Conclusion
In 2019, Lafayette College approved the Climate Action Plan 2.0 (CAP 2.0), committing to become carbon neutral by 2035. To reach this goal, many steps need to be taken in all areas of the institution, from transportation to waste diversion. Another one of these areas is LaFarm. Today, LaFarm is one of the core tenets of sustainability on campus, as it provide educational opportunities, extracurricular activities for hundreds of volunteers, produce for the local community, among many other events and activities. But there is one thing that LaFarm is still lacking: a greenhouse.
The 2019 LaFarm Greenhouse Report establishes a pathway towards building a carbon neutral greenhouse at LaFarm. We divided the report into four sections: social context, political context, technical context, and economic context. Our social context focused on the actors that would benefit from the greenhouse, along with possible partnerships that could be established, such as Engineers Without Borders. The political context focused on why a greenhouse would be beneficial to the college as an institution, heavily referencing the CAP 2.0. Lafayette stakeholders were also examined, including the LDO and Forks Township. The technical context focused on the greenhouse as an object and not just a socio-political entity. After interviews and field trips with a couple of farmers, we were able to summarize the layout and dimensions of the greenhouse. We also looked into the energy systems that would power the greenhouse in the first place and concluded that the most reliable system would be a solar powered greenhouse. Lastly, the economic context section of our report gives a brief overview of some of the costs of this solar energy system.
Though we have made progress in determining the viability of a greenhouse at LaFarm, our group has several recommendations for next steps that can be taken to make sure the greenhouse becomes a reality. Our first set of recommendations is to go more in-depth on partnerships that can be created after the greenhouse is built. For example, Crayola, as one of the places that would receive seedlings, might look to fund part of the greenhouse. Other partnerships include the urban farms in Easton. This step is important as it recognizes the growing impact that Lafayette can have on the community, especially in sustainability efforts.
Second, we also recommend going to different academic departments at Lafayette to gauge interest in developing systems for the greenhouse. This would be especially beneficial for classes in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Studies, Engineering Studies, Government/Law, and other environmentally minded students. Most of the Engineering students would be able to contribute to some of the systems that still need to be understood. First and foremost is the autonomous irrigation system of the greenhouse. In our report, we determined the necessity of having an autonomous system, but have not conducted any analysis on what this would entail. Second, chemical engineering would probably have knowledge on which plastics we should employ to create a shield for the greenhouse. Mechanical Engineering would also be able to help in heat transfer and fluids study of the system, as mentioned in the report. A geotechnical analysis must also be conducted to determine the best location for the greenhouse at LaFarm.
The 2019 LaFarm Greenhouse Report focused on taking the greenhouse off the grid. For future steps we also recommend thinking about the implementation phase of the project. This would include engineering designs, timeline for greenhouse construction, and possible solar system providers in the area. Our report reiterates the importance of a greenhouse for Lafayette as an institution. A solar-powered, carbon neutral greenhouse would help the college and LaFarm academically, socially, and environmentally. We hope this project continues to be a subject of discussion in Engineering Studies, as the college begins its goal of becoming carbon neutral in 2035.
For our full list of references and sources, check out our bibliography!