Ugly Sweater Competition judging party Nov. 15

CU Environmental Center First Annual Ugly Sweater Competition judging party is Nov. 15

CU welcomes media for photo opportunities

As the CU Environmental Center First Annual Ugly Sweater Competition draws to a close, more than (tk) entries will be judged on Nov. 15 at CU Environmental Center, CU-Boulder. Students have been uploading photos of their best or worst sweater to ecenter.colorado.edu/sweater and two winners will receive $100 Visa cards, based on viewer’s choice and the judge’s choice. The runners-up will receive a programmable thermostat to help them save money and energy.

 

The competition aims to promote energy efficiency and reduce costs associated with high energy bills this winter by influencing decision-making and changing the way students view and consume energy. The CU Environmental Center hopes to address barriers associated with energy conservation by promoting a fun alternative to turning up the thermostat. The message conveys that wearing warmer clothes and lowering thermostats by only a degree or two has tremendous impact over time—and a normal winter temperature average is 65 degrees. When voters submit their top choice they are invited to commit to conserving energy and water by turning down the thermostat, reporting energy waste on campus, and unplugging unused electronics and appliances.

 

It’s easy and it’s fun to throw on a sweater and some slippers. The social and economic costs of turning up the thermostat, on the other hand, are quite high.

 

Senior Environmental Policy and Political Science major Cristina Gosnell said, “At my house we program the thermostat to 61 degrees during the day, but when were all waking up in the morning we get a burst of warm air, which is set to 68 degrees. We do this together as a house because we feel it’s the right thing to do, and it also saves us a lot of money. It’s plain and simple!”

 

The Environmental Center also hosted a Warm Clothing Drive from October 31 – November 4. A display in the Norlin Quad will remain on campus to showcase the student efforts through (tk). All donations will be given to the Pine Ridge Reservation in North Dakota where many people die each year from exposure. The people impacted most by the cost of heating during the winter are also the people that often can’t afford additional clothing in order to keep their heating bill lower.