Do it in the dark
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Do It In The Dark
Do It In The Dark is the name for the Williams energy saving competition. It was first held in the fall of 2005 and was repeated in both the spring and fall of 2006. It is a month-long contest to measure which house can reduce its energy usage the most by turning off lights, computers and other electric devices. It continued in the fall of 2007 and has become a yearly tradition for Williams College climate action.
In the spring of 2006 the college earned the praise of Thomas Friedman and saved over $10,000 in electric bills just by turning out the lights.
Energy Saving Tips
(click here for more)To be good:
- Turn off your lights (the myth of using more energy if you turn on and off lights is only true for flourescent bulbs older than about 15 years, so no)
- Hibernate or shut down your computer
- Turn off your power strip (adapters draw power even when not used)
- Take shorter showers
- Wash your clothes on the cold water ("bright colors") setting
- Dry your clothes on a drying rack or clothesline and skip the dryer entirely.
- Ask friends to do it in the dark with you!
To cheat on the contest a little:
- Charge your laptop in Goodrich or the Library
- Spend more time at your boyfriends/girlfriends room
Past Winners
Fall 2005 Morgan hall, led by the notorious Morgan ME entry. The upperclass competition was won by Lambert House.
Spring 2006 Dodd Annex won the overall and small house competition, followed closely Carter house winning the large residence prize. More details can be found here: Do It In the Dark 2006 Results or the full results here: this page.
Fall 2006 Prospect won and Lambert took the small house prize. Currier Neighborhood was the cluster with the largest reduction thanks to Prospect. See results here:Results Sheet1.jpg
Organizers
The competition was initially started as a joint project of Greensense, CEAC and Facilities. Now, it is an effort by the Thursday Night Group, and of course every student living on campus. It is partly inspired by the student body's environmental principles and partly by the college's response to rising energy costs.
Prizes
The fall 2005 prize consisted of a free night for the house at Images with snacks. The spring 2006 prize was "Renew Your Energy" Extravaganza, complete with Ben and Jerry's ice cream sundaes, pizza, drinks, massages, puppies, and more, in the house and right before finals week.
For Fall 2006, the pize will again consist of a "Renew Your Energy" Extravaganza much like the very popular one in the spring. Yes, there will be puppies to play with. Get excited!!!
Read More about Sustainability at Williams