Cooling towers among ivory towers : a comparative analysis of research universities, electricity consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract

The rationale for university sustainability and existing international agreements on sustainability in higher education are reviewed in the context of developing a model to determine the linkages between three environmental impacts. It is proposed that larger university facilities draw more electricity which in turn cause increased greenhouse gas emissions. Using published environmental performance reports and sustainability audits from private and public research universities, facility size, electricity consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions are shown to exhibit strong correlations among each other even when normalized by student body, research population, or facility area. Preliminary analysis of secondary variables measuring financial resources and level of prestige display significant correlations suggest endogenous economic and social factors that contribute to micro-model of university greenhouse gas emissions.