10/07/24 - 148 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/yk64wwfb
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Spotlight- Westminster College Greenhouse Gas Inventory
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By Cassandra Treshok, Michael Gess, William “Fred” Romeo, and Helen M. Boylan, Ph.D. Westminster College, a private liberal arts college of approximately 1,450 full time students and another 300 part time/summer session students, located in New Wilmington, Pa, conducted its first greenhouse gas inventory during the 2009-2010 school year. The GHG inventory was completed based on data from the 2008-2009 operating year.
(Photo: Fred Romeo, Michael Gess, and Cassie Treshok)
A greenhouse gas is an atmospheric gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming of the earth’s surface. While GHGs do occur naturally in the atmosphere, elevated levels, which contribute to global climate change, have been observed in recent decades.
Increasing GHG levels have been attributed to human activities mainly through the burning of fossil fuels, which release GHGs to produce anything from electricity to household products. Inventorying an institution’s emissions allows for gaining an understanding of the various GHG sources and provides information for setting a goal to reduce these emissions.
Methods
A GHG emissions calculator provided by Clean Air Cool Planet was used to inventory Westminster’s emissions. Table 1 illustrates the sources we used to gather the necessary information to complete our GHG inventory.
The Clean Air Cool Planet calculator converted the data we entered using standard mathematical models into emissions of various GHGs such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. For example, the data we provided was converted into total metric tons of CO2 emitted by various sources.
Results
Figure 1 summarizes the most common sources of Westminster’s CO2 emissions. This graph demonstrates that most CO2 emissions are produced from purchased electricity. This result was expected because electricity in western Pennsylvania is produced mainly from the burning coal which releases significant amounts of CO2.
The Clean Air Cool Planet calculator also provides demographic data emissions estimates, such as CO2 metric tons emitted per student. We calculated that each Westminster student emitted approximately 8.8 metric tons of CO2 for the 2008-2009 school year. We then compared this emissions number to other schools similar in size and location.
Table 2 illustrates CO2 emissions per student for select schools in our region that have published their GHG inventory results. This table implies that Westminster ranks comfortably in the middle in terms of CO2 emissions per student.
Furthermore, an analysis of the 10 schools in the President’s Athletic Conference, the conference in which Westminster competes athletically, revealed that Westminster is the the only school in the PAC to complete a GHG inventory; three other schools are in the process of completing their GHG inventories.
Out of these schools, Westminster is the only one to voluntarily complete this project; the remaining schools were required to do so because they are a signatory of the President’s Climate Commitment.
Conclusion
Overall, the completion of Westminster College’s first GHG inventory was a huge success. Westminster ranks well against other schools similar in size and location and is the only school in the PAC to date to voluntarily complete a GHG inventory. This research can serve as a model for other schools working on a GHG inventory. Westminster can use this data in future work to set a GHG emissions reduction goal. Together, we can all work toward environmental initiatives to ensure that our planet is sustainable for years to come.
Acknowledgements
It is important to note this project was a group effort and could not have been completed without the support of Administration, especially President Richard Dorman and Vice President of Finance Kenneth Romig. We are also grateful for assistance from numerous offices on the Westminster College campus.
If you would like a complete report of the GHG inventory findings, please contact Dr. Helen Boylan, Associate Professor of Chemistry, at boylanhm@westminster.edu.
Cassandra Treshok, Michael Gess, William “Fred” Romeo, and Helen M. Boylan, Ph.D. are in the Environmental Science/Studies Programs, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA 16172.
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7/12/2010 |
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