Carbon Sequestration at St. Lawrence University

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Recommended: Efforts in the forest

Forests are a critical player when it comes to the carbon cycle. Every year, forests store more than 1.0 x 1015 metric tons of carbon in biomass, detritus, and soils (Dixon et al.). The storing of this carbon dioxide is very important to our planet and threshold that allows humans to thrive. Climate change is occurring, but would be accelerating much faster without carbon sinks like our forests that store the carbon dioxide humans have emitted. Carbon sequestration is defined as “the prevention of greenhouse gas build-up in the earth's atmosphere by methods such as planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide or pumping carbon dioxide into underground reservoirs” (Collins English Dictionary). Trees are able to sequester and store carbon through the process of photosynthesis: 6H20 + 6CO2 + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2.
At St. Lawrence University, the institution has a climate action plan that sets a goal of becoming carbon net-zero by 2040. In order to meet that goal, the school has to reduce its carbon emissions in various ways such as increasing energy efficiencies or purchasing renewable energy credits. However, since the institution is endowed with a few thousand trees, we [St. Lawrence University] should include carbon sequestration as a scope to meet our climate action goal by 2040. In order to account for the sequestered carbon, it is important to note how to go about measuring the storing of carbon dioxide in trees and accessing a few mechanisms that promote the accounting of carbon sequestration as a viable solution to climate change mitigation such as Chicago Climate Exchange and REDD+.
To measure how much carbon is stored, it is easier to separate the two carbon sequestration mechanisms: storing above ground in...

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...eb. 1 Apr. 2014. .
Mitchard, Edward T.A., et al. "A Novel Application of Satellite Radar Data: Measuring Carbon Sequestration and Detecting Degradation in a Community Forestry Project in Mozambique." Plant Ecology & Diversity 6.1 (2013): 159-70. Taylor and Francis. 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.
St. Lawrence University. SLU Arboretum Proposal. Green Pages. St. Lawrence University, 1 Mar. 2011. Web. .
“Tool for Estimation of Stocks in Carbon Pools and Emissions from Emission Sources.” Americancarbonregistry.org. WINROCK International, Apr. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2013
Work Plan 2013-2014. Rep. Campus Committee on Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality, n.d. Web. .

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