Furman's Energy Options

Home

Wind Energy

Biodiesel

Furman's Biodiesel Project

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Back to EAG Website

	Where Does Furman Stand On Energy Policy? In December of 2003, Furman stated it will “strengthen its commitment to the environment by promoting the concept of sustainability through educational programs, environmentally sensitive campus operations and construction practices, and public awareness initiatives. …good economic sense says we should be looking at managing our facilities smarter and inculcating the value of conservation into our campus consciousness.” One way that Furman is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability is by more responsible energy use. Some examples of Furman's efforts so far include: Hipp Hall is a LEED building, which uses passive heating and natural lighting, and was built to minimize environmental impact The Eco-cottage serves as a student residence that facilitates environmentally responsible lifestlye changes The swimming pools in the PAC are heated with solar panels Furman is making biodiesel from waste oil from the dining hall Furman has switched from diesel trucks to electric golf carts for much of the maintenance crew ~~~~~~~~~~~ This website was created 5/17/2005 by the collaborative efforts of Furman's "Environment and Society" class: Lark Wells, F.J. Goodwin, Grace Livingston, Stephen Deal, Mark McCracken, Christopher Jones, Rose Burlingham, MaryVirginia Hunter, Adam Ochylski, and Maggie Welder. Questions or comments can be directed to Dr. Wade Worthen or to Dr. Frank Powell.	Energy Options For Today And For The Future As Furman students, we make many energy decisions on a daily basis. As Americans, we contribute a disproportionate demand for oil and energy compared to the rest of the world. For example, the average U. S. citizen uses three times as much oil as the average Japanese, and 531 times the amount of oil of the average Ethiopian. As oil reserves begin to decline, our generation must confront the problems of growing demand for energy and increasing environmental impacts. Over 85% of the U.S. energy demand is met with fossil fuels. Humans contribute 8 billion metric tons of CO2 to the atmosphere every year. Over 80% of this CO2 is the result of fossil fuel use. The U.S. imports 10 million barrels of oil per day, five times more than the second largest importer (China). Oil consumption continues to rise in the U.S., China and in the developing nations of the world. The US cannot eliminate its dependence on foreign oil reserves by drilling (we do not have enough reserves to meet demand, even with the additional oil from Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). The goal of this website is not to focus on the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use, but rather to share some of the possible solutions and alternatives that Furman can implement. Technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines, and biodiesel fuel can provide more environmentally friendly alternatives. Certainly, none of these technologies can "fix" the energy consumption problem. However, as we explore some of the emerging alternatives, we can begin a dialogue about Furman's energy use. A primary concern that many people have is the cost of renewable energy; is renewable energy an economically viable option? In many cases, switching to renewable resources can mean substantial up-front costs when compared to the relatively low cost of fossil fuels. However, the question that should be asked is whether the expense can be justified by long-term benefits of the technology to society. Although fossil fuels are cheap at the pump, we pay for their effects in a variety of other ways, including increased health care costs due to air pollution, the costs of cleaning our environment when oil is spilled, the costs of poisoning our fisheries with mercury released from coal-burning power plants, and the costs in dollars and lives of protecting the security of our oil supply with our military. These indirect costs of our fossil fuel dependency are staggering. So, although switching to renewable energy will require a large initial investment in infrastructure, the long-term cost savings of a cleaner environment and a domestic source of energy will easily offset these initial costs.

Where Does Furman Stand On Energy Policy?

In December of 2003, Furman stated it will “strengthen its commitment to the environment by promoting the concept of sustainability through educational programs, environmentally sensitive campus operations and construction practices, and public awareness initiatives. …good economic sense says we should be looking at managing our facilities smarter and inculcating the value of conservation into our campus consciousness.”

One way that Furman is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability is by more responsible energy use.

Some examples of Furman's efforts so far include:

Hipp Hall is a LEED building, which uses passive heating and natural lighting, and was built to minimize environmental impact

The Eco-cottage serves as a student residence that facilitates environmentally responsible lifestlye changes

The swimming pools in the PAC are heated with solar panels

Furman is making biodiesel from waste oil from the dining hall

Furman has switched from diesel trucks to electric golf carts for much of the maintenance crew

~~~~~~~~~~~

This website was created 5/17/2005 by the collaborative efforts of Furman's "Environment and Society" class: Lark Wells, F.J. Goodwin, Grace Livingston, Stephen Deal, Mark McCracken, Christopher Jones, Rose Burlingham, MaryVirginia Hunter, Adam Ochylski, and Maggie Welder.

Questions or comments can be directed to Dr. Wade Worthen or to Dr. Frank Powell.

Energy Options For Today And For The Future

As Furman students, we make many energy decisions on a daily basis. As Americans, we contribute a disproportionate demand for oil and energy compared to the rest of the world. For example, the average U. S. citizen uses three times as much oil as the average Japanese, and 531 times the amount of oil of the average Ethiopian.

As oil reserves begin to decline, our generation must confront the problems of growing demand for energy and increasing environmental impacts.

Over 85% of the U.S. energy demand is met with fossil fuels.

Humans contribute 8 billion metric tons of CO2 to the atmosphere every year. Over 80% of this CO2 is the result of fossil fuel use.

The U.S. imports 10 million barrels of oil per day, five times more than the second largest importer (China).

Oil consumption continues to rise in the U.S., China and in the developing nations of the world.

The US cannot eliminate its dependence on foreign oil reserves by drilling (we do not have enough reserves to meet demand, even with the additional oil from Arctic National Wildlife Refuge).

The goal of this website is not to focus on the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use, but rather to share some of the possible solutions and alternatives that Furman can implement. Technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines, and biodiesel fuel can provide more environmentally friendly alternatives. Certainly, none of these technologies can "fix" the energy consumption problem. However, as we explore some of the emerging alternatives, we can begin a dialogue about Furman's energy use.

A primary concern that many people have is the cost of renewable energy; is renewable energy an economically viable option? In many cases, switching to renewable resources can mean substantial up-front costs when compared to the relatively low cost of fossil fuels. However, the question that should be asked is whether the expense can be justified by long-term benefits of the technology to society. Although fossil fuels are cheap at the pump, we pay for their effects in a variety of other ways, including increased health care costs due to air pollution, the costs of cleaning our environment when oil is spilled, the costs of poisoning our fisheries with mercury released from coal-burning power plants, and the costs in dollars and lives of protecting the security of our oil supply with our military. These indirect costs of our fossil fuel dependency are staggering. So, although switching to renewable energy will require a large initial investment in infrastructure, the long-term cost savings of a cleaner environment and a domestic source of energy will easily offset these initial costs.