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Good morning!
This summer, the world experienced record-high temperatures, and the heat continues as the fall semester officially began on Tuesday. While the new residential colleges have air conditioning, many students in older buildings must rely on fans to stave off the heat. In an email sent to undergraduates yesterday, the University offered students who live in non-air-conditioned dorms free fans. Community Opinion Editor Lucia Wetherill