Nov. 2: Carbon footprint
What’s FLCC’s carbon footprint?
Employees participating in the Cool Rochester Challenge, www.coolrochester.org, are working hard to reduce their household carbon levels through practices to save energy and water and reduce waste.
But how does the College as a whole measure up?
FLCC’s carbon footprint was measured this year through a Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GGI). The GGI, completed by O’Brien & Gere, used College data, estimates, and standardized equations to figure out what FLCC emits in greenhouse gases. In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, an estimated 32,481 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) were released, with a majority of FLCC’s emissions from electricity use and commuting.
Carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) are a standardized measurement that converts all greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into an equivalent carbon measurement. Many chemical compounds found in the Earth’s atmosphere act as greenhouse gases, some of which occur in nature such as water vapor or carbon dioxide, while others are exclusively human-made, such as industrial gases.
In February, one year after President Barbara Risser signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, FLCC submitted its GGI to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), detailing its current greenhouse gas emissions. The GGI will serve as baseline data for subsequent greenhouse gas inventories which FLCC is required to submit to AASHE every other year.
“Essentially the GGI is a way for FLCC to measure its carbon footprint all the way back to 1999. It helps us pinpoint our greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, heating and cooling, commuting, air travel and landfill waste,” said Kim Babcock, the College’s sustainability coordinator. “While we work toward climate neutrality, we will need to progressively reduce our carbon footprint over time to balance our campus growth. The greenhouse gas inventory will help us determine areas for improvement and our priorities.”
In addition to the greenhouse gas inventory, FLCC is also required to develop a Climate Action Plan for becoming climate neutral. The plan will include a target date, interim goals and tracking procedures, community outreach activities, and ways to incorporate sustainability into the curriculum. The climate action plan will also be written by O’Brien & Gere and submitted to AASHE before May 2010.
To become climate neutral, FLCC has to eliminate all of its greenhouse gas emissions. This can be accomplished in part through reduction practices. When the College reaches a point at which it cannot reduce carbon levels any further, it can buy carbon offsets. Carbon offsets support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as renewable energy and reforestation projects.
Three advisory committees have been formed by Dr. Risser to help draft portions of the Climate Action Plan pertaining to operations, student life, and curriculum. To learn more about these committees visit the Sustainability team site on the Intranet.
For more information visit: http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/about/commitment or http://www.aashe.org.