Riddle me this: How long does it take a major university to reduce its carbon footprint from 38,981 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere down to a big fat goose egg?
According to the University of Idaho, about 20 years.
That’s the goal of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) announced today in a press release.
Curious how the university plans to hit its benchmarks along the way to carbon neutrality? I suggest reading the entire plan, but here’s a brief overview:
The plan states that current and recently completed emission reduction projects soon will reduce the university’s 2005 carbon footprint by 10 percent. These projects include:
- HVAC upgrades to monitor energy use, shut systems down when not in use and only use as much energy as is needed at any given time
- A woodchip storage drying facility for the steam plant and further uses of wood energy
- Adopting new regulations for construction and renovations
A campus-wide energy project includes:
- Connecting more buildings to the central steam and cooling system
- Adding an additional wood-fired boiler to the steam plant
- Concentrating classes after 5 pm into fewer buildings
- Adding a position to ensure university space is best being utilized
- Simply buying Energy Star equipment and turning things off when students and staff leave
In addition to these energy saving measures, the university is looking into renewable energy sources including adding a steam turbine generator to the steam plant heating facility.
According to the report, the university produces about 1,500 tons of waste per year, which it will seek to reduce by minimizing waste and increasing recycling projects including:
- Increasing duplex printing
- Standardizing office equipment
- Education students, faculty and staff about reducing waste
- Composting all food waste
- Reducing the use of bottled water
The report also looks at Idaho’s animal and farm operations stating that, believe it or not, CO2 “emissions” will be reduced by a smaller herd of animals. Additionally, the university is looking into no till farming practices that increase the carbon sequestration of the land.
Finally, the report addresses transportation, citing statistics stating that 81 percent of the country’s transportation energy comes in the form of personal cars, 96 percent of which comes from oil. In 2007, the U of I released 6,455 metric tons of CO2 via commuting, the campus fleet and air travel, totaling 16 percent of the university’s total emissions.
To reduce this, the university plans to encourage alternative modes of transportation to campus because, after all, the chances of living more than a couple of miles away from campus is pretty slim. Some ideas on how to do this include:
- Creating a University of Idaho Commuter Club offering special parking passes for carpools
- Creating a “Carpool Finder”
- Encouraging the use of public transit
- Start a Staff Car Loaner program so those who choose to walk to work can still respond to an emergency at home
- Making the campus more friendly to bikers and walkers
- Adding a “carbon fee” to parking passes and either not allowing or charging a premium for freshman passes
- Making the university’s fleet more energy friendly
- Purchase carbon offsets for air travel
Again, this is just a brief overview. I strongly encourage you to check out the document for yourself.
Here is the final photo from the series of images taken on devices now found in the University of Idaho’s 
