Last month, the United Nations released a report saying that the earth needs to become carbon neutral by the years 2055–77 in order to avoid the worst of climate change.

Nationwide, universities are stepping up to the plate and beginning to assume responsibility for their environmental burden. Syracuse University is committed to being carbon neutral by the year 2040 and is one of a handful of large universities pulling its weight toward a sustainable future. Bravo.

SU has not been without its fair share of shortcomings, whether it was lack of a functional bike share or the fact that there is indeed meat served on “Meatless Monday.” It is easy to make an environmental column whiney, angry and pessimistic all at the same time, and this keyboard has often sailed on choppy waters. So enough — at least for a week.

Chancellor Nancy Cantor spearheaded this initiative to be carbon neutral in 2007. The most visible action taken so far is the presence of solar panels on many south campus apartments. According to Syracuse’s Climate Action Plan, 20 three-bedroom-apartment buildings have been equipped with solar panels. This move will “provide 50–60 percent of the energy needed year-round to heat water for the 160 apartments.” In addition the College of Visual and Performing Arts is the first college to receive a thorough energy audit, making significant changes to its HVAC systems, which will save over 480,000 kWh of electricity, 1.8 million pounds of steam and 349 tons of carbon per year, according to figures on sustainability.syr.edu.

Carbon neutral colleges and universities are good for multiple reasons. A physical, concrete group of buildings existing in carbon neutrality is easy to appreciate. Not everyone cares a ton about the environment. But most people — and this may be going out on a limb — care at least a little. And for those who do, appreciating an environmental spectacle, in person, will have far more potential to foster environmental awareness than all the urgent, yet seemingly distant reports swarming the Internet.

Syracuse is one of over 600 schools to have signed off on the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment. On the program’s website, it says, “colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society in modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge the educated graduates need to achieve climate neutrality.”

Now, this is not to say that SU is the model of sustainability. There is still much work to be done. Most notably, Syracuse has a tremendous opportunity to further its environmental stewardship by divesting from fossil fuels, a nationwide campaign with a prominent presence already here at SU.

The issue of achieving world carbon neutrality between 2055 and 2077 is a multifaceted, complicated problem. There is no simple solution. There will need to be large-scale collaboration of governments that should work domestically as well as globally if we are to have any chance.

Curbing human caused climate change must be the chief concern of our generation and this greening of our university further conveys the importance of this message to its graduates.

Nationwide, colleges and universities have a responsibility to set an example, to embody the compassionate, responsible ideals that will need to be drawn upon if we, as a people, are to ever achieve carbon neutrality.

Azor Cole is a junior public relations major and geography minor. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at azcole@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @azor_cole.

Published on January 22, 2015 at 12:15 am