The department of humanities is taking steps toward counteracting the U's carbon dioxide emissions in order to reduce greenhouse gases.
Robert Newman, dean of the College of Humanities, announced the college's commitment to offset 45,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide by raising a yearly minimum of $16,500 to purchase carbon credits, which would negate approximately 8 percent of the U's carbon dioxide emissions.
The money would be used to help the Pax Natura Foundation set aside land in Costa Rica to prevent deforestation and provide funding for one graduate student to assist with the project's coordination.
"We teach our students to be good world citizens, and to be so through sustainable practices," Newman said. "It is my great hope that our students will be alert to what companies and non-profit organizations around the world are going to protect the environment, and they will be proud the College of Humanities is among them."
A K-12 curriculum will also be developed in partnership with the project to help students understand the effects carbon dioxide emissions have on the environment.
"We have reached a point where local is global and present is the future," Newman said.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson announced that, in conjunction with the project, Salt Lake City would offset 100 percent of its employees' business air travel by automatically paying for green tags to negate carbon dioxide emissions.
Since 2002, the city has counteracted more than 31 percent of its greenhouse emissions, Anderson said.
"Salt Lake City is the first city to make a voluntary to offset all CO2 emissions," Anderson said.
Randall Tolpinrud, president of Pax Natura, a non-profit organization, was pleased that the college and city have chosen to promote environmental sustainability on the planet.
"The time for debate is over," Tolpinrud said. "The time for action has begun."
Alexandra Parvaz, a continuing education student and founder of the Sustainable Environments and Ecological Design (SEED), an organization dedicated to encouraging others to recognize energy issues on campus, was also excited to see the U taking a step toward promoting environmental sustainability.
"We desire to instill a culture of sustainability and environmental ethics," Parvaz said. "This is a great start."
