Monday, April 19, 2010

Paperless university

Go green initiative to reduce paper usage on campus



As a student , I use lot of paper on a daily basis , taking class note, term paper , exam paper, handout and etc. And every semester , I used tons of papers and by the end of semester I have boxes of paper compiled up ,that consist of files from school, personal stuff, receipts and bank statements, etc. If there is one thing that I should do to live more greenly is to reduce paper usage in the university and my personal life.

Another aspect that I want to reduce the paper usage is to simplify my life, I would like to reduce the time that I spend on filing, storing , and search for file. In this new information age, we have access to so many materials but we have little space or room to store all the materials. Digital technology might be the solution to some of the problem, but not all.

Why does it matter to reduce paper use ?
○ Paper industry contribute to air and water pollution that are detrimental to our health, and tree are cut down to produce paper. Although some paper mill have planted their own trees to produce paper, the act reduces deforestation but fast growing trees in the area absorb all the nutrient out of soil and disrupts the ecosystem in the area.
○ According to the study by the energy information administration, a division of the U.S Department of Energy," the paper industry emits the fourth highest level of carbon Dioxide among manufacturers, after the chemical, petroleum and coal products, and primary metals industries. "
○ According to the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), the U.S. alone manufactures 90 million tons of paper each year, and the annual consumption rate is about 100 million tons. Most of this paper production—an estimated 25% of the annual U.S. timber cut—remains virgin fiber, with only 35% of current consumption using recycled fiber.
○ Living sustainably is part of our responsibility to contribute to save the earth
○ Environmental issue need to be taken seriously, think about our health and providing a safer and greener world for future generation

what do i see in Fredonia campus?

○ Our school has place the course catalog Online
○ The Printer is set default to print on both sides
○ Recycle paper cabinet place in the library encourage student to recycle paper
○ Magazine swap available at the William center
○ Bring you own cup for coffee to save money at coffee shop on campus
○ Library- database journals online
○ Black board - media of communication for student and faculty member

Be the change
Little things that you do MATTERS!



Student action steps
○ Pdf audio , think before you print
○ Bring you own coffee mug
○ Switch to Online e - statement
○ Buy eBooks save you money, accessible from anywhere
○ Set up recycling bin in your own apartment , take the initiative
○ Read newspaper and magazine online , order online magazine instead of printed magazine
○ While dining - Napkins (take only what you need)
○ Doing research, use print to PDF instead of print it out
○ Using OneNote to collect information and organize all information
○ Scanner and recycled paper every semester -save space
○ When print reduce Font size
○ Textbook check this site out : swap used book or DVDs , save tree and save money Website : http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php
○ Purchased recycled print paper
○ Advocate buying recycled products

Faculty action steps







○ Advocate Paperless Textbook, student can purchase book or single chapter for less cost Website: http://www.zinio.com
○ Web 2.0 -collaboration with student , use of blogger, face book, YouTube
○ Blackboard-post notes online , quiz online student can access to
○ Scanner and store files , eliminate paper clutter in the office
○ Recycle all paper files end of the semester

They switch to electronics……….



○ Journals
○ Government budget of 2009
○ Medical patient record
○ Magazine
§ E- magazine
§ Reader prefer
§ Kindle reader kindle dx
§ Sony e-reader
○ Newspaper
○ Journal writing -blog
○ Email
○ Note taking -OneNote -just like paper
○ Tablet PC- writing, meeting note taking
○ Textbook-http://www.coursesmart.com/aboutus
○ "Students benefit by saving money on over 6,000 college textbooks and obtaining online access to their textbooks, anywhere - any time - all without long lines at the register. Students can take advantage of a smarter way to learn with search capabilities, highlighting, note taking features and more"
○ One line eBook- "Project Gutenberg is the place where you can download over 30000 free eBooks to read on your PC, phone, Kindle, Sony Reader".




Go green initiative ideas basket



○ End of the semester recycle paper events
○ Going paperless teaching on earth day


Foot note:
What you do matters , to realize it is important. For my personal experience , I was doubtful that I think that what I do is insignificant to change the world. But now I have be more involved with this project , listening to the speakers talking about environmental issues, the more I realized that what I do makes a differences.

I believe that if all of us are taking this topic of environmental issue seriously , and make little change with our lifestyle, we together will bring changes in the word , changes that we want to see. The change start from us ….

This week's question
Do you think a paperless society will be a reality in the future ?



For more information:
Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/jtr/comm/paper.htm
Forest Stewardship Council: http://fscus.org/paper/common_vision.php

Transition from paper age to electronic age




Hey wake up paper, you have a debate with electronic today.
The debate starts in the classroom….

Electronics: Paper, you are going to be the history!

Paper: I don't think so, people still prefer me over you because they can hold on to me on their hand physically , and I won't run out of battery as you do . In addition, I have been here since civilization, who do you think you are ?

