Visitors to Susquehanna University are often struck by the beauty of its lush greenery, open spaces and Georgian-style architecture. Careful management of the university’s buildings and grounds has won Susquehanna national recognition for its architectural and natural beauty.

But beneath the tree-lined walkways and within the walls of handsome buildings lies a vital and intricate network of steam lines that has provided heat to the university’s main academic buildings and residence halls since the early 1960s. The system is driven by coal, which has been the primary heating source for the university since its founding in 1858. While coal from Pennsylvania mines served the school well for many years, it is not environmentally friendly.

During the past two summers, the aging steam pipes received an extreme makeover to remedy leaks and system inefficiencies. Thanks in part to a $150,000 Energy Harvest grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the university replaced most of the main network’s steam lines thus improving system performance. A 24 percent reduction in water consumption, coal usage and emissions is anticipated as a result of the project, which was completed in August 2007. And sometime over the next four years, the coal will be replaced by a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Also Read: The National Landscape

The rising cost of energy, concerns over global warming and government incentives are fueling a green movement on higher education campuses. Colleges and universities are re-thinking not only how they use energy, but how they can leave a smaller environmental footprint. Susquehanna University has joined hundreds of other institutions of higher learning that are changing the way they construct buildings, recycle waste and teach students about sustainability.

The case for becoming more environmentally focused is clear. According to climatologists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the year 2007 tied with 1998 as the Earth’s second warmest year in a century. The 14 warmest years in the GISS record have occurred since 1990, eight of which have been measured in the last decade.

The PEW Center for Global Climate Change cites scientific studies showing that climate change observed over the 20th century is due to a combination of changes in solar radiation, volcanic activity, land-use change and increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases. Of these, greenhouse gases appear to be the dominant driver of climate change. Although not the sole culprit, human activity is clearly harming the environment and the earth’s atmosphere.

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