It has been front-page news in Arkansas that University of Arkansas has reached an all-time high in student enrollment. Along with that, the number of faculty and staff members has increased as well. What effect does that increased concentration of people have on the environment? Surprisingly enough greenhouse gas emissions have decreased since 2002.
Campus renovations such as installation of efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, water conservation equipment, and a solar-powered heater for the swimming pool in the Health Education and Recreation Building, have aided in the decrease of greenhouse gas emissions from campus facilities.
The university has tallied 210 sustainability-related projects among its facilities since 2009. These projects have resulted in $3.5 million dollars in saving a year a well as a reduction of 28,957.23 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to American College & University President’s Climate Commitment Report.
Carlos Ochoa, director of the university’s Office for Sustainability, said he is very pleased with the efforts by the university.
“Despite an increase in students, faculty, and staff, gas emissions have decreased by 3.31 percent since 2002,” he said.
Even though the university has implemented numerous innovative sustainability-related projects in the last decade, the University is stepping up to the next level of campus sustainability by focusing on sustainable electricity and steam generation.
“Future efforts to reduce emissions,” said Ochoa, “will be to generate electricity and steam using a combined heat and power system.”
Ochoa said he has high hopes for this project.
“It’s very much like a jet engine,” Ochoa explained, “running on natural gas that generates electricity and produces heat that’s used to create steam for our campus.”
If this project were to be implemented, greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emission would be reduced by 35,000 metric tons, more than doubling the current reduction rate.
“Since 2002, the University of Arkansas decreased gross greenhouse gas emissions despite an increase in building space, students, staff and faculty. Gross greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 3.31%, while [the number of] students, staff and faculty increased by 33%. This is a great accomplishment and couldn’t have been achieved without the diligence of administration and dedicated staff on our campus,” he said.