This morning, we received yet another email from my supervisor about the trash pickup in our building. Apparently, the plan requiring that people leave their trash cans in the hallway to make quicker work for our custodians has been revoked. The Fire Marshall has alerted us to the fact that leaving these bins in the hallway violates fire code, and would we please put them all back into our offices, and leave them there. University efficiency plan: foiled. Hah! Now we are back to less frequent trash-emptying, and the greater potential for rodents and bugs. Ah well. We've got the efficiency consultants now, so plans like this will surely be worked out better in the future.
A second efficiency project is now underway for my building. The university is rolling out a plan to find ways to reduce our lighting energy usage across campus. A few workstudy students are going to enter every room in the building to record the "type and quantity of lighting fixtures." The data will presumably be used to figure out where we can use more efficient light bulbs or fixtures. I hope this project includes counting the number of light bulbs per person, or something similar. Three people once worked in the same room as I do, but now I am here by myself because of one layoff and one person who quit a while back. I now have six overhead fluorescent light fixtures--which use a total of 24 fluorescent tube bulbs--all to myself. And because they actually don't light my cubicle all that well, I have four additional small light fixtures attached to my desk. I do try to leave the lights off if it is sunny enough outside, but the Bay Area isn't always terribly cooperative on that front, and having the lights off can sometimes give the false impression that I'm not around. Will they give me one or two new energy efficient floor lamps to use instead? That would be nice.
After my minor meltdown about the state of things last week, I decided that I needed a pick-me-up, and figured I should try to find a little ray of sunshine that I could share with others, too. I bought a bunch of miniature gourds, enjoyed a Sunday afternoon of carving some jack-o-lantern faces into them, and handed them out at work this morning. I had fun doing it, and it brought at least one extra smile to everyone's face today. Mini-mission accomplished.
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If your fluorescent fixtures are like mine, the light output could be significantly improved by replacing the diffuser! However, I suspect that too will be deferred.
ReplyDeleteHere, the growing dilapidation of various buildings consequent on limited maintenance and janitorial service is growing gradually more depressing. It seems that -- on all scales, my own home included -- we cannot afford to keep our infrastructure going (or at least have other priorities).