‘Greenest Man on The Planet’ speaks to Josenians on living green

CEBU CITY–To inspire Josenians to live an eco-friendly way of life, tips on how to reduce carbon footprint were shared by Matthias Gelber aka the Green Man on October 17.

Gelber was voted as the “Greenest Man on The Planet” in 2008. He has also published a book titled “The Greenman’s guide to green living and working.”

“There are simple practical things that we can do (to live a green life),” he said.

He encouraged the members of the audience to start by bringing their own tumblers in school. Another act that can be done is refusing to use single-use items that are not needed like extra napkins or plastic wraps.

“The next time you visit a store or hotel, ask yourself first if do you really need it (before taking it),” he added.

Gelber also shared that Josenians can do an energy audit at home through smart metering to track power consumption and to be able to strategize ways to minimize it.

The audience was primarily composed of USJ-R administrators, faculty, and support staff members. With this premise, Gelber took the chance to impart what ways can be done for the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) to become a more eco-friendly university.

He advised USJ-R to utilize its system and resources to make projects which reduce electricity and waste. He added that low-cost steel structures that can add shade will also help. To solidify the efforts, he urged the administration to form a committee that focuses on the promotion of eco-friendly practices in school.