Meeting low climate targets requires substantial cuts in emissions, especially in developed countries.  Most estimates suggest that to keep temperatures below 2C, a radical reduction in energy demand, transformation of the electric power industry to renewable energy, electrification of many industries, and substantial deployment of carbon dioxide removal technologies is required in the US and the world.  What role does Cornell play in this effort? Our Campus has pledged to cut direct emissions from our Combined Heat and Power Plant to zero by 2035, but is that enough? Here we discuss what the carbon footprint is for Cornell as a whole, including procurement and waste, what the greatest sources of emissions are, and talk about what can be done to bring Cornell’s full carbon footprint into the red (negative) by 2040.

Natalie Mahowald (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University) will present in the 2022 Perspectives on the Climate Change Challenge Seminar Series:

Most Mondays, Spring Semester 2022, 2:45-4:00pm Available via Zoom (ID: 953 9733 0144; Passcode: 024210)

This university-wide seminar series is open to the public, and provides important views on the critical issue of climate change, drawing from many perspectives and disciplines. Experts from Cornell University and beyond present an overview of the science of climate change and climate change models, the implications for agriculture, ecosystems, and food systems, and provide important economic, ethical, and policy insights on the issue. The seminar is being organized and sponsored by the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.