ASHRAE Insights

By Sheila Hayter, Member ASHRAE, Chair, GAME Ad Hoc Committee

Are you playing the GAME?

This year, a new ad hoc committee, Greening ASHRAE Meetings and Expositions (GAME), is developing guidance to reduce the total environmental impact of doing ASHRAE business, particularly when conducting chapter, regional and Society meetings.

The committee, appointed by ASHRAE President Terry Townsend, P.E., has created the GAME plan, a comprehensive guide to provide the chapters and Society with direction on how to conduct its affairs in a more sustainable manner. The Game Plan is now available on ASHRAE's Engineering for Sustainability Web site: www.engineeringforsustainability.org. The committee also worked with meetings staff to implement greening efforts, such as use of recycling bins, at the 2007 ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Dallas.

GAME members are now focused on encouraging chapters to incorporate measures to reduce the environmental impact of conducting their business. At the 2007 Winter Meeting, GAME met with several Chapter Technology Transfer Committee (CTTC) regional vice chairs (RVCs) to brainstorm on how to encourage chapters to green their meetings.

A number of ideas were discussed, including:
• Conducting surveys on how members travel to chapter meetings, alternatives that might have less environmental impact, and conducting meetings in a more environmentally responsible way. These include holding meetings at restaurants or conference facilities that are more energy efficient, or using less disposable products. Chapters that have not conducted surveys are encouraged to contact their CTTC RVC for more information on how to do so.
• Using "give-aways" at meetings to attract attendees and raise the environmental awareness of members.
• Consider offering carbon emission offsets to reduce the impact of traveling to chapter or regional meetings. Learn more at www.ashrae.org/offsetdallas.
• Having knowledgeable ASHRAE members speak on sustainability at local civic events.
• Encouraging everyone to be "good stewards" of the earth and environment. Make common sense economical, yet environmentally sound, decisions such as using compact fluorescent lamps, set back thermostats, low flow (consumption) toilet fixtures and avoiding wasteful driving practices.

Chapters should let their RVCs know about any efforts since chapters that demonstrate "green" leadership will get special recognition at upcoming CRCs.

If you have suggestions on ways to "green" the way ASHRAE does business or for more information about GAME, contact Sheila Hayter at sheila_hayter@nrel.gov.