Activity 2.1 – Atmosphere: Reduce Northwest Vista College’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Problem

The college I attend wants to limit the net emissions of greenhouse gasses and I brainstormed and researched a list of practical options that should be undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at my college campus. I will recommend actions that could be implemented immediately and other actions that will take more time to incorporate. 

Investigation

While I was trying to find ideas that would help students save energy while going to school, I realized that it needs to be simple solutions. The more complicated, more effort, and the more someone has to go out of their way to save energy might not seem worth it for most students because they most likely won’t have time in their busy schedules. Fortunately, there are many simple ways to reduce the amount of energy a person uses. 

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Not every student is thinking about how they should start walking instead of driving to school because ultimately, this is more work and more time for them. However, making some easy changes will not have much of an impact on the day-to-day lives of most college students and this is an important selling point when it comes to young adults. 

Explanations and Designing Solutions

I know my college could bring down the net emissions of greenhouse gasses by using energy-efficient tools, dressing appropriately, and talking about recycling. I realize dressing appropriately does not seem like it would make a difference but when you wear the right clothing for certain weather, it will help. If it is 100 degrees outside, which it usually is, wearing long sleeve shirts or pants will make you feel hotter, and if most students do this then that means most students will feel hot which will make sure the school has the air conditioning on high. If you dress correctly for the weather then this can result in having a well-adjusted thermostat on campus that doesn’t overuse energy we never needed. 

When composing thoughts for my school to lessen greenhouse gasses, I mostly came up with solutions that students could do, but there are also ways for my college to do so. Using energy-efficient tools such as lights with timers can minimize the amount of electricity you use to more precise timing that will also save money. Another way the school could help indirectly reduce gas emissions is to promote recycling by spreading information on the college's website or using the televisions on campus to show slides about how they can reduce, reuse, and recycle. An example could be suggesting students to bring reusable water bottles to class instead of using single-use plastics. Karen Page Winterich, a professor of marketing at Penn State University, wrote an article called “Knowing what it makes: How Product Transformation Salience Increases Recycling”. In this article, she states how her studies show that when people know the impact and potential recycling could make, the more likely people are going to participate in recycling and be a part of the change. This means that teaching the importance of recycling has a high chance of getting more students to recycle and help them live more energy-efficient lives. Hosting conferences or talks about recycling will also allow students that want to know and do more to learn about what they can do. 

A gradual problem solver for reducing the net greenhouse emissions for my college would be to show the schedule for public transportation in the area, add sidewalks and bike paths, and encourage safe carpooling. The University Cooperation for Atmospheric Research wrote in an article that the shift to alternative transportation will help reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere because that means less use of cars and the gasses they put in the air. If the school provided an accurate public bus schedule, then students could see this as a cheaper alternative to them driving and would trust it because the school provided the information about it. The road to school when you get on campus is pretty narrow and if sidewalks or a bike path were added then students will want to take advantage of that option. That road is mostly covered with trees and will keep it shady for people walking or riding by.

References

“Center for Science Education.” (n.d.) How Do We Reduce Greenhouse Gases? | Center for Science Education, https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-solutions/reduce-greenhouse-gases#:~:text=We%20can%20reduce%20emissions%20by,greenhouse%20gases%20in%20the%20atmosphere. 

Winterich, Karen Page. Knowing What It Makes: How Product Transformation Salience Increases ... https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332854370_Knowing_What_It_Makes_How_Product_Transformation_Salience_Increases_Recycling.