Steve Bellona, associate vice president for Facilities & Planning at Physical Plant, has reported an 11 percent drop in carbon emissions generated by Hamilton College in the fiscal year 2010—a new low in 11 years of record keeping.
Last year Hamilton emitted 18,776 metric tons of carbon dioxide, 2,305 metric tons less than the previous fiscal year. This difference surpasses the 438 ton reduction initially estimated by Physical Plant.
Forty percent of this total reduction was the result of lower energy use in Hamilton buildings this past year. Study-abroad is responsible for another 50 percent of the decrease: fewer Hamilton students studied abroad in 2010, thus reducing the amount of air travel.
The 11 percent reduction in 2010 is 750 metric tons away from achieving the college’s fiscal year 2015 goal to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent from the 2007 carbon emissions baseline.