Colorado State University Live Green Team on Lory Student Center Plaza on Earth Day to Revive “Green is Gold” Conservation Campaign

Note to Editors: For more information about Colorado State University’s green efforts, go to http://www.green.colostate.edu/.

In honor of Earth Day, the Live Green Team at Colorado State University has revived a campuswide campaign urging campus employees to cut energy and resource use, particularly during these difficult economic times.

The "Green is Gold" program started in 2001 – when natural gas prices began to soar – as a campuswide campaign to save energy and help the university control costs. Colorado State is reviving this program to increase participation in the university’s sustainability practices by encouraging individuals and teams of CSU employees to commit to conservation measures on their floor, department and/or college.

Students and staff representatives of the Live Green Team will promote the program on Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22 on the Lory Student Center plaza.

If the campaign goes well over the summer, the Live Green Team plans to launch a student version of the campaign in the fall.

"Colorado State University faculty and staff are already committed to environmental sustainability and taking individual responsibility for their impact on the planet," said Rick Miranda, Interim Provost. "However, there is always room for improvement and our Live Green students should be commended for encouraging everyone to get involved. Over time, these steps – taking alternative transportation, turning off lights where possible, using less water – will add up and lead to financial savings as well."

Top achieving teams are eligible to win energy-saving prizes and recognition for their area. To get started, go to http://www.green.colostate.edu/gold/ for the "Green is Gold" toolkit. The website hosts additional resources as well as a "Green is Gold" listserv where employees can share tips and successes.

The Live Green Team has asked members of the campus community to form "Green is Gold" teams – dedicated groups of faculty and staff who, regardless of discipline or organizational level, are committed to sustainable operations for their college/department.

"Green Teams can choose to focus on one area of sustainability such as waste reduction and recycling, energy consumption, water conservation and alternative transportation or address sustainability on a broader scale for their college or department," said Tonie Miyamoto, director of communications for Housing & Dining Services who is a member of the Live Green Team. "The point is to get people invested in doing their part on campus and as global citizens."

Teams can range from the informal – a few employees working together to reduce their college/department’s energy consumption – to the formal – a group specifically chartered by leadership to promote and foster sustainable operations that reduce a college or department’s environmental footprint.

The Live Green Team has created an award system where teams will earn rewards points toward energy conservation tools for their department or floor such as motion-sensor light switches and a community bike. Top-achieving teams will earn "Green is Gold" certification and recognition at a university event.

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