AU is taking steps to offset the carbon emissions caused by travel to study abroad and local volunteer programs, according to Director of Sustainability Chris O’Brien.
AU is working to develop these carbon-offset programs with the Costa Rican University for Peace, O’Brien said.
Students may also be able participate in carbon-offset programs while studying abroad, including wind power, solar power and forestry projects.
Sustainability projects in the Washington area to offset carbon emissions could include retrofitting homes, planting trees and helping small farmers collect manure to convert into usable methane.
Student and faculty air travel generates the largest portion of the University’s carbon footprint, O’Brien said.
“We want to take responsibility for those emissions, but reducing or eliminating those emissions is unfeasible,” he said. “The only thing to do is to offset those emissions by doing a project that either avoids emissions from an unrelated project or that captures those emissions and stores them.”
The funding for future carbon offset programs is similar to the current renewable energy credits (RECs) for AU’s electricity use, according to AU’s website. RECs help wind power farms develop and compete in the energy market, reducing fossil fuel dependence.
The University purchased RECs from Renewable Choice Energy to financially support Langdon Wind Energy Center, a North Dakota wind farm. Renewable Choice Energy is a Colorado company that sells these RECs to measure and offset businesses’ environmental impact, according to the AU website.
AU lays claim to 100 percent of the emissions from its electricity by sponsoring the production of renewable energy in place of the energy consumed, O’Brien said.
Though AU still consumes local electricity, its support of green power compensates for its emissions.
AU is the sixth largest university purchaser of renewable energy and plans to mitigate the carbon emissions from airplane flights similarly though carbon offsets.
“What we’re paying for is going towards actually offsetting the number of tons of carbon dioxide that we are emitting,” O’Brien said. “There are many ways we could offset our carbon emissions. We’re just discussing those ideas right now.”
