Talking About Green

[Educause has released an excellent report on Green IT for higher ed. Most people are surprised at the volume CO2 emitted by our higher ed institutions. Although there is no precise data, back of the envelope calculations suggest that Higher ed produces anywhere up to 10% of all CO2 in the USA. This is greater than the combined emissions of steel smelting and cement manufacture. Universities on average produce between 200,000 to 500,000 metric tons annually of CO2 of which one or third or half is from the campus IT and data centers. However, there is good news. Universities are well positioned to significantly reduce their GHG footprint and earn significant dollars through the sale of carbon offsets by adopting Green IT strategies through the use of high speed optical research networks. For more details please see the presentation I gave at the Educause Summit on “How Universities can play a Leadership Role in helping reduce carbon emissions and moving to a zero carbon economy” http://www.slideshare.net/bstarn/educause-green-it-summit-nov-13-presentation -- BSA]

EDUCAUSE Releases White Paper from IT Greening and Sustainability Summit
http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/TheRoleofITinCampusSustai/48000

Last November, EDUCAUSE held a two-day IT Greening and Sustainability Summit in Adelphi, Maryland, at the University of Maryland, University College. Those participating included several thought leaders in the industry—a cross-section of relevant higher education professionals, as well as those outside the academy. EDUCAUSE has released a white paper, The Role of IT in Campus Sustainability Efforts, which captures key findings from the brainstorming, discussion, and resource sharing and outlines a higher education agenda for moving forward.