Students, faculty and staff will have an opportunity this month to provide feedback on Elon University’s proposed Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years by setting short- and long-range goals for power management, energy production and commuting.
Forums have been scheduled for the following days:
• Tuesday, October 27, at 4:15 p.m. in Lindner Hall (Room 208)
• Wednesday, October 28, at 3:30 p.m. in Moseley Center (Room 215)
Strategies under consideration include a large geothermal project for the north area of campus; solar photovoltaic panel arrays; computer power management; program development to increase the use of alternative methods of commuting such as carpooling, using the BioBuses, bicycling and walking; and additional and expanded educational and research programs focused on the topics of sustainability and climate change.
Elaine Durr, the university’s sustainability coordinator, is leading the CAP development in collaboration with the Physical Plant, Technology and the Environmental Advisory Council, among other groups.
“The forums are a great opportunity for the campus community to provide feedback on the suggested strategies,” Durr said.
The baseline for Elon’s CAP is the fiscal year 2008 GHG emissions inventory, which showed that energy consumption represented 58 percent of Elon’s net GHG emissions. “The main focus of this initial CAP will be reducing energy consumption and laying the groundwork for additional research into future strategies,” Durr said.
Elon’s CAP will be a living, flexible document that will change as technology and research develops. For more information on Elon’s first GHG emissions inventory, visit the web site link to the right.