice" energy-use reduction competition this year. To achieve this great honor, Shaw-onians performed simple but significant environmental feats such as turning off unused lights, unplugging power cords, and setting power saving modes on their computers. For their efforts, residents will receive a celebratory dinner - in addition to eternal fame, of course.

Holmes and Ames, which made significant reductions in the final week, tied for a close second place.

All of the dorms reduced their energy use by 1-5% over the course of the 4-week-long competition. This might seem like small potatoes, but if the savings from the one month electricity competition were to be extended throughout the entire year, this would amount to around 1 MTCDE (metric tons carbon dioxide equivalents), which is roughly 100 gallons of gasoline.

Above the Lawn

2009-11-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Harvard Business School Showcases Its New Green Roof

It's alive! The roof, that is. Over the summer the Harvard Business School installed a new Green roof on top of Shad Hall (also known as the building across from the football stadium). The roof is part of a University-wide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2016 from 2006 levels.

Apex Green Roofs was hired to roll out the Roofscape, and the Business School is now the proud new owner of the University's first Green roof. The groundcover is already two inches high, and with miles of fall-colored treetops and church steeples in the background makes for an impressive vista. The Business School currently has no plans to open the roof up for visitors, but tours are available upon request.

Green roofs are sprouting up across the country, bringing with them attractive scenery, environmental benefits, and no end of gardening puns. With a pricetag of around $15 per sq ft (although costs are much less in countries where Green roofing companies have gotten off the ground), why the recent surge in Green roofs?

(1) Green roofs are excellent insulators. This reduces CO2 emissions of buildings, as well as heating and cooling costs.
(2) Green roofs soak up rainwater and filter pollutants. The HBS Green roof is expected to decrease stormwater runoff by as much as 80%.
(3) Green roofs extend the lifetime of a roof by protecting it from harsh weather and extreme temperatures.

Since Green roofs have been popular in Germany for over 50 years, maybe a better question is why have they taken so long to catch on in the US?

Should the law school invest in its own Green roof? Are the benefits worth the costs? If so, should a Green roof on campus be open to students?

Food, Inc.

2009-11-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

Food, Inc. Film Screening

Thursday November 5

7:15pm

Hauser 102

Food Inc. is an award winning 2009 documentary about the social and environmental impacts of our nation’s food industry.

This Thursday, over 25 screenings of Food Inc. will be taking place across the country. The Law School’s 7:15pm screening in Hauser 102 will be followed by a 9pm EDT video teleconference discussion with Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farms CEO, featured in Food Inc., and Josh Trought, New Hampshire organic farmer and director of the educational farm D Acres.

Snacks provided!

Sponsored by the HLS Green Living Program.

FILM SYNOPSIS

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA . . . Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farms' Gary Hirschberg and Polyface Farms' Joe Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Energy Competition Heats Up

2009-11-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Holmes takes the lead in dorm-wide conservation competition!

The dorm that reduces its energy consumption the most in coming weeks will win a free dinner, environmental bragging rights, and of course, eternal glory. So remember to Reduce Your Juice!

This week's tip:
Shut down machines at night and enable automatic computer power management.

Tip from last week: switch off lights, and be sure to take the sustainability pledge!

Get in on the (individual) action!

2009-11-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

Come hear Prof. Vandenbergh speak about Climate Change tomorrow

Visiting Professor Mike Vandenbergh presents recent work on voluntary individual climate action.

"THE BEHAVIORAL WEDGE: The Potential for Household Actions to Rapidly Reduce U.S. Carbon Emissions."

Tomorrow (Nov. 3), 12 PM, Pound 201

Reduce Your Juice!

2009-10-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Annual HLS Electricity Competition

From October 26-November 22, the HLS student residences (Ames, Dane, Holmes, Shaw, Hastings, North, and the HLS apartments) will be competing to see who can reduce their electricity usage the most and express their commitment to sustainability. The prize will be a dinner for the entire dorm.

75% percent of the competition is based on electricity reduction. The other 25% is based on the taking the university-wide sustainability pledge, found here: http://www.green.harvard.edu/pledge/. There are lots of great tips there for sustainable living. The goal this year is to get 10,000 members of the Harvard community to take the pledge.

Even if you don’t live in the residences, this is a great time to think about what you can be doing to cut down on electricity. As the weather turns colder, heating will ramp up electricity usage, so it’s an important time to really try and bring it back down in other ways.

The residences will get weekly updates on their progress, along with new tips each week, which we’ll be reposting here. If you don’t live in the residences, make an effort to reduce your electricity usage and then use that as an excuse to treat yourself to dinner at the end of the month.

This week’s tips are all about lighting. Turn off your lights! Leaving florescent lights on doesn’t save energy. Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs), which use 75% less energy and last six times longer (fewer bulbs to buy!). Brighten your rooms by opening the blinds during the day and keeping your bulbs clean and dust-free. Use “task lighting,” like a desk lamp, instead of lighting up your whole room.

Good luck reducing your juice, and keep checking back here for updates and more green living tips!

Image from: http://blueridgebluecollargirl.wordpress.com/2007/10/14/the-faces-that-launched-a-thousand-quips/

Hallogreen Costumes

2009-10-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Cambridge Thrift/Resale Shops: Just in time for Halloween costumes!

This is a basic listing of a few stores. More info about each will be coming soon!

1. Goodwill (Locations in Cambridge and Somerville)

http://www.goodwillmass.org/retail_locations.html

The trusty standby! Goodwill has lots of men's and women's clothes, as well as household items and books.

2. Frida Bee

http://www.yelp.com/biz/frida-bee-cambridge

This store is a little pricier than Goodwill, but their merchandise is consistently good quality.

