my attempt to be an eco-steward

I am trying to make a concious effort to be a better eco-steward.
I recycle and I try to encourage other's to recycle.
I try to shop at thrift stores like Salvation Army.
I've been working on taking shorter showers (this is difficult).
I switched from a gas-guzzling monster to a more fuel efficient car.
I've been making other changes in my life to be more environmentally friendly but things keep getting in my way.

One of my biggest obstacles is my college:

• The heat is blasting year round. I have to keep my window open (which wastes heat) and I have to keep a fan on (which is a constant waste of electricity). I tried not doing this but I open my door and get blasted with a heat wave.
• The electricity- I have already explained how I waste electricity because I need to leave the fan on. Another issue is that all of the lights in the building are consistenly left on. If no one is in the showers room why does the light need to be left on? The same with the bathroom. When I turn the lights off people get angry...luckily they have yet to figure out it's me.
• Water- I have nalgene bottles and reusuable water bottles but I tend to not use them in the dorm. The tap water in my room has a similar taste to that of a pencil. I have tried a brita filter and refridgerating it but to no avail. In the dorm I drink bottled water and I feel bad about it.

I need to work on these things!