More than a third of all students car pool at least once a week. The average employee makes a 25-mile roundtrip commute. And the largest contributing factor to greenhouse gas emissions from Elon University is electricity use, according to the first ever Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, a survey to be conducted each year as the university works toward its goal of carbon neutrality.
Elaine Durr, Elon’s sustainability coordinator, and the Environmental Advisory Council spearheaded the recently completed survey. It involved collecting data from numerous departments ranging from the Physical Plant to Human Resources.
A commuter habit survey distributed to faculty, staff and students in late 2008 provided information for the emissions inventory. Results showed the following:
• 96% of faculty and 95% of staff commute by car at least once a week for an average of 1 trip/day and 1.4 trips/day, respectively (based on a 5-day work week)
• 69% of students commute by car at least once a week with an average of 1 trip/day (based on a 5-day school week).
• 20% of students indicate they take the Bio Bus at least once a week.
• 35% of students report carpooling at least once a week with an average of about 2 days/week.
• 14% of faculty and 10% of staff carpool on average 3 days/week.
Additional commuting information was gathered using a Geographic Information Systems analysis done by Ryan Kirk, an instructor in geography and environmental studies, and Nick Dioguardi, an environmental studies major.
Using anonymous faculty and staff addresses, the team generated an average one-way travel distance of 12.6 miles. The analysis also showed that 42 percent of faculty and staff live within 5 miles of campus and 58 percent live within 10 miles of campus.
Commuter travel accounts for 12% of the overall emissions. The largest source of emissions is energy consumption, representing 58 percent of Elon’s net GHG emissions.
“This initial inventory is about what I expected. It is common for energy consumption to be the largest source of emissions,” Durr said.
Elon’s initial greenhouse gas emissions inventory will be the baseline year from which to measure reductions and serve as a guide to and inform the creation of Elon’s Climate Action Plan. The Plan will act as a roadmap for executing projects designed to reduce net emissions.
The plan will also include an assessment of potential strategies to reduce emissions and interim emissions reduction targets. “Reducing energy consumption will likely be the focus of most of the initial projects,” Durr said.
The greenhouse gas emissions inventory will be conducted yearly to monitor progress toward Elon’s interim reduction goals and the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality.
For more information on the commuter habit survey, GIS analysis and the complete GHG emissions inventory report, visit the Web site link to the right.