Electronics: I'm the new king, I would take over your position. I have a strong supporting group that back me up.

Paper : really ? Who are they ?

Electronics : there is new ipad, where people can read newspaper and magazine. Ipad is lightweight and can carry up to as many as hundreds of books. There is kindls Dx , an interface that student can use to read textbooks. Student no longer need to carry a heavy backpack. And there is Sony reader, another eBook reader with multiple function. Do you know early this year, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was promoting use of eBooks over paper textbook. And there are bunch of online website where people can read the eBooks for free.

Electronics: (sing) I dream a dream , dream of a future of paperless in university, I dream a dream , dream of future student does not have to carry heavy backpacks.
I dream a dream. Dream of less space being consumed in every home. I dream a dream , dream of helping people save time , save money , and save trees, and reduce environmental impact because paper industry produced lot of pollution, and emitted greenhouse gases. Lot of tree are cut down to make paper.

Paper: paper industry nowadays grow trees to make more of us. They do not cut down lot of tree as before.

Electronics: massive faster growing tree are grow to make more of you guys. Although they did not cut down existence forest now, but planting tree depleted the nutrient of soil and disrupted the ecosystem in the areas. Beside: make you produced lot of air and water pollution that destroy the balance of living organism in the river near the paper industry, and polluted air that detrimental to human health. You are still guilty in all way , you should be destroy, and replace by all me and my supporting groups members.

Paper: hey you , don't act like you are innocent , where do you comes from , you were made from industry and in the process of producing you , pollution were produced along the way as well. Don't you denial that fact.

Electronics: you are right , but the overall carbon footage that you produce per year is far more than my and all my brothers produce. Researcher has done study on the calculating the life cycle of you and me , they have found that you are the evil one, and you shall be removed from human society forever.

Paper: I will never be removed from human society. Remember that 30 years ago, when you "uncle " computer was born , everyone thought that your digital race will take over us. In fact 30 years past , we are still here, and we will continue to be here!

Electronics: Yes! The prediction is incorrect , but for the last couple year , your population has decrease dramatically because of us , don't you think so. And I strongly believe that you will vanish in the future someday. When new technology , even better technology are invented that can work just like you and maybe even better.

Paper: you guys can never work like me, I 'm flexible , I 'm stretchable , you can fold and put me in a pocket, and I'm affordable, and easy to use. And people are used to me , like read a printed book , they dislike electronic .

Electronics: That will be history too. In fact , our brother PDF file can scan any files and read it to the reader when reader gets tired of reading. And the eBook reader are capable of reader function as well , can you read to them , I bet you can not . Also, one note made by Microsoft word company are able to write just like you, we can start anywhere on the page And move text anywhere which you can not do. And OneNote has also the audio, video recording function , and much more.

Paper: I do realized that one note are taking over my "brother" notebooks mead. But some students are still loyal to my brother mead notebooks. They said they will not give up mead notebook, they have been a follower of notebook mead as long as they were able to write, and they are not going to leave him.

Electronics: don’t you make judgment so fast the old generation are not going to leave him , but the new generation are going to , just wait and see. Have you hear of the tablet pc , they are the new pop star in the university, and the students love him . Instead of carry 5 mead notebooks. Student only need to carry one tablet pc. They can write with pen , and if they get tired of writing , they can switch to typing. Didn't you hear that student's are saying lot of good thing about OneNote and tablet pc. Tablet pc is useful in the meeting as well, assistant can taking note with the hand writing pen, and then the writing can be convert to text, the assistant can then just email the meeting note to other staff, no need to retype the notes. Tablet pc will be the future of mead notebook and class note taking device.

Paper: really ? But do you think that everyone can afford to have him.

Electronics: you are right , not everyone can afford to have him , but soon they will. Do you remember the first time that big screen computer was available. it was very expensive and people can't afford to have it , but now every home in the US have at least one computer, perhaps more than more. The tablet will evolved just like the computer, it will become affordable soon that every student can afford one that they can bring to school for note taking , recorded lectures, and write their term paper, and do their homework . And school will also adopt my other supporting group brothers for textbook reading, soon paper textbook will not be made in the US, in this whole world . And then people will leave you aside and you will be forgotten eventually, you don't need to be made anymore. And eventually, You will vanish from this world

Paper: I do not think so , there is one more place that I can stay , and people still need me. Library , what is a library without books? Library have been quiet a while and it won't perish in one night , as long as library are here , I will continues to be here.

Electronics: you are right , library might be the only place in academic area that you can stay. But they won't be lot of you that can stay. Have you notice that the journals are all on school's database nowadays, and some book are converted to digital documents as well.

Paper: maybe you are right, but I don’t think I will be vanish from this world anytime soon. I will continues to service people as long as I am here. Perhaps enjoy the last few years here.