Spring Break
Sustainability presentation focuses on emissions
Nelly Singh
Issue date: 5/30/08 Section: News
Drexel's Carbon Footprint, the seventh presentation in a series about environmental sustainability focused on what can be done to lessen emissions generated by operations at Drexel University.
Barbara Clarke, project architect and sustainability coordinator for the University's Department of Planning, Design and Construction, along with Robert Francis, vice president of University Facilities, spoke to students about carbon footprints, the University's current status in this initiative and future plans.
The presentation focused on reducing factors that affect the environment negatively, such as scope emissions. According to presentation slides, there are three types of scopes: scope one, which has a direct impact on the environment and consists of thermodynamic combustion; scope two, which has an indirect impact and consists of purchasing electricity for own use; and scope three, which consists of pollution from company owned vehicles, business travel, waste disposal, and product use. Drexel, like all other universities, are considered to be main contributors of scope two emissions, according to the slides.
"Many people are not aware of the numerous sustainable efforts already taking place at Drexel," Clarke wrote in an e-mail.
Right now, the committees are in the fact finding and investigation step, according to speakers and the presentation slides from the event.
"[The committee is] now in the process of collecting ideas from what people have seen, read, and learned. We will then be reviewing those ideas and see if we can come up with some specific plans for Drexel," Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Tobey Oxholm wrote in an e-mail. Oxholm has been leading the sustainability efforts along with students at Drexel.
The presentation also focused on how individuals can get involved in decreasing their carbon footprint by commuting less, using less energy and using renewable energy, and supporting efforts by those who encourage energy efficiency, renewability and carbon neutrality.
Barbara Clarke, project architect and sustainability coordinator for the University's Department of Planning, Design and Construction, along with Robert Francis, vice president of University Facilities, spoke to students about carbon footprints, the University's current status in this initiative and future plans.
The presentation focused on reducing factors that affect the environment negatively, such as scope emissions. According to presentation slides, there are three types of scopes: scope one, which has a direct impact on the environment and consists of thermodynamic combustion; scope two, which has an indirect impact and consists of purchasing electricity for own use; and scope three, which consists of pollution from company owned vehicles, business travel, waste disposal, and product use. Drexel, like all other universities, are considered to be main contributors of scope two emissions, according to the slides.
"Many people are not aware of the numerous sustainable efforts already taking place at Drexel," Clarke wrote in an e-mail.
Right now, the committees are in the fact finding and investigation step, according to speakers and the presentation slides from the event.
"[The committee is] now in the process of collecting ideas from what people have seen, read, and learned. We will then be reviewing those ideas and see if we can come up with some specific plans for Drexel," Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Tobey Oxholm wrote in an e-mail. Oxholm has been leading the sustainability efforts along with students at Drexel.
The presentation also focused on how individuals can get involved in decreasing their carbon footprint by commuting less, using less energy and using renewable energy, and supporting efforts by those who encourage energy efficiency, renewability and carbon neutrality.
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