HOUSTON, TX – Guess what, Houston. Summer’s around the corner and it’s shaping up to be a hot one. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say they’ve recorded the highest levels of carbon dioxide in human history.
Researchers in San Diego say CO2 levels topped 400 parts per million every single day in April. To put that into perspective, 100 years ago the average was 280 parts per million. And with more cars on the road every day, it’s not likely that number is going down anytime soon.
The good news is that all hope is not lost. And the University of Houston could be leading the way. UH was recognized by the Princeton Review as one the country’s greenest college campuses.
“This is our first Leed-Silver certified building on campus,” Sustainability Program Manager, Sarah Kelly says showing us a dining hall ensconced in windows. “We also have a lot of initiatives inside of our dining halls, we’ve eliminated styrofoam, we have trayless dining to cut down on food waste.”
UH has also adopted solar-powered trash compactors and recycling bins on campus.
And while it should be noted that April’s record-high CO2 levels were recorded from the top of a volcano during spring when blooming plants release more CO2 than any other time of year, the numbers are still higher than ever before.
Meaning all that talk about carpools and recycling may not be too far off the mark after all.
