Tools and resources for Cyber-Infrastructure users and university CIOs to reduce CO2

[Under the new EPA rules in the USA any institution that produces over 15,000 tons CO2 must register with the EPA as primary emitters (and will likely be subject to cap and trade restrictions when, and if, they are implemented by Congress). Research universities produce upwards as much as 500,000 tons of CO2 per year of which anywhere from 30-50% comes from cyber-infrastructure and campus IT. In the very near future University presidents and politicians are going to quickly realize who are the major contributors to CO2 on their campus and are going to start to demand solutions. It is also likely that research and university funding agencies, like those in the UK will also demand both university researchers and CIOs to incorporate the cost of carbon in their research or IT proposals. Here are some tools designed specifically for university IT departments and researchers that will help them reduce their CO2 footprint. I also recommend that all IT staff undertake carbon accounting courses through the not-for-profit GHG institute. Special kudos to Educause, NACUBO, ZeroFootprint and ClimateCheck for these pointers – BSA]

Update on EDUCAUSE IT Sustainability Resources [Thanks to Norma Holland for this compilation]

Recently completed
• E-Live! with Bill St.Arnard, Chief Research Officer, CANARIE, Inc. – How Universities and R&E Networks Can Be Global Leaders in Helping to Reduce Global Warming. Feb 10, 2009 http://www.educause.edu/Resources/HowUniversitiesandRENetworksCa/163721
• White Paper on The Role of IT in Campus Sustainability Efforts, Carie Lee Page and IT Greening and Sustainability Planners, January, 2009, http://www.educause.edu/Resources/TheRoleofITinCampusSustainabil/163615
• MARC Plenary and Podcast – What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Sustainability and Green IT Initiatives That Make A Difference, Jeffry Cepull, Joe Cruz, Amy Phillips, Don Spicer http://www.educause.edu/Resources/WhatsYourCarbonFootprintSustai/163655
• Sustainable IT Constituent Group – chaired by Joyce Dickerson, Stanford http://www.educause.edu/SustainableITConstituentGroup/139495
• NERCOMP – What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Linda Howell, Cornell; David Todd, U Vermont http://www.educause.edu/Resources/WhatsYourCarbonFootprintSustai/163831
• SWRC – What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Sustainability and Green IT Initiatives that Make a Difference, Elizabeth Davey, Tulane; Edward Kelty, Rio Salado; Pattie Orr, Baylor http://www.educause.edu/Resources/WhatsYourCarbonFootprintSustai/163769
• MWRC – Discussion Session - IT Greening and Sustainability: What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Joel Cooper, Carleton College
http://www.educause.edu/blog/llarsen/ITGreeningandSustainabilityDis/169871
• E-Live! with Joyce Dickerson, Director, Sustainable IT, Stanford University – Sustainable IT, April 3rd, 1-2pm ET http://www.educause.edu/Resources/FromDesktopstoDataCentersSusta/169459
• Monthly EQ Columnists – Wendell Brase, Mark Askren http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/WhereDoesYourInstitutionStand/163861
• NACUBO – Smart and Sustainable Campus meeting – Norma attended, Wendell Brase presented.
• SWRC Session – What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Elizabeth Davey, Director of the Office of Environmental Affairs, Tulane University, Edward Kelty, Vice President/CIO Information Services, Rio Salado College, Pattie Orr, VP for IT and Dean of University Libraries, Baylor University http://www.educause.edu/Resources/WhatsYourCarbonFootprintSustai/163769
• WRC Plenary – What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Part 1, Wendell Brase, U California, Irvine -
http://net.educause.edu/Program/1020348?PRODUCT_CODE=WRC09/GS02
• WRC – What’s Your Carbon Footprint? Part 2, Jennifer Allen, Portland State; Mark Askren, U California, Irvine; Joyce Dickerson, Stanford http://net.educause.edu/WRC09/Program/1020348?Product_Code=WRC09/GS03

Upcoming
• NACUBO – Annual Conference with Sustainability Focus – Norma Attending http://www.bsu.edu/greening/
• SERC Plenary – Leadership: The Key to a Sustainable Future, Joel Hartman, U Central Florida http://net.educause.edu/SERC09/Program/1020814?PRODUCT_CODE=SERC09/GS01
• Enterprise2009 Plenary – Greening IT: Sustainability in the Data Center and Across Campus, Mark Askren, U Cal, Irvine
• ECAR – Study on Green IT
• EDUCAUSE Theme Article – Wendell Brase, Mark Askren, December, 2008

Significant Developments
• NACUBO and EDUCAUSE collaboration on possible 09 event -- how IT sustainability can lower costs.
• Collaboration with HEASC, Higher Education Sustainability Consortium - sharing resources
• Collaboration with COSN, Consortium of State Networks – sharing resources


ZeroFootprint Carbon reduction services for universities
http://www.zerofootprint.net/we-help/universities

We Help Universities
Zerofootprint Universities is an online application that can help mobilize and empower your university community to take action on climate change. The web-based calculator and social networking application gives students, faculty, staff, alumni and offsite learners the ability to measure, track and manage their individual carbon footprint, and to collaborate with other members of the university to achieve environmental goals.
You can aggregate the carbon footprints of your community by segment or across the entire university population. The application will measure carbon reductions that result from changes your community makes, and you can attribute these reductions to your university, and publish and celebrate them. Your university can also use the data gathered by the application to inform and support other climate change initiatives on the campus. In addition, Zerofootprint Universities supports competitions and challenges between individuals, departments or other groups, as well as with other universities who are using the application. The application also links to a marketplace of green products and services, as well as events and news.
Universities, especially when acting together, are like countries without borders, and the aggregated actions of their communities can make a significant contribution to a greener world. Knowing they are part of a larger effort gives university members a sense of empowerment to bring about positive change.
Zerofootprint Universities features
• University members can each calculate their own carbon footprint and track it through time.
• University members can see their footprint relative to others.
• Your university can link the “Tips” in the calculator to other current environmental initiatives.
• Your university and/or its members can set footprint reduction goals.
• University members can see the impact of achieving goals on their footprint.
• University members can pledge and commit to taking certain actions to meet goals.
• University members can see and link to others who are also using the calculator, and create or join groups around goals.
• University members can also use Zerofootprint’s One Minute Calculator for a quick measure of their footprint.
• The application links to a marketplace of green products services, events and news
Zerofootprint Universities customization
You can customize Zerofootprint Universities to your requirements. We co-brand the application, and link it to your website, with your university’s logo appearing on all pages. You can tailor the questions in the carbon footprint calculator to suit your community, and we program in the appropriate emissions factors for your location which will be used for all the calculations. You can adapt the “Community” section of the application to allow challenges between your departments, classes or other groups

GreenHouseGas Institute On-line Training program for IT professionals on Carbon Cost accounting
www.GHGinstitute.org