“Out with the old, in with the new,” as the saying goes. This simple word model must be adopted if we want to save our planet from global warming.
Of course, that means relinquishing our dependance on fossil fuels and implementing proper green energy systems, like wind, solar, and hydro power. The problem with this idea is scale. Where do we start? In a single town? A single city? Or perhaps, a single state….
According to Mark Z. Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University: “There’s about a 95 percent chance that [California] will be powered by 100 percent clean energy” by 2050.
This appears to be a bold claim that allows little chance to be wrong and California PAC-12 football schools may be willing to take the favorable odds.
A Green Foundation for a (Naturally) Bright Future
Fortunately for Jacobson’s claim, PAC-12 schools such as the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), are already taking environmentally friendly steps in the right direction. For instance, saving energy provides a proper foundation for truly becoming green. By installing occupancy sensors in offices, conference rooms, bathrooms, stairwells, and storage areas, lighting in areas that are unoccupied will automatically be shut off. By doing so, UCLA is able to cut down on energy consumption.
Then we have the University of Southern California (USC). USC has a program called “Tailgate Waste Diversion”. Here’s how it works: Fans love tailgating at football games, which can be a wasteful outing. USC fans are the same except for one small detail. Tailgate waste diversion is a program that essentially teaches fans how to direct refuse into appropriate locations. Composting and recycling tailgating waste ultimately diverts trash from landfills. Zero waste tailgate certificates go to those groups that accomplish 90 percent waste diversion.
Not to be out done by the Los Angeles schools, the University of California, Berkeley has implemented an energy incentive program. Through this program, buildings that use less energy than they are allotted receive a monetary kickback as a reward.
Each of the mentioned efforts act as solid foundations for “greening”. Saving energy is a common theme across the board, making it a great place to start because less energy consumed, means less clean energy is needed for daily activities.
But if Jacobson’s bold claim is going to come to fruition, California PAC-12 schools are going to need to step their games up.
Reduction > Consumption
PAC-12 schools have a great jump on reducing consumption, from replacing plastic water bottles with reusable ones, to offering discounts to those students who use their own coffee mugs. But on top of this, the PAC-12 should further reduce consumption of products like paper.
A prime example of paper reduction and how much money it can save comes from the NRDC: “Bank of America reduced the weight of its ATM receipts from 20 pounds to 15 pounds, saving paper, transportation, storing and handling costs, to the tune of $500,000 a year.”
That’s a lot of dough.
So, it’s no surprise that something as simple as printing papers double-sided can save tons of paper. But even better, creating and implementing “digital sports tickets” would save even more, not to mention switching out all those old playsheets and photos on the sidelines with digital versions (looking at you, iPad).
As far as the classroom is concerned, paper saving is easy with technology. Teachers can easily start a free blog to post assignments for students, cutting down on all those pesky handouts. Faculty can even download software to help with unruly internet formatting problems while printing.
The bottom line is: saving paper saves money. In the long run, the savings that are accrued can be reinvested into greening, pushing PAC-12 schools towards Jacobson’s vision.
Let There Be Light!
What better way to reinvest than with solar?
Although this article is about saving energy, you will start to notice a common theme: saving money. This is important to his plan because in order to go green, California will have to spend some green. That’s why an investment in solar panels is key to preparing for a totally green Golden State.
The idea here is to slowly rid the population’s dependence on fossil fuels. Although this sounds like a formidable task, the goal is to transform over time–Jacobson has given California 36 years to do so, after all!
UCLA has already started on this path to less dependence on dinosaur fuel by installing a campus bike counter. Funded by the school’s Green Initiative Fund, UCLA hopes to promote biking by changing the perception of this healthy, greenhouse free form of transportation.
Likewise, solar energy is essential to converting to clean energy. To properly convert, Jacobson estimates that the state will need to install not only “1,200 large-scale 100 MW solar plants”, but “15 million rooftop solar installations” as well.
While UCLA occupies 419 acres of land, the campus is comprised of roughly 200 buildings. And because we wouldn’t want to take away any grassy sports field areas to install solar fields, why not take advantage of all that roof space?
Solar panel installation is actually becoming commonplace; and many of the systems are relatively simple to install. In addition to the occupancy sensors discussed earlier, an ultimate goal would be to power Rose Bowl Stadium with solar energy.
By slowly introducing environmentally-friendly systems to the public, an all-important (and previously mentioned) step will occur.
Phasing Out
But the single most effective way for California PAC-12 schools to prepare for greening and the journey towards the bold claim of Mark Z. Jacobson is to start phasing out energy consumption that produces greenhouse gasses.
Phasing out goes hand-in-hand with phasing in. In other words, replacing inefficient products, like old light bulbs, with energy saving equivalents is a great place to start. Using natural light and small solar panels to power campus lights is also a step in the right direction. The important thing to remember is that every bit helps.
Rome wasn’t build in a day. Following the same rule, California won’t turn green in a day, either.
With PAC-12 schools claiming the (solar-powered) spotlight as they do, they should be the ones to lead the revolution, the ones to lead by example. Their football programs alone gain national attention. Imagine the impact of a pre-game story explaining how the Trojans have converted to a paper-free sideline through the use of green technology.
Or imagine fans walking into Stanford Stadium powered purely by the sun. The energy savings would be immense and clean.
Colleges thrive as small communities. If just one of the numerous Californian PAC-12 schools is able to become totally green, larger communities could surely follow. But in order for California to fully convert to 100 percent green by 2050, these major football schools must lead by example and teach others how to go green.
So, go ahead California, give it all you got. Jacobson’s prediction may be bold, but believe in yourself. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to learn something from college, right?