University of Colorado student Kristen Hartel pledges to "buy locally," so that means her friends get Christmas gifts like earrings made out of local beer bottle caps.

Hartel's customized pledge also calls on her to report energy and water waste, which is driving her to convince the landlord of her Goss-Grove neighborhood rental to install low-flow showerheads.

CU's Environmental Center on Tuesday is challenging students to sign on to a "Live Green" pledge, which asks them to adopt a few eco-friendly habits. In exchange for each pledge, the university will donate $5 to sustainability projects to make buildings on the campus more energy and water efficient.

Want to pledge

The 'Live Green' pledge drive will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the following locations on the University of Colorado's campus: The University Hill underpass; the Bike Station, which is in between the Euclid AutoPark and the Visual Arts Complex that is under construction; Hellems Lawn; the Koelbel business school; and the Recreation Center.

So far, 14,000 students, faculty and staff members on CU's Boulder campus, including Hartel, have made green commitments, said Moe Tabrizi, CU's campus conservation officer.

This year's pledge options include promising to drink from reusable water bottles, stop junk mail and print double-sided, or use the bus or a bike to run errands.

Tabrizi said the vice chancellor for administration has budgeted between $60,000 and $70,000 to match the pledges for green improvements on campus.

"It energizes the campus and gives people and avenue to think about where we have waste and can do better," Tabrizi said.

Hartel, a CU senior studying English, is leading today's drive. She hopes that the Environmental Center can gather 500 more pledges during the five hours volunteers will be on campus at five different locations, where they will pass out free coffee to those who bring their own mugs.

The pledge gives 10 options, but students are instructed to check only three because the actions will be easier to remember, Hartel said.

"When students are coming in as freshmen, we want to show them that its trendy and cool to be environmentally responsible," Hartel said from her eco-chic desk -- it's made out of things like recycled cardboard and rubber tires -- at the Environmental Center. "We want to show them that it's not dorky to take the bus or ride your bike."

CU's Boulder campus this fall was named the No. 1 green college by Sierra Magazine.

Tori Tunget, a CU senior who has already signed the pledge, promised to "kill the energy vampires" in her home. She unplugs her television, lamps and kitchen appliances when they aren't in use. As a result, she cut her energy bill by more than half.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.