Letter to the editor: Break up with your space heater
We know that at work we want to stay warm and comfortable in the cold winter months, but space heaters aren’t the solution for this. Utilizing the efficient central heating system in your building (a solution certified by project drawdown to address climate change) is the best way to keep warm. The USU energy department has updated equipment to maximize efficiency, starting at their plant here on the Logan Campus, and has installed easy to use thermostats in your building.
Space heaters, though not commonly used on campus, are the source of our heating problems during the winter. One person using a space heater at their desk or in their office can throw off the temperature for the whole floor. Just because one person wants to be warmer (thanks to a problem their heater is causing) they are making all their peers and coworkers uncomfortable at the same time. Be a team player and replace your old space heater with a nice heated blanket, which is 90% more efficient!
Now that the weather is warming up, if you have been using a space heater, be a team player and take it away for good!
Decreasing space heater usage is an easy and effective way to decrease local carbon emissions! By turning off your space heater you are helping to conserve energy. Using a portable electric space heater for 8 hours produces as much carbon dioxide as a 20.7 mile car ride, you could drive to the Idaho border from campus for that same carbon output! It can be hard to find ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint, luckily turning off your space heater is a simple yet perfect way to do so.
Although the new thermostats (pictured below) may look straight out of Star Wars, they are easy to use. It’s as simple as using the arrows to turn up or down the temperature.
Once the heat increases you will feel comfortable in no time. Because of the efficient central system that USU uses, there is always air flowing through the vents, although you will not hear the heat kick in. Even though you don’t actually hear the room getting warmer you will be able to feel it. If there are any issues with your office space not heating up, you can call facilities and a trained operator will come out and get everything fixed. Even if you can’t hear or see the central heating changing temperature, remember it is working.
Join your peers and coworkers: use the central heating and get cozy with a heated blanket.
This letter to the editor was submitted by Aspen Teuscher, Jacob Lancaster, Isaiah Williams, and Phillipe De Nes for their class, ENVS 4700 Communicating Sustainability.
— aspen.teuscher@usu.edu