Although the US failed in negotiations in The Hague to commit to a reduction of green house gas emissions, the Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI) is continuing its own efforts to make Tufts more environmentally friendly. TCI is involved in a variety of projects designed to prove that complying with climate change agreements can be accomplished, and result in substantial monetary savings.
While many students may not be aware of TCI's existence, the organization has involved over 100 students and faculty in various research projects to produce a detailed emissions inventory for Tufts. TCI has teamed up with Professor Jeff Zabel's environmental economics class, utilizing student projects to gather data, develop plans, and evaluate the financial benefits of various approaches. Armed with the knowledge of how much Tufts pollutes and how much energy it uses, TCI can now work to target certain sectors of the University to reduce both emissions and energy usage.
The buildup of greenhouse gases has warmed the earth by about 0.6 degrees Celsius over the past century, according to a United Nations Report issued last week. Research by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) solidified the linkage between greenhouse gases and global warming.
"There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities," the report states.
Like glass in a greenhouse, these harmful gases allow light to pass through but prevent heat from escaping back into space. The main greenhouse gas in the earth's atmosphere is carbon dioxide, which is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
The temperature increase may not seem significant at first, but even small changes in average global temperatures can have dramatic consequences, from increased drought severity to more frequent and damaging weather extremes. The IPCC is predicting that global temperatures will rise much more during the next century.
TCI Program Director Sarah Hammond Creighton said the time for action is now and that students must get involved. "We all should be concerned about energy and how we use it," she said. "Our fossil fuel-based economy is likely to have dramatic results for all of us and our children. Now is the time to start acting."
Although Tufts has recognized the need to reduce pollution, the scientific evidence has been insufficient to compel some governments to action. Neither the United States nor any other major industrialized nation has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement negotiated in 1997 to reduce greenhouse gas admissions.
Attempts to clarify provisions of the Protocol failed this past November in The Hague, Netherlands, and further negotiations are scheduled for this summer.
Against this backdrop of building scientific evidence and stalemated diplomacy, TCI is striving for Tufts to conform to the Kyoto emissions reductions. In an April 1999 address, Tufts President John DiBiaggio committed Tufts to "meet or beat the Kyoto goal of seven percent emissions reduction below 1990 levels in our carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2012."
TCI has focused on increasing energy efficiency and making sure that new University buildings, such as the wildlife clinic on the Grafton Campus and the proposed music building on Professor's Row, are designed to be energy efficient. TCI has also test-driven an electric Ford pickup truck and a Toyota Prius Sedan. The Prius is now under consideration to be an alternative-energy Tufts Police vehicle.
TCI, along with the student group Environmental Consciousness Outreach (ECO), has been distributing fluorescent light bulbs in exchange for regular light bulbs. The fluorescent bulbs use up to 75 percent less energy than a typical 60-Watt bulb.
A TCI fact sheet states that the "task light initiative" has already replaced over 100 incandescent desk lamps with compact fluorescent alternatives. The hope is to increase that number to 500, effectively reducing 50 tons of University carbon dioxide emissions each year. TCI and ECO are also encouraging students to turn off their computers when they are not in use.
In another attempt at student outreach, ECO is sponsoring a contest to reward students who reduce their electricity usage. The dorm that reduces its energy usage the most in a four-week period beginning next Monday will receive a dorm party and prizes.
TCI has garnered significant praise, and has developed productive working relationships with climate groups on a regional and national level, according to Creighton. "Tufts' efforts are receiving a great deal of positive feedback because Tufts is really doing something to address climate change. We are not just advocates or researchers," she said.
As an example of this partnership, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) is joining with TCI to hold its annual conference at Tufts this March. TCI is taking advantage of this opportunity by co-chairing a portion of the symposium on "green buildings" and by giving Tufts students incentives for attending the conference.
The event is expected to bring over 400 design and building professionals to campus to highlight energy-saving technologies. "The conference will be an opportunity to build greater understanding of the issues among the Tufts community as well as provide an excellent opportunity to showcase Tufts' efforts," according to TCI literature.
More information on TCI and its ongoing projects can be found on its website, www.tufts.edu/tci.
