Boiler Footprint Rough Draft

Team Boiler Footprint Presents

Purdue University: Heading in the Right Direction for the Environment

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Introduction

A comparison of Purdue University to other Midwestern universities in efforts to conserve energy white paper July 2009

Objective: As globalization makes the world grow smaller it is easy to see that everyone is affected and that everyone in the world is intertwined one way or another. For example emissions released anywhere in the world can effect the ozone of any part of the atmosphere above any country. Because of this world-wide connection between animals, humans, vegetation, and more generally ecosystems it is no surprise that people and their communities are making a concerted effort to “go green.” Going green means thinking about the planet in every action you take, and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana is doing just that.

Where do we stand in the midst of the “Going Green” movement that is sweeping our nation, as evidence shows our interactions with the environment can produce long lasting negative effects? The biggest step everyone is taking is quite simple, conserve the energy that is being used. In the end, not only can this help reduce our effect on the environment, but also save a lot of money. We have looked at what other steps universities have taken in order to help conserve energy and also looked at Purdue’s own steps. Our goal is to help determine where we stand and then what can we learn from other universities to improve Purdue even more, or what else can Purdue do to help reduce its emissions.

Background: We have chosen to compare Purdue to other universities within our region mainly due to weather and production of energy. Everyone within the Midwestern region experiences winters and summers, which would mean our universities would have to deal with the cooling and heating of these buildings at various times of the year, unlike some universities which are only located in areas of warm winters or cool summers. Also when dealing with sources of electricity, those universities who receive electricity from a nuclear power-plant would have a noticeably lower carbon footprint than those powered by fossil fueled power plants. To gauge Purdue’s effect on the environment and along with other universities, we will be using the size of the universities reported carbon footprint.

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Background

Carbon Footprint: A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the air due to actions that usually involve the use and or production of energy in some way. This is very true for Indiana due to the fact that 99% of its electricity is produced through the burning of fossil fuels. 1 Purdue broke down its carbon footprint into these very logical sections: On-Campus Energy- Any electricity used on campus, this can range from lights in the Union, computers eating up energy in the many computer labs we have, to a student having his AC unit on during the early fall to avoid the heat. Off-Campus Energy- A large portion of the student population lives off campus, so this ranges from gas and electricity used by students in the many houses and apartment complexes scattered around West Lafayette. Transportation- Transportation methods like cars and buses directly emit carbon from their exhausts; also Purdue has its own airport, so airplane use is included. Permanent Materials- When buildings are constructed, massive amounts of building materials are needed, to produce these materials, carbon dioxide is usually involved as a byproduct (for instance steel beams need to be forged and heated, and fuel and other material were burned to heat up the furnaces that produce steel). Consumable Materials- Carbon dioxide from the production of items ranging from food to text books. Land Use- This area can help reduce carbon footprints by promoting the growth of plants (which consume Carbon dioxide) to idle land that the university takes care of but does not have any use at the moment. 1

1 Carbon Neutrality @ Purdue. Purdue’s Carbon Footprint. 2009. 11 July 2009

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Statistics

Here is statistical data of many universities, as we look at the data; many of the universities have varying numbers of carbon production. We have thrown in the statistics from very warm climates to show the contrast between regions. Total Emissions

Xavier University Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology Purdue University Ohio University University of Nevada, Reno Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana State University University of Hawaii at Manoa Ball State University 50,000

100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000 Metric Tons

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Naturally the larger schools would have bigger footprints, so we created a carbon footprint to student ratio in our second graph.1 Emissions Per Student Xavier University Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology Purdue University Ohio University University of Nevada, Reno Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana State University University of Hawaii at Manoa Ball State University 0

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Judging from the sizes, Purdue leads the way in having the smallest carbon emissions per student by a wide margin, even beating those within warm regions. 1 American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Statistics and Data Views. 2009. 11 July 2009

