Nation’s Carbon Neutral College Files Plans with ACUPCC, Buys Offsets through Carbonfund.org
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“We are excited to partner with College of the Atlantic, which has been a leader in green campus initiatives,” College of the Atlantic, which has been carbon neutral said Eric Carlson, president of Carbonfund.org. “Colsince December 2007, today announced its most recent leges and universities can have a substantial carbon purchase of carbon offsets which will ensure that the footprint, and we applaud COA for their leadership College will maintain its “net zero” greenhouse gas in developing and implementing strategies including emissions status through December, 2009. The college, third-party verified carbon offsets to address climate the first known to become neutral for carbon emissions, change.” continues to reduce and eliminate those emissions it can. What it cannot reduce or eliminate are now offset Since 2007, when COA became carbon neutral, the colby supporting truck stop electrification through Car- lege has also undergone a comprehensive energy audit bonfund.org. The project provides electricity to driv- and made energy efficiency improvements to its camers at truck stops to eliminate the need for the idling of pus buildings. The college now meets all of its electricity needs through renewable hydropower. In August truck engines. 2008, it opened six energy-efficient student residences. Earlier this month, COA filed its Climate Action Plan These buildings are heavily insulated, outfitted with wawith the American College and University President’s ter-saving composting toilets and heated by renewable Climate Commitment program, detailing further steps wood pellets. The college also has begun investigating to reduce carbon emissions. COA is a founding mem- ways to heat the rest of the buildings on campus with a ber of this organization that includes 650 schools across biomass fuel. For more on COA’s sustainability efforts, the United States. David Hales, president of COA, is a visit http://coa.edu/html/sustainablecampus.htm. member of the ACUPCC Steering Committee. - Donna Gold
About Carbonfund.org Carbonfund.org is the leading nonprofit carbon offset and climate solutions organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce and offset their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by supporting third-party verified renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. Carbonfund.org has over 450,000 individual supporters and works with over 1,200 business and nonprofit The college’s choice of the truck stop electrification partners. Visit www.carbonfund.org. project fulfilled the ACUPCC requirement that offsets be both additional and verifiable: the project depends on offsets to expand into additional truck stops; it also verifiably reduces carbon emissions. Longhaul truck drivers must take a 10-hour rest period for every 11 hours on the road. Typically, drivers idle their trucks for those 10 hours, using the engine to heat or cool their cabs and to power appliances and electronics. Not only is idling unhealthy for the driver, it also consumes a recycled wood pellet boiler is part of COA’s practical plan fuel and produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas leading to climate change. “Colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to demonstrate that acting wisely to address the challenge of climate change is both the right thing to do as well as the smart thing to do. Higher education has a fundamental responsibility to move beyond business as usual, and set an example for our students and for society. Inaction in the face of the indisputable knowledge we have about a future dominated by the consequences of climate change would be inconsistent with our values and our mission.” said Hales.
According to COA’s sustainability coordinator, Craig Ten Broeck, “With this project, drivers can save about a gallon of diesel per hour.” COA purchased 4,270 metric tons of carbon offsets through Carbonfund.org.