SfGS ERC White Paper
First version by Masa at about 7:35pm, November 28, 2005 (Eastern time) right-click this to "save as"
White Paper to the Energy Research Council submitted by Students for Global Sustainability (and SAVE)
It is our honor present our recommendation to the Energy Research Council--to establish an MIT-wide comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction initiative, and to actively involve students in such a GHG program. A program with clear quantified targets of GHG reductions and strong student participation should be an integral part of the new energy initiative at MIT.
Global climate change is among the top issues of concern in the world today. Creating a campus wide GHG emission reduction program is an opportunity for MIT to show strong leadership not only as a research powerhouse in the energy field, but also as an implementor of progessive energy concepts. Student participation is crucial, both because students have been active in implementing and promoting campus-wide energy projects, but also because of its great educational value. Other white papers (e.g., the paper by MIT Energy Club) support a similar conclusion, reinforcing the importance of such a campus-wide GHG initiative and strong student participation.
Students for Global Sustainability is a student group dedicated to promoting sustainability. We have a strong tradition of promoting practical sustainability on campus. In collaboration with other campus environment groups, we have been organizing the Earth Day at MIT events, promoting and raising awareness of energy conservation and sustainability. Last year, we published a booklet guide to local sustainability entitled “Studio!Sus,” which covered public transportation and green buildings, among others. Given our enthusiasm and experiences, reflecting opinions from students is tantamount to a successful GHG reductions program. (In the past couple of years, we have promoted a campaign called "Douce the Juice........)
We cannot emphasize enough the educational merit of student involvement. Here again, we see examples initiated by some students already. For instance, one of the recent master’s thesis of the Department of Mechanical Engineering examined campus energy use and GHG emissions [T. A. Groode, 2004. A Methodology for Assessing MIT’s Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Master’s thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT]. By systematically expanding student involvement, the GHG reduction initiative will not only achieve environmental goals but also increase educational benefits substantially.
We appreciate this opportunity to present our ideas, and strongly hope that a GHG reduction plan will be established. And we are more than happy to take part in such initiative, even from the preparation stage.
