I am a University of Pittsburgh Alumn twice over, having received both my Bachelors and my Graduate degree from Pitt. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and have a lot of pride in my home town as well as my alma mater.
Green Energy is energy that is produced from renewable, environmentally friendly sources. Switching to green energy would be a way for the University of Pittsburgh to contribute its share in the fight to reduce pollution and hence, global warming. When I saw that two Pennsylvania Universities, the University of Pennsylvania (#1) and Penn State (#10) were among the
EPA's top ten College and University PartnersI thought that Pitt could achieve this too. It would be a great way for Pitt to show that it is on the cutting edge when it comes to environmental awareness. It would also be a great marketing tool to attract potential students, setting Pitt apart from many of its competitors. The goal of this blog is to get Pitt on that top ten list. In order to achieve this goal, I will need the support of the entire Pitt community, i.e. faculty, staff, students, alumni, etc. I believe that if we can raise enough support, this goal can be achieved!
Currently, green electricity is about 24% more expensive than traditional electricty in Pennsylvania. According to a
University Times article published in 1995, Pitt spent about 2.6 million on its annual electricity bill that year. Taking the growth of the university, as well as inflation, into account for the past 10 years, the current electricity bill is probably around 3 million. A 25% increase would mean an additional $750,000. There is no question that this is a significant increase. However, it is achievable considering the University's successful fundraising via its Capital Campaign during the last few years.
I think a good way for Pitt to offsett the cost of green energy, would be for Pitt to create an endowment, similar to the one being
created for the football team.Pitt could call it a "green endowment."