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Our Colleagues Strategies

Ball State What sets Ball State apart from the other universities is its new and daring construction of America’s largest geothermal heating and cooling system. This new system would mean Ball State no longer has to rely on electricity produced from fossil fuel burning power plants, but would receive its energy from geothermal energy produced by earth. This effectively would take Ball State from the top gross carbons emitted per student, to the third least gross carbons emitted per student in our comparison. 1

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University is a little bit behind on reducing its carbon footprint. In 2008 the emissions for the entire city of Bloomington were 928,512 tC 2. There are a number of reduction strategies in place to help reduce the emissions including switching light bulbs to CFL and LED technologies, promote more energy efficient buildings, pursuing renewable energy sources, and promotion of alternative transportation 2. The city is committed to reducing its footprint to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. 2 2 Greenreportcard.org gave the campus an overall grade of C+. The areas of the report dealing with carbon emissions (green building, transportation, recycling, and climate change and energy) were all given a passing grade of a C.2 While the university was given a passing grade, it could do a lot more to reduce its emissions. To that end it has created a task force of students, faculty, and staff to report back to the university on what it needs to be doing. 3While the suggested policies have not been implemented yet, the creation of the task force is definitely a step in the right direction.

Michigan State University Michigan State University received a sustainability grade of B from greenreportcard.org. The grade took a hit from its shareholder involvement section (an F), but in many of its policies it is doing well. Transportation is its strongest point, with a grade of an A3. This is due to a large number of hybrid and biodiesel vehicles in the university fleet, a campus shuttle system, an educational system to teach students about alternatives to driving, and bike loans and bike service workshops3. It has implemented several strategies for energy efficiency on campus, including lighting retrofits and installation of solar panels to power the student activities center3. Its green building plan requires all new major projects to be LEED certified3.

1 Laibie Corporation. Ball State University beings the largest Geothermal project in U.S History. 2009. 13 July 2009 http://www.laibecorp.com/bsugeo.html2 Carbon Offsets Daily. Bloomington commissions take steps to reduce city’s carbon footprint by 2012. June 9, 2009. 3 Green Report Card. The College Sustainability Report Card. 2009. 11 July 2009

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Our Colleagues Strategies Continued Ohio State University Ohio State University has a number of strategies in place to help reduce its carbon footprint. The Green Build policy is a strategy that seeks to increase the efficiency of new buildings, renovations to old buildings, and new additions to buildings on the campus. The guidelines are set forth in the Interim Green Build and Energy Policy #3.10. The goal of this policy is to reduce energy consumption by on and off campus buildings by 20% by the year 2014. This green build policy applies to any construction projects with costs expected to be in excess of $100,000 1. In addition to the green building policy, the copy paper used on campus is now a minimum of 30% recycled content and 72 tons of trash from home football games was recycled in 2008 2. In 2008 OSU also purchased the maximum allowed amount of green power, 3.3 million kWh2. The Institute for Energy and the Environment also funds research on sustainability and environmental projects. OSU is one of the leading universities in green building research and development. OSU is also committed to reducing the carbon emissions due to transportation 3 .The current policy gives free bus service on campus, as well as free passes to local mass transit services3. The current university fleet vehicles include hybrid and electric vehicles, and all diesel fueled vehicles on the campus use B20 biodiesel 3. Student carpooling is also encouraged, but there is no data on how many students take advantage of it. The overall grade given to the school for sustainability was a B, but this includes both economic and environmental concerns, so it may not fully reflect how well the school is at reducing emissions. According to the report, the university needs to do better at both its green building policy and also its transportation policy3.

