Utah State University President Noelle Cockett is reviewing the most recent plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the university’s campuses across the state. Last week a meeting was hosted to inform students and faculty about the efforts.
USU transportation engineering students Ahadul Islam was one of the people who attended a meeting at the university last week.
“How people from other disciplines are viewing this and what we can do, what [could] be our contribution in this whole thing?” Islam said.
In his field, Islam said this can mean looking at the fuel efficiency of vehicles and using smarter urban planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
At the event, Rob Davies, a professor of physics at Utah State, said it is time to move to an emergency mindset when addressing climate change.
Patrick Belmont, the president of the faculty senate, also presented and said reduction is an essential part of the solution. He also said renewable energy sources are fueling growth, which means their use will need to be reduced as well.
Islam was surprised to learn this.
“Even if the renewable energy comes, if we don't, consumption doesn't go to the right direction or direct proportion. It doesn't make a significant difference,” Islam said.
The draft plan being reviewed by President Cockett has the university reducing their emissions by a minimum of 40% over the next five years across all of USU’s campuses in the state. For more information about the plan go to sustainability.usu.edu.
