There is no doubt that issues with the environment are commonly spoken of today in just about every discipline. Through politics, policy with the environment plays a huge role in attracting voters and donors. In business, ethics and regulation in regards to the environment cause companies to alter their product or packaging to better suit these rules. In science and engineering, complete disciplines are dedicated to analyzing what humans do and have done to the environment, and how that can be improved or minimized. Environmental science and engineering expose the quantitative facts of human impact on the environment and propose innovative solutions to help. As an engineering student myself, I go about my daily life seeking improvement. I seek situations that can be optimized or performed in a better way. I stay cautious about what activities cause the most impact on the environment and practice more of what does not.
Schools and colleges are guilty of contributing negatively to the environment. Excess use of bussing, paper, and poor recycling programs have taught people to be ignorant. However, the recent improvements in education in recycling efforts and environmentally friendly living as caused schools to become more sustainable. Although Penn State makes incredible efforts in minimizing its impact on the environment, I recently saw a possibility for improvement. I began cycling at the White Building during finals week last semester. These classes take place multiple time every day in a dark room with speakers and a strip of LED lights that surrounds three of the four walls.
Image 1: Representative image of a typical cycling class: Source
It is no new knowledge that exercise equipment can generate electricity. Through the number of bikes that are used per session, along with the multitude of sessions run every day, there is great potential to have the cycling room to be self-powered. Although the wiring and technological components would require an initial investment, this concept can be extrapolated to the cardio machines in both the IM and White Building. Through efficient use of human-generated electricity, entire rooms and hallways can be illuminated. Although this entire concept seems so far out of reach, it is actually being done at many gyms. For example, a gym in downtown Sacramento recuperated from its initial investment in electricity generating bikes within one year. This gym reported increased motivation in cycling classes, and people felt that pedaling harder had more benefits than just for themselves.
Image 2: Users at Sacramento Eco Fitness: Source
The future of Penn State cycling classes and cardio rooms remain slow improving. However, subtle changes in awareness and knowledge may motivate students to propose a change.