1 American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Statistics and Data Views. 2009. 11 July 2009 2 OSU Sustainability News. 2009. 14 July 2009 3 Green Report Card. The College Sustainability Report Card. 2009. 11 July 2009

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Where we Stand Purdue The largest percentage of emissions (83.1%) are from on and off campus electricity use. However, Purdue’s efforts to date have mostly been centered around recycling and transportation 1. Purdue’s fleet has vehicles that all run on flex fuel E10 or E85, has four hybrid vehicles, and has eight more on order The university has subsidized mass transit for students and faculty, and is also committed to making the campus more pedestrian-friendly 1. Purdue intends to follow LEED certification for new buildings, but there is no word on whether or not Purdue intends to try to make the older buildings more efficient 1. Committing to the same standards as OSU would reduce emissions from buildings by 20%, or by 30,200tC a year, or more than the emissions from all other factors combined. This would reduce total emissions by the university to 83.2% of current emissions, or 149,800 tC a year1. While the adoption of more fuel efficient vehicles is good, the building efficiency has a much greater effect on campus emissions. For Purdue to continue to improve its environmental impact, it needs to implement a better green building policy.

Purdue Goes Green: Current Efforts and Future Initiatives Purdue University has started a wide range of programs to make their campus greener. Specifically, the university has started the construction of its first green building that will meet the standards of the U.S. green building council and be LEED certified2. The building will contain solar roofing; less water treated plumbing, green label carpet, and recycled construction materials. Purdue has also instituted a climate research center that will measure the university emissions by hour; this in turn will help development and growth within the campus2. Programs also include a student 2008 Pugwash in which discussions about the current human affects on the environment are facilitated. The school has incorporated many environmental professionals into their faculty in order to maintain their trailblazing approaches. Along with these efforts is the lasting impact of the student run organizations. Currently there are 16 active organizations on the campus working to make their marks on the environment at Purdue2. In the realm of tangible results are the Universities recycling habits. In 2008 Purdue recycled approximately 1,600 tons of materials and the university residences dedicated over 3,000 hours of service to this ongoing initiative. Making a splash on Boiler television channels are the new public service announcements that encourage students to reduce, reuse and recycle. Electronic promotions are also done through two programs they call “PurduEboard” and “Get Involved.” 2 1 Green Report Card. The College Sustainability Report Card. 2009. 11 July 2009 2 Purdue University Sustainability. 2009. 11 July 2009

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Our Initiatives Green Week Purdue also instituted its first ever “Green Week” in 2008 and because of its success they are currently planning Green Week 2009 which will be held in September. Green Week is a week of events which are designed to bring attention on sustainability issues. The week involved the Alternative Transportation Challenge, members of the Purdue were urged to seek environmentally friendly ways to commute, and there was a litter cleanup along the Wabash River. Football fans got into the act, too, recycling 5,600 pounds of materials from their trash before, during, and after the Purdue vs. Central Michigan game. The weeklong celebration of the environment concluded with a lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Thomas Friedman. 1

Sustainability The University’s main focus is sustainability; they have programs that have started but there are many plans for the future. Sustainability initiatives at Purdue University focus on measurable factors like; Energy conservation, responsible use of land, water and other environmental resources, pollution prevention and waste minimization, increasing awareness and acceptance of personal responsibility for Purdue and its surrounding communities, and "Buying Green.” 1 The development of The Purdue Arboretum is underway. They have an active tree protection program and policy to protect approximately 8,000 campus trees from construction and maintenance damage. The grounds of the campus have a consultant studying Purdue's waste stream in order to plan for increased recycling effectiveness. Campus Planning is working with to develop permanent outdoor recycling receptacles. 1

Conclusion Overall, Purdue has found a way to continuously affect their campus for the better. Purdue University has places where students, faculty, and staff can recycle on campus. Over 40 buildings have recycling areas for plastic, paper, aluminum, and newspaper. Additionally, every residence hall has multiple areas for paper, plastic, aluminum, and newspaper recycling. All of the computer labs, regardless of the building, have paper recycling located next to the printer. Purdue has maximized every environmentally friendly effort from recycling to construction of buildings in order to help their campus and ideally have an impact on the world as a whole. 1 Purdue is setting an example which others should undoubtedly follow. 1 Purdue University Sustainability. 2009. 11 July 2009

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