HLS Green Living Program

The Harvard Law Green Living Program is coordinated by the Harvard Office for Sustainability and supported by Facilities Management and the Dean of Students Office. Each law school residence hall has a Green Living Representative (Rep) who provides information to residents and coordinates campaigns designed to educate the law school population about sustainable living in the halls. The Green Living Reps focus on energy, water conservation, recycling, and waste reduction and also suggest improvements that will facilitate student conservation.

Recycling & Waste Reduction
Recycling is mandatory by law in Cambridge. Each room should have either a plastic recycling bin or a recycling bag, which can be used to collect recyclables in the room to later be emptied into the hall's recycling containers. Cambridge recycles all paper, cardboard, rigid plastics #1-7 (no plastic bags or Styrofoam), glass, and metal cans (tin, steel, and aluminum) and aluminum take-out containers and foil. Single Stream recycling allows for all recyclables to be mixed together in a single bin. Batteries, print cartridges, CFLs, and cell phones can be dropped off outside the Facilities Management Office on the first floor of Holmes. There is additional battery recycling in the Pound Hall mail room. Contact your Rep for recycling larger electronics. Fall and spring trash audits give residents a snapshot of their trash and recycling.

Energy Conservation
Throughout the year, the Reps educate residents on ways they can reduce their energy consumption. The Reps also give residents free compact fluorescent bulbs, which use 75% less energy than regular bulbs. An electricity competition also helps residents become aware of their electricity use and results in less electricity use throughout the residence halls.

Water Conservation
Residents are encouraged to reduce their water use through educational campaigns. Simple measures such as shutting off the water when shaving, lathering, or cleaning dishes is encouraged. Posters in the bathrooms and laundry rooms remind residents about easy changes they can make.

The HLS Green Living Program is now hiring Reps for 2009-2010!

Join a team of four HLS students working to engage dorm residents and the entire student community in Harvard’s Greenhouse Gas Commitment and Sustainability Principles. Green Living Program Reps work to encourage energy conservation, water conservation, recycling, and waste reduction. Positions are available in all HLS residence halls. To learn more visit http://green.harvard.edu/greenliving-hls/ or read on.

Pay: 18$/hr Hours per week: 3 (with flexible scheduling!) Application deadline: Noon on Monday, April 27, 2009 (**Early applications are encouraged!**) To apply, simply fill out an application below (available for editing in Word or Adobe Acrobat), save it with your last name in the title, and e-mail it to HLS Sustainability Coordinator Cara Ferrentino (cara_ferrentino@harvard.edu).

GGL Application 09-10 - Word or PDF

FAQs

But what do GGL Reps actually DO? Life as a GGL Rep varies a lot from week to week, but responsibilities include hosting study breaks, tabling in the Hark, developing and sending e-mails to residents, attending bi-weekly meetings, and helping out with preparation for campaigns and events. GGL Reps provide feedback to the HLS Sustainability Coordinator, helping to identify barriers to student conservation and suggesting ways to improve policies and structures. There will also be opportunities for Reps to develop and implement independent dorm or HLS-wide sustainability projects of their own choosing.

What if I’m not going to live in an HLS dorm next year? Although it’s helpful to be able to connect with peers as a fellow dorm resident, living in a dorm is not a prerequisite for applying. If the one thing giving you pause is your location for next year, still apply—it’s far more important to be interested in engaging with students on green living issues than to be conveniently located.

What if I am concerned that I won’t always be able to devote 3 hours a week to this job? You will never be expected to work more than 3 hours a week, and there will be weeks when fewer hours are assigned, often in conjunction with particularly work intensive periods in a semester. Outside of events, much of the work of being a GGL REP is done on one’s own time.

What are start dates for this job? End dates? Your job will officially start the first week of classes, and will continue until the beginning of exam period. Reps will also have the option to work during new student orientation and through commencement, if interested.

Please contact HLS Sustainability Coordinator Cara Ferrentino if you have any additional questions (cara_ferrentino@harvard.edu; 617.384.6893).