Get Herald RSSThe University announced several new initiatives designed to cut back on its carbon emissions Thursday and said it will commit itself to environmentally responsible expansion. The measures include emissions and energy efficiency stipulations that will apply to existing University facilities as well as to acquisitions and new developments.
The plan includes a commitment to reduce the carbon emissions of existing University buildings by 42 percent from present levels by 2020, and students, administrators and faculty members see it as a key step in committing Brown to aggressive yet achievable environmental goals in the long term.
"I am pleased that Brown is taking a leadership role by significantly cutting our greenhouse gas emissions," President Ruth Simmons said in a press release Thursday. "Brown is committed to doing our part to create a more sustainable environment. It is important to lead by example, taking action to preserve and protect the planet."
The University plans to curb its emissions in a variety of ways, such as switching to cleaner natural gas at its central heating plant, improving the generation of electricity on campus and revamping buildings with more energy-efficient technologies, said Chris Powell, director of sustainable energy and environmental initiatives.
"I think our goal is a stretch, but it's achievable," Powell said, having met this week with enthusiastic Facilities Management teams for planning, design and construction to get these emissions reductions projects underway. He said the University's official commitment to these goals is especially important because it allows Facilities the financial agility to make them a reality.
As for the University's expansion agenda, the recently approved goals include a commitment to reduce the emissions of acquired buildings by between 15 and 30 percent. All new construction must maintain energy efficiency levels between 25 and 50 percent below those mandated by state code, as well as achieve a silver rating in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.
But the implications of the recently approved goals for Brown's net emissions would still be somewhat unclear should the University expand rapidly in the future, said Steven Hamburg, associate professor of environmental studies.
"The key challenge for the University is that it can't differentiate between old buildings and new buildings" in terms of emissions standards, Hamburg said. He added that the establishment of absolute and universal goals for emissions reductions would be a more effective approach because the University's total emissions are what really matter.
The recommendation of the Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee to the University originally called for the reduction of its emissions by 42 percent, inclusive of all projected growth - about 1.1 million square feet by 2020 - said Powell, who chairs the group. Though the University shied away from a universal goal that would apply to both current buildings and those to be acquired or built, Powell said a growth policy that combined high-performance design and LEED certification would still make a "powerful difference" in reducing emissions and promoting energy efficient practices.
By making a formal, binding commitment to construct buildings that abide by these goals, said Michael Glassman '09, Undergraduate Council of Students president and an EEAC member, Brown's expansion won't fall prey to "value engineering," a scheme in which building designers and contractors are forced to shave costs and compromise their environmental goals.
But part of the reason why the University has been so successful at implementing environmentally sound policies, Powell said, is that they are usually economical as well. Certain energy-efficient technologies may be more expensive up front but often yield much greater savings in the long run. Because approximately 90 percent of the total price of a given building over its life cycle comes in the form of energy costs to power the building, investing in energy-saving technologies, even if it is expensive, makes sense, he said.
Participating in energy and environmental certification schemes such as LEED is also worth the cost to Brown so that it can validate - and better communicate - its impressive track record, Glassman said.
To mirror its progress on campus, the University has also slated plans to extend its environmental leadership beyond its grounds. The Community Carbon Use Reduction at Brown program, jump-started last year with substantial financial commitments by Simmons' office and the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, hopes to fund a variety of student- and faculty-led projects that reduce carbon emissions in the greater Providence area.
"We want to get as many people involved as possible," Glassman said. He is collaborating with Hamburg on a pilot project that plans to distribute compact fluorescent light bulbs in local low-income neighborhoods, leading simultaneously to savings on electricity bills and a reduction in carbon emissions.
Hamburg likens the project to a micro-credit program, in which small amounts of capital - in this case, light bulbs - can be a catalyst for positive social and economic change.
"Technological adoption is a slow process, and we're trying to accelerate it," Hamburg said. In this case, he joked, "If you do a social good you can actually do a carbon good."
While he is pleased with the outlook of Brown's environmental policies, Hamburg admitted that a large piece of the puzzle is neither financial nor technological, but behavioral. The new plan is an important step, he said, but more plans are needed.
"It's also about recognizing when we need things and when we don't," he said.
