Ride for Free, Be Gasoline-Free on Monday!

As part of its efforts to make the Loyola Schools an ecologically sustainable campus, nurtured by an environmentally responsible community, the Ateneo Environmental Management Coalition (AEMC), endorsed by the Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools, and in partnership with E-SaVe Transport Systems, Inc., launches the pilot run of electric tricycles within the Ateneo campus.


Mechanics of the Pilot Run:
From 7 December -18 December and from 6 January - 22 January, two e-Trikes will be running the route from Gate 2.5 to Gonzaga Hall and to Gate 3.5. The e-Trikes will be operating from 6am -8 pm daily, Mondays to Fridays. The fare for each ride is the same as with the conventional trikes - P15.00 for a special trip or P7.50 per person if there are two or more. For the pilot run, the maximum number of passengers per e-Trike is 3.

For more information on our electric vehicle partner, E-SaVe Transport Systems, Inc., please visit: http://www.esavetransport.com/
More on e-Trikes here.

Copenhagen Conference for Climate Change

In 2012, the Kyoto Protocol will expire. But fear not, for starting this December 7 until 18, the city of Copenhagen in Denmark will be hosting the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). During this conference, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) hopes to find a way for countries to come together and work towards mitigating climate change.

With 15,000 participants from 192 countries expected, the conference is a major event and will hopefully be the grounds for major change in this world. Everyone knows that climate change is a huge problem and we cannot ignore the signs any longer. Representatives from many different sectors of society will be coming together to go over the problems, come up with solutions and mitigating measures, and hopefully reach an agreement that benefits all, especially Mother Earth.

Even all the way here in the Philippines, this conference and its outcome will affect the lives of future generations. So how can YOU do your part in all this? Go and Seal the Deal! Sign up at http://www.sealthedeal2009.org/ to be part of the UN Worldwide Campaign on Climate Change! You may also visit the Hopenhagen site here and sign the UN Climate Petition!

We may not be in Copenhagen, but we can join the rest of the world in saying NO to climate change and YES to a better future.

For more information, you may visit:
http://en.cop15.dk/frontpage

MVP Food Wares Rental Guidelines

Guidelines on how to borrow food wares for your organization's events

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The Ateneo e-Trike

Carbon emissions, nonrenewable energy, climate change—these are terms often used to convince us to be more conscious about our petroleum consumption. The basic rationale for this is that more cars lead to greater gas consumption thereby increasing carbon emissions and, in the end, aggravating an already seriously affected global climate. For those who can, carpooling or taking mass transportation is definitely the better, smarter option.

In the case of air pollutant generation, a smaller vehicle does not necessarily mean lesser emissions. One dirty carbureted tricycle produces the pollution equivalent of 50 modern automobiles.* Carbureted tricycles emit more air pollutants (particulates, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide) than gasoline cars.*

Here in the Loyola Schools, the shift towards a more ecologically sustainable campus will now be taken to the streets as the Ateneo Environmental Management Coalition introduces the pilot run of the Ateneo Electric Tricycle (e-Trike).

E-Trikes are powered by an electric motor, rather than a combustion engine. Thus, they have zero emissions and generate almost no noise making them a more appropriate choice of public transport vehicle within the school. In addition, the comparatively low cost of operations and maintenance makes it a more economically viable source of income for tricycle drivers and operators.

E-Trikes will be launched this December 7 (Monday), 8:30 am at Xavier Hall. All rides on the e-Trike will be given for free on its launching day. For more information and updates on the e-Trike project add us on facebook: Ateneo e-Trike.

*All data taken from “Partnering for a Clean and Green Philippines” presentation by E-Save Transportation System, Inc.

Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Christmas is in the air! And that means a lot of preparations from planning the feasts, asking who is willing to go with you when Simbang Gabi comes around, making wish lists, shopping for gifts, to of course putting up the decorations. It is definitely a season for celebration, more so for the electricity companies when they send your bills out.

How to brighten up your Christmas without making your electricity bill depressing:
1. Switch to LED lights! They’re a little more expensive, but last much longer and use 80-90% less power than conventional mini bulbs. They also come in an assortment of shapes, sizes and colors.
2. If you’re willing to spend a little more, switch to solar-powered lights. This is especially good for outdoor lighting.
3. Don’t leave your lights on for too long.
4. Recycle parols and ornaments. Get creative!
5. No matter how excited you are, try to hold off setting up your Christmas décor until December at least. Just because everyone else is setting up by September doesn’t mean that you have to as well.
6. Don’t leave appliances on standby. Doing so still wastes energy and will be reflected in your electricity bill. Unplug appliances when not in use. (This also goes for your cell phone chargers.)
7. It is the “–ber” season for a reason! If it is chilly outside, do not use your air-conditioner. Open your windows instead. Or use an electric fan.
8. Instead of staying indoors all the time, go outside! Go to Christmas festivals and fairs (such as the one by Riverbanks, Marikina), bazaars and shows.
9. You don’t even have to drive around. Spare yourself the hassle of driving through traffic and finding a place to park by commuting.
10. You can even carpool so that you enjoy the sights with other people you know.
11. Celebrate Christmas in reunions or community celebrations instead of just at home. Be sure to use reusables, not disposables!
12. Don’t just watch TV or stare at your computer screen while at home. Play board games, charades and bond with your family and friends. Christmas isn’t a time for yourself but a time to be with others.

A few facts:
1. Cheap lights are more likely to cause fires. The money you’ll also save will go to your electricity bill.
2. The average strand of traditional Christmas lights pulls about 1 amp, which is roughly the same as a 100 watt light bulb.
3. LED rope Christmas lights can be used indoors and outdoors. They last 10 times longer than traditional rope lights and use 90% less electricity. They don’t heat up and are even water and weather resistant.

The Christmas-light-source.com has a Christmas Lights Electricity Cost Calculator complete with instructions how to calculate just how much you spend on Christmas lights. (The amount is in dollars, though, but you can easily convert the amount because YOU are one SMART, ECO-FRIENDLY ATENEAN!)

For more tips on how to have an eco-firendly holiday, visit national geographic!
Have a Merry Christmas!!!