Published: September 19, 2009 09:02 pm      

Green Day

GC develops plan to eliminate carbon footprint

GOSHEN, Ind — Goshen College is taking significant steps to see its carbon footprint get smaller.

President James E. Brenneman recently finalized Goshen College’s Climate Action Plan and submitted it to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

The plan documents the college’s commitment to reducing campus greenhouse gas emissions and outlines initiatives designed to achieve an overall goal of climate neutrality as well as a set of steps that will teach students the skills they will need to help society do the same.

“We intend to monitor the Goshen College carbon footprint annually, to communicate progress in carbon reduction widely and to create deeper campus commitment to the cultural change that will be required to reach our goal of zero carbon impact on the earth’s climate,” said Glenn Gilbert, Goshen College sustainability coordinator and utilities manager.

Gilbert is a member of the college’s Ecological Stewardship Committee, a 10-member group which includes both faculty and students. Joe Friesen, a senior Environmental Science major with a Peace and Justice Studies minor, is also a member of the committee. He said that when he heard about the creation of the committee and its desire to have student involvement, he was very interested.

“It was really a convergence of two passions of mine,” Friesen said.

The committee meets monthly to discuss ways to promote energy conservation. Friesen is part of two subcommittees, one designed to promote awareness and the other to focus on advancing the group’s ideas.

Friesen said that despite the fact that several of the long-term plans will take effect once he has graduated, it is encouraging to see the fruits of his labor.

“It’s setting the framework for some really big changes,” he said.

Potential ideas for the future include installing solar hot water collectors in the Recreation-Fitness Center, expanding production of biodiesel from used cooking oil, reducing dependence on petroleum-based fertilizers, installing wind generators and purchasing “green” electricity. Currently, students are encouraged to take simple steps such as recycling and conserving electricity during the daytime.

The college’s climate action plan is expected to be primarily a self-funded effort. The creation of a Revolving Assets for Sustainability Projects will help with this. It will fund renewable energy, energy efficiency and other cost-saving projects. Through a revolving mechanism that draws operational cost-savings from projects funded, the fund is expected to replenish itself while still providing cost savings to the college.

The college has already made significant progress in reducing emissions. The campus has been able to reduce emissions generated by natural gas consumption by more than 1 percent per year for more than 10 years. It has reduced emissions generated by electrical consumption by more than 3 percent per year for the past seven years.

Six hundred and fifty college and university presidents have joined the ACUPCC, a comprehensive climate change initiative through which schools are committing to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions on their campuses, dedicate research and programs to the development of climate change solutions, and train their students to address the climate crisis upon graduation.

Gilbert said there is no timeline in place for meeting the goals the plan has stated and that achieving ecological sustainability is a gradual process.

“We will continue for the next several years,” Gilbert said, “to focus on conservation.”