The environment, especially the part of it that is
covered by the UC campus, has been of ASIC’s
concern for quite some time, but it was only at the beginning of the fall 2006 when a group of enthusiastic students established a separate body which would concern itself solely with environmental issues on campus. The Environmental Working Group was born, consisting of a small, thus hopefully always productive, group of people who meet to discuss and implement various projects that enable the UC population to pay their contribution to the improvement of the environment. In a nutshell, the EWG concentrates on two types of projects. First, EWG aims at informing the UC population on possibilities for individual action towards environmental friendly behavior. Second, the EWG works on implementing environmentally appropriate changes on the administrative level.

What we do

Among projects that are meant to educate the UC population towards a more environmentally friendly behavior there are the following:

- Unit information sheets are placed in units on campus next to the phone directory, providing information on how to behave environmentally constructive on a residential level. If your unit is lacking one, feel free to drop by ASIC to pick one up, or two

- A new component was added to the paper-recycling system at UC. Now you don’t need to draw single sheets of paper from your usual rubbish bin and bring them to the big blue paper containers around campus, but you can collect all your paper waste in a separate box in the unit’s living-room before - maybe twice a semester - you have to walk around campus to get rid of it. Simply pick up your box from the ASIC office during office hours and a small, but hopefully significant improvement will be made.

- Because so much paper goes to waste as a result of you throwing out unwanted advertisements or information from your mailboxes, there now exists a possibility to do something about that. Mailbox Stickers - common in the Netherlands - can be posted on the mailboxes indicating that - NEE NEE - you don’t want to receive neither advertisements nor free newspapers (such as the Boomerang) or that - NEE JA - you don’t want advertisements, but would appreciate free newspapers (such as the Boomerang). Come pick up your sticker from the ASIC office during office hours.

On a structural level the EWG is currently focusing on:

- reducing waste in DH of both food and napkins, plastic cups and cutlery etc

- looking at ways to save energy by means of structural changes, e.g. environmental friendly dryers and ventilation systems

- looking at ways to save water use, examples here include looking at whether water-saving showerheads can be effectively introduced on campus

- options for biodegradable waste

What you can do

Apart from a generally environmentally aware lifestyle that we hope you will practice, currently you can support us by taking the following actions:
Pick up your NEE NEE or NEE JA sticker from the ASIC office during office hours to prevent your mailbox being spammed and so much paper rubbish being produced.

Recycle. Pick up a box from the ASIC office during office hours to place it in your unit’s living room and separate recyclable paper from all the other waste. Paper can be brought to the recycle collection bin in front of G or to the blue one in DH. As for glass, bottles etc can be brought to the glass container behind Dining Hall.

Print double sided and use the scrap paper that is collected in the Academic Building printing room’s in the blue boxes.

Bring your own coffee or tea mug in stead of using the plastic ones; it’s cheaper and better for the environment.

Use a drying rack instead of the dryer.

Agenda

On the 22nd of April people all around the globe are celebrating Earth day. Come to the EWG Documentary night and the EWG Back to Basic’s-Green Party.

Earth day is the only event celebrated simultaneously by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities and aims at promoting environmental citizenship and care for the environment on both a global and local level. Earth day serves to promote awareness about environmental issues and protection and helps to link the environmental movements regionally, nationally and worldwide. This spring semester the EWG is organizing a documentary night on the 22nd (in Voltaire lounge) and an Earth hour in which the lights are switched off, ending with a EWG party Back to Basic’s party in our very own bar.

Earth day activities in the Uithof (Dutch)

A variety of UU organizations (the LHUMP student network for sustainable development, MUS Environment Platform UU students and the sustainable development working group of the U-Raad and USF) are organizing a big event ‘down to earth’, including a fair fashion show, workshops and a lecture.

For more information check: http://www.lhump.nl/downtoearth/