EAS News Article
Purdue's carbon footprint measured by students
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A group of Purdue students have for the first time measured the carbon dioxide emissions, or "carbon footprint," of the university.The research results of the class of 28 graduate and undergraduate students in diverse areas of study listed Purdue's total carbon footprint as 182,400 metric tons of carbon. This corresponds to a per capita footprint of 3.6 carbon metric tons, as compared to 6 for the national average and 1 for the global average.
The students spent three months evaluating the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels as a consequence of Purdue's activities and electric power purchases in the 2005-06 fiscal year.
"Purdue is fairly typical for institutions of this size," said Paul Shepson, professor of analytical and atmospheric chemistry and director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center. "It is difficult to compare the carbon footprint to that of other universities because few have conducted such measurements. It is an extensive undertaking to quantify carbon dioxide emissions." <read full article >