3. Raspberry Beret

http://www.raspberryberet.us/directionsandhours.html

This store was featured on MTV's "Made" this spring.

4. Oona's

http://www.yelp.com/biz/oonas-cambridge

This store is overflowing with clothing, and is right on Mass Ave. near the undergrad campus.

Great Menu, Great Venue

2009-10-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Fall Harvest: Farmers Markets around Harvard Law

“Locavorism” was chosen by the Oxford American Dictionary’s word of the year in 2007, and the movement toward eating locally-grown food has continued to expand. An easy way to eat locally and sustainably is to stop by the Harvard Farmers Market on Tuesdays right in front of Memorial Hall.

Last week, some summer crops were still available, including corn, grapes, and berries. There’s a great selection of root vegetables, including sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets, along with basic veggies and the crisp apples and festive pumpkins that are New England fall specialties. Aside from the farmer’s stands, you can find candied nuts, ice cream, potted plants, baked goods, maple syrup, and jars of jam made from local fruit. This market ends on the last Tuesday in October, but you can still find produce, bread, and other local goodies in front of the Charles Hotel on Fridays and Sundays until the end of November. Hurry and partake in some local, sustainable food before the long winter arrives!

Harvard University Farmers Market

http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=55

Tuesday: 12:30-6:00

--Through October 27

Charles Square Farmers Market

http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=54

Sunday: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM

--Through November 22

Bill McKibben On Campus

2009-10-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Bill McKibben is speaking at Harvard’s Memorial Church this Sunday, October 18th from 2:00pm-3:30pm.

Bill McKibben is an environmental activist, writer, and the founder of 350.org, an international campaign devoted to raising awareness and action against climate change. McKibben and others are organizing grassroots support for aggressive reductions in CO2 emissions both locally and globally.

The organization is sponsoring a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009, which will include over 1000 rallies taking place in iconic places worldwide. (The Boston area rally is from 2:00pm to 3:30pm at the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA 01742. Details: http://environment.harvard.edu/events/index.htm?event_id=157517375)

More details from the Harvard University Center for the Environment events calendar:

http://environment.harvard.edu/events/index.htm?event_id=190931240

The $7 Hybrid Car - Interested?

2009-10-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ever wish you had a car, but don't want to deal with payments, parking, and maintenance? Zipcar is the perfect solution for you!

Here's how it works. First, you pay a $25 yearly membership fee. $75 is the normal rate, but Harvard students get a discount. A few days after registering and paying that fee, you get a Zipcar member card in the mail. Using your membership number, you can reserve a car online or by phone. Hourly rates range from $7 for a small hybrid, to $11.25 for an SUV or large vehicle that could work for moving, to $13.25 for the Mini Cooper Convertible if you're trying to impress somebody.

There are also day and overnight rates.

When you reserve the car, you get detailed directions to the car's permanent "home" parking spot. Your membership card opens the car and transmits a signal to the company so they know you've picked it up. Keys are inside the car waiting for you. There's also a gas card (yes, gas AND insurance are included in the hourly rates!) Customer service reps are on call to answer any questions. When I made my first Zipcar reservation, they actually called ME to make sure that everything was going smoothly.

Before your reservation time ends, you bring the car back to the exact parking spot where you picked it up. If you think you're going to be late, you can call or text Zipcar to extend your reservation. After you park, you leave the keys in the car and lock it with your membership card.

I love this service because it's so convenient, but also because I feel like a millionaire having cars parked all over town. I like to take a different (hybrid) car every time! Zipcar is great about offering energy efficient options. The cars are all pretty new, and include Prius, Civic Hybrid, Mini Cooper, Mazda 3, Scion xB, VW Jetta, and Toyota Tacoma.

There are Zipcars in more than 50 cities, so you can also reserve cars when you're traveling-- your membership still works. You can even drive to Canada!

Here are more details about why Zipcar is green:

http://www.zipcar.com/is-it/greenbenefits

Tone Your Backside!

2009-10-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

Langdell Introduces Double-Sided Printing

As of the beginning of the academic year, we're happy to report that through a collaborative effort with the good folks at ITS, a new scheme is in place to encourage double-sided printing at Langdell library without increasing the overall printing volume. Double-sided printing is now available at all of the printers throughout Langdell. The price per page of single-sided printing is also now double what it was last year while the price of double-sided printing has not changed. However, the default printing option is still set to single-sided so make sure that you choose the double-sided option before printing if you want to pay less and help the environment in the process. Additional details can be found on the related post on the ITS blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/hlshelp/08/new-printing-costs-and-benefits/

Picture found at http://askehbl.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/duplex-printing-coming-soon-to-a-library-near-you/

HLS Reduces Its Wasteline

2009-10-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

At the suggestion of the Green Living Reps, the HLS student government recently conducted a poll to determine student attitudes towards the potential elimination of paper cups at the free coffee stations around campus. We're excited to report that the overwhelming majority of students said they supported such an effort! The Dean of Students is now in the process of purchasing reusable mugs for 1L's and LLM's (reusable mugs were handed out to 2L's and 3L's last year) and working out an implementation plan that will address the many of the helpful comments that were received from student voters. A related post can be found on the HLS Student Government blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/studentgov/2009/10/06/the-great-coffee-cup-debate-the-results-are-in

Americans use four hundred and ten thousand disposable paper cups every 15 minutes. Chris Jordan depicts this in his artwork, above, which can be found at http://www.eventsupplies.co.uk/blog/archives/category/catering-supplies-news-info-other

Living the Green Life

2009-09-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Harvard Law Green Living Blog! This is your sustainability central, where you can go to get eco-updates and submit feedback to us, your Green Living Representatives.

Check here for all things green, including environmental events, tips, and news.

See the earth in everything :)

Picture credits: Eric Birgersson