Achieving carbon neutrality at the Metzgar Fields Athletic Complex is a key step to achieving net zero emissions at Lafayette College by the year 2035. The college expects to achieve carbon neutrality by “installing a solar array sized to match the annual electricity consumption at Metzgar Fields and planning and maintaining a forest on a portion of the surrounding farmland to offset emissions from on-site heating loads” (2019 Climate Action Plan, 2019, p.4). While the process will not be easy, and will take significant planning and adjusting, it is within Lafayette’s capabilities to accomplish this micromodel at Metzgar Field by the year 2025 .
As a group, we have spent the past semester discussing and analyzing the possibility of achieving carbon neutrality at the Metzgar Complex through carbon capture methods. Located north of Lafayette, the entire complex contains nearly 208 acres. The college-owned plot of land is home to the three-acre space of farmland known as LaFarm and the 80-acre sports field. The sports field also contains two buildings, the Kamine Varsity House and the Morel Field House, which are responsible for consuming the majority of the energy used at Metzgar Fields. The remaining 125 acres can be found further back behind the smaller plots of land and are currently not in use by the college. We concluded that each of these three divisions of land has the capability of supporting carbon capture technologies, and when used in combination with the others, can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the complex.
As mentioned in the Technological Context, one of the most common CCS methods is farming. When done properly, agricultural practices can enhance soil capabilities and help with plant growth to make a plot of land more effective at pulling CO2 from the atmosphere. Currently, LaFarm uses a wide variety of known healthy practices including crop rotations, reduced tillage agriculture, cover cropping, and composting which have allowed the farm to make progress in reducing the school’s environmental impact. Unfortunately, due to its size, LaFarm will likely contribute minimally to the overall effort to achieve carbon neutrality. If the school wants to attempt to further increase LaFarm’s carbon capture abilities, it can look into applying other techniques including agroforestry and regenerative farming. Agroforestry is the process of mixing trees and crops to achieve farming benefits while regenerative farming is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to a farming system. By choosing plants that vary in terms of size and growth rate, the carbon capture process becomes more efficient and we can benefit in both the short and long term. Recognizing the timeline Lafayette College is working with, it is important to consider how we can capture carbon most effectively. Yet even if the school were to focus more on agricultural practices, it would still need to turn to growing a forest in order to make a significant enough impact.
In general, trees have a high capacity to store carbon and when they are grown together and cover a large span of land, they act as a carbon sink. Due to their capabilities, developing a forested area on Lafayette property would help minimize Lafayette College’s carbon footprint. Through our research, we found that in order to adequately reforest a portion of the unused acreage, the college would need to consider several factors that determine which trees to plant. In implementing the option of reforestation, Lafayette College needs to also consider the type of land, soil, and surrounding vegetation, as well as other environmental factors, to ensure the successful growth of any plants or trees chosen. Since there have previously been a forest on the Metzgar Fields, trees will make the most viable option. We recommend the use of oak trees as the best option for Lafayette College. Although oak trees are slow growing, by the time they are fully grown they can store on average 48 pounds of carbon each year. They are also native to Pennsylvania which will allow them to properly grow without having negative implications on the ecosystem. We also learned that oak trees would be particularly beneficial to Easton because they are not eaten by the spotted lanternfly. These insects are an invasive species that has caused chaos on Easton’s ecosystem over the past year, including many native insect and tree species. Our hope is that by planting an increased number of oak trees, Lafayette College will be able to reduce the impact of the infestation while continuing to focus its efforts on decreasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
In order to apply these two CCS methods, we have recommended a two-phase plan for Lafayette College to follow at the Metzgar Complex. Once completed, our hope is that the complex can be used as a micromodel for the on-campus carbon problem and can be used as a reference as Lafayette moves forward, but also for other institutions looking to follow a similar path.
The first phase is broken up into two parts, the Oak Tree Walkway and the Department Sponsored Forest. The walkway will be lined by 24 oak trees, enhancing the entrance into Oaks Stadium and will demonstrate to visitors that Lafayette is in the process of implementing projects to become more environmentally-friendly. The second part serves a similar function and requires the school to reforest a small subsection of the unused land at Metzgar. This alternative is expected to span 10 years and will allow for all 15 educational departments to engage in this sustainable solution. Each semester, all 15 departments will choose and plant a native tree, and by the time 10 years have passed there will be a total of 300 native trees covering 4.6 acres of land. By the end of the first phase, we estimate that 324 trees will have been planted and should account for carbon emitted when powering the Kamine Varsity House. For our project, we made the assumption that operating the building is powered by electricity that causes roughly 7.5 tons of carbon each year.
The changes made during the first phase would complete the proposed micromodel, but in order to become carbon neutral by 2035 a much larger reforestation project will have to be implemented. The second phase we propose is the continued reforestation of unused farmland at Metzgar once any additional technologies, such as solar panels, have been established. By continuing to grow and diversify the plant life in the area, the land’s ability to capture and store carbon will become both stronger and more efficient. However, further research should be done as to which types of species would be ideal for the existing conditions, as well as what to do as time progresses and the trees age past their peak efficiency.
Carbon capture and storage is one of many technologies available that can help Lafayette reduce its impact on the environment. Through the implementation of the Climate Action Plan 2.0, Lafayette will not only become more sustainable but it will also become an influential example that can motivate schools, communities, and other organizations to implement their own sustainable solutions and work towards carbon neutrality. With the ever worsening state of the planet, changes need to be made efficiently and effectively. Climate change is a serious issue and will continue to worsen if communities continue to rely on unsustainable methods. There are many ways in which countries, industries, communities, and even individuals can get involved in developing sustainable solutions, but only by working with and listening to each other will progress be possible.
To view the Bibliography of our report, please click here.