The sixth annual Green Cup launched on February 1. Green Cup is a four-week competition to reduce energy use among South 40 Residential Colleges, North Side on-campus housing, on-campus fraternities, and the School of Medicine’s Olin Dorm and Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (in four separate leagues). Students compete to reduce their energy usage below a baseline. The North Side and School of Medicine league locations will work collectively to reduce their energy use by 10%, and the South 40 and fraternity teams will compete using a point system. At the end of the month, the winners in each league will receive prizes!
The competition measures electrical energy use from lights, dryers, laptops, chargers, refrigerators, microwaves, TVs, and other electrical devices that are plugged in. Students focus on reducing energy in a variety of ways, such as turning off lights when leaving a room, unplugging device chargers when not in use, taking shorter showers, and using the stairs rather than the elevator. The South 40 and fraternity leagues also earn points by taking the WashU Sustainability Pledge, answering survey questions on weekly sustainability topics, and attending events planned by each Residential College’s Eco Rep.
Green Cup is a joint effort of the Congress of the South 40, Residential Life, Greek Life, North Side Association, Facilities, WUSM Student Sustainability Committee, and Office of Sustainability. For more information, tips, and competition standings, visit greencup.wustl.edu.