Abstract
Carbonfootprinting on the CSUN Campus Using ArcGIS
Track: Climate Change
Author(s): Helen Cox
A carbonfootprint study carried out at California State University, Northridge using ArcGIS is described. This includes an analysis of power consumption, direct and indirect emissions resulting from power generation, direct emissions from mobile and stationary sources, and indirect emissions resulting from student and employee commuting. In addition aerial photography and field studies have been employed to map campus vegetation within the GIS and calculate the associated carbon sequestration. CSUN has introduced several alternative energy sources within the campus, including solar panels, a fuel cell plant and microturbines. These measures have resulted in considerable savings in both energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the nature of the campus as an urban commuting center means that there are considerable carbon emissions resulting from daily student and employee driving. Here, we describe a GIS in which we incorporate both the stationary and mobile emissions and the carbon sinks to calculate the campus carbonfootprint.
Helen Cox
California State University, Northridge
Geography Department
18111 Nordhoff St
Northridge , California 91330-8249
United States
Phone: 818 677-3512
E-mail: helen.m.cox@csun.edu