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Students get a jump on conservation with an early Green Cup

Green CupGreen Cup, which has traditionally been held in February, takes place October 21 to November 17 this year. “The hope is to engage the student body in sustainability early on to encourage sustainable living for the duration of the school year. Additionally, by switching to the fall, we open up the door to events otherwise not possible due to the weather. Having some events outdoors allows us to diversify our programming and most likely reduce the environmental footprint of the events themselves,” stated Students for Ecological and Environmental Development (SEED) Green Cup chairs Danny Ginzburg and Rebecca Glaser.

Since 2006 Green Cup has challenged students to reduce energy and water usage in the residence halls and Greek houses. Last year students saved 90,859 gallons of water and 55,321 kWh of electricity (enough to power 57 American homes for a month) through simple actions like sharing fridges, taking shorter showers, and utilizing power strips and clothes drying racks.

Scoring is based on a per person percent reduction in usage as compared to an established baseline usage for each individual residence. Students can also receive points by attending Green Cup events and taking the Green Pledgeand Green Room Certification. Each week the winning residence with a dining hall, residence without a dining hall, fraternity, and sorority will win $125 each. On November 18, the four final winners will earn bragging rights, $500 each, and the right to the Green Cup trophy for the year.

For the first year, off-campus students will be able to participate in Green Cup. The Off-Campus Green Cup Challengeallows students to form teams and receive points by taking pictures of “sustainable” activities, such as installing low-flow showerheads and insulating their windows, attending events relating to sustainability, and posting pictures on the NU Green Cup Facebook page. Prizes for the off-campus students include CFLs, energy monitors, smart strips, sporks, reusable water bottles, and Whole Foods gift cards.

Stay up to date on Green Cup rankings on the NU Green Cup Facebook page.