Last month veteran news reporter Ross Gelbspan visited UB and warned us that the recent wave of hurricanes that ravaged Florida are a foreboding sign of the impact of greenhouse emissions. Recently UB and the New York Power Authority took joint action to reduce harmful emissions by 650 tons annually. Before the start of the fall semester the NYPA renovated the South Campus dormitory Goodyear Hall to make the building more energy efficient. The NYPA is a state-owned power supplier that also funds projects that make state-owned properties more energy-efficient. The Spectrum commends the power authority's partnership with the university and both organizations' work for energy conservation.
The $10.7 million project installed 300 new windows and upgraded the heating, lighting, air ventilation and water systems. The newly installed windows are covered with a film which reduces unwanted heat in warmer months while retaining heat in colder months. Sensors will monitor activity in rooms to control lighting. Steam radiators were replaced by hot water heaters and air flow throughout the building will be improved with the addition of new air handlers.
The NYPA is an excellent example of tax dollars being put to good use. The agency provides low cost energy to government agencies, community-owned electric cooperatives and job-producing companies. It also works to conserve the very same energy it produces. This ecologically responsible behavior is not often seen with privately owned energy providers.
If energy is used more efficiently, less must be produced to do the same work - clearly an economic advantage. Taxpayers are saved $80 million a year according to the NYPA because of their work to reduce energy costs. The energy saved is enough to supply power to 300,000 people, or a city the approximate size of Buffalo.
Both UB and the NYPA have a long history of working for conservation of the earth's precious and limited resources. New York State, with the help of the NYPA was voted the nation's leader in energy savings by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Since expanding its energy efficiency programs to the whole state in 1994 over 1,200 projects have been completed.
The department responsible for the university's programs for dealing with environmental impact, UB Green, was founded in the late 1970's. Beginning with energy conservation and recycling programs, the office now conducts research to find solutions for community environmental concerns.
While the Bush administration has faltered on the important and pressing issue of global warming by pulling out of the international Kyoto Treaty to reduce carbon dioxide and instead implementing voluntary caps, the university and NYPA are carrying out vital work. As President Simpson recently noted in his investiture speech, UB has a significant impact on the community. The endorsement of energy efficiency by the university will hopefully catch on with other Western New Yorkers. Publicity will show the larger community that conservation and energy efficiency is a win-win situation that saves money in the short term and saves the environment in the long term.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
