What do you think about this beautiful weather?! 

It’s been great to see UMBC’s Hillside Apartment residents opening their windows to cool down rather than turn on their air conditioners.  Especially now, before it gets really hot outside, opening windows provides that cool breeze we crave while saving energy!  Plus, open windows allow fresh air and lovely bird songs to waft into your room.  Who wouldn't want that?

This weekend, I used UMBC’s Bike Share for the first time- I don’t have a car and needed to do some nearby errands that were not on UMBC Transit’s bus routes.

It was super easy: I showed my red ID to the RAC front desk, signed a waiver, and was issued a bike, helmet, and lock to use until the RAC closed that night. The bikes are hybrid so they can ride on and off road surfaces. 

I was soon on my way, enjoying my bike ride, and spending less time doing errands because biking is certainly faster than walking!

If you need a way to get around the area, check out the bike share program at the RAC.  You can borrow a bike any time the RAC is open."

I found information about the bikeshare here: http://ies.umbc.edu/files/2014/03/Retrieverfleet.pdf

Molissa Udevitz 

UMBC Eco-Ambassador

President of Geography and Environmental Systems Council of Majors

GES and Dance double major '15

Remember 2 weeks ago when we all lost an hour of sleep thanks to daylight savings time?  That wasn’t fun for any of us, but it did mean that the sun now stays out later.

Sunset isn’t until 7:20pm.  What does that mean for us?  It means there is more natural light during waking hours that we can use instead of needing to turn on so many lights!

This helps save electricity, and since lighting adds up to 31% of campus electricity usage, turning off the lights can really add up!  Remember to also turn off lights that aren’t needed in any space: your kitchen, a classroom, or a public bathroom.

Thanks for doing your part to help UMBC be more sustainable!

As our spring months roll around, our focus on energy usage will become even more important. It's time to turn those blasting heaters off as we come out of hibernation from this brutally cold winter that us Marylanders frequently have to deal with. For the upcoming weeks, temperatures will be very moderate. This will allow us to be a bit less dependent on our energy systems, meaning you can turn the heaters off and maybe open the windows for some fresh air! Now go outside and enjoy the days folks because it's beautiful outside.

TURN DOWN FOR WHAT?

Turn down for Tuesday, UMBCers.