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Maharishi University of Management's ambitious climate action plan Maharishi University of Management filed a dramatically ambitious climate action plan to reduce carbon emissions in the next several years, including a target of reducing electricity usage 70% by 2011 and reducing combustion emissions 50% by 2014. The plan sets a goal of a 100% overall reduction by 2020. The climate action plan is part of the process set up by the Climate Commitment, which entails documenting usage in order to set a baseline, establishing a plan, reporting on tangible actions that have been taken, and documenting milestones in achieving the goals. The ambitious target of a 70% reduction in electricity usage will be made possible by the wind turbines that the University is planning to install east of campus. Also contributing will be solar panels as well as reduced electricity usage due to conservation, more efficient lighting, and upgrades to heating/ventilation/air conditioning systems. The reduction of combustion emissions will primarily involve curtailing the use of natural gas through the use of geothermal technology. An additional, lesser component will be solar thermal panels and other technologies. The result will be a 59% reduction in total carbon emissions by 2014. The Climate Commitment specifies three categories of emissions: 1) direct emissions, such as the burning of natural gas on campus, 2) indirect emissions, such as those that result from purchasing electricity, with nearly 80% of Iowa’s electricity coming from the burning of coal, and 3) upstream emissions, such as the energy that it takes to power trucks that deliver supplies to campus. These are referred to as Scope 1, 2, and 3. The University’s goal is a 100% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2020. The 56-page plan that was submitted identified four fundamental principles: elimination of fossil fuels, conservation, efficiency, and creating social coherence via the Maharishi Effect. And it described the University’s wide range of environmental initiatives, including improved standards on new construction, growing and serving only organic food, buying locally, composting waste, recycling and waste reduction, sustainability education, and the development of consciousness and the Maharishi Effect. “It’s quite ambitious, but definitely doable,” said sustainability coordinator Mark Stimson, who helped draft the document. “The plan reflects the values and goals of the University in a comprehensive way.” © Copyright 2009, Maharishi University of Management
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