Steve Mital was hired as the University’s first director of sustainability in 2007 — the same year then-University President Dave Frohnmayer signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, a nationwide effort of institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and help re-stabilize the earth’s climate.
Mital says that the University was one of the early signatories, but that number has grown substantially to more than 650.
“By signing the commitment, every signatory has to reduce their carbon emissions to zero by 2050,” Mital said. “The University’s emissions include lights, computer energy use, travel; everything in the name of University business.”
Now in 2009, Mital and two graduate students Ethan Rainwater and Mark Nystrom from the Office of Sustainability have released the first draft of the Climate Action Plan (CAP).
The 53-page document is what Mital sees as the outline for the University’s emission reduction for the next 40 years.
Mital says that the CAP will be able to shift and adapt to changing circumstances, and as a starting point, the CAP is available for review and comment from students, faculty and staff at the Office of Sustainability’s Web site. Up until December, the comments will be collected and taken into consideration; then the CAP will be revised by Rainwater and Nystrom and presented to President Lariviere for a second signing.
Included in the CAP are the University’s carbon emissions for the past 20 years, calculating that in the fiscal year of 2008 total emissions equaled 70,778 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which compared with other research institutions Mital finds relatively low.
“Our emissions are half as many carbon emissions per person or square footage … compared with our peers,” Mital said. “However, our reduced emissions are due to a geographic accident, not what we have done ourselves.”
By breaking down the 70,000 tons, Rainwater and Nystrom calculated that 47 percent of emissions come from “on-site combustion,” which includes burning natural gas to generate steam, which is distributed throughout the main campus to heat the buildings. Another large chunk of emissions, 31 percent, comes from air travel, something Mital and Rainwater did not see coming.
“It was surprising to see how much air travel comprised of the total emissions,” Mital said. “But in order to meet the mission of the (University) faculty and students have to travel.”
“Automobile commuting also made up a significant fraction (7 percent),” Rainwater said. “This is a piece that every member of the campus community can address with their personal lifestyle
choices.”
CAP plans for the University to stabilize and begin to reduce carbon emissions by 2010 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, but Rainwater believes it is really up to the individual to make the biggest difference.
“The level to which the CAP affects students is really up to the students themselves,” Rainwater said. “As far as behavioral changes, students will have the choice whether to be a part of this amazing time of change, or whether they’d rather just keep on with business as usual.”
As part of the implementation, the University will be making some major upgrades to the campus infrastructure including building retrofits like double-paned glass, occupancy sensors and heating systems. Rainwater said the University will also see a major renewable energy installation on campus, along with the other six Oregon University System schools.
Mital, however; hopes for more than physical changes in the coming years.
“Part one of this will involve more opportunities for students to engage and learn about sustainability on campus,” Mital said.
CAP does not include any clauses for student fees, but Rainwater included that it “is largely a financial challenge.”
In a CAP Facilities Assessment Report it is estimated that costs would approximately reach $153 million to address two parts of the reductions across the Oregon University System, with the University share totaling $25.8 million.
Frances Dyke, vice president of finance and administration, is less worried about the price tag CAP holds, but more about what technology will be available years from now.
“Technology is changing so rapidly that a dollar amount investment will be very different in five, 10, 40 years from now,” Dyke said. “It will be a challenge in how we will accomplish our goals in the coming years.”
The CAP acknowledges that weighing in on decision making is the potential for major breakthroughs in technology. If, in the coming years, there is a large increase in efficiency for a given technology, the University may decide to wait before implementing a system-wide upgrade.
Dyke and Mital are both excited to see CAP implemented at the University, but Mital clarifies that the CAP will take time and a lot of work.
“We are not talking about getting rid of energy consumption,” Mital said. “We are looking for sensible ways to reduce as many emissions as possible and then shift to alternative sources.”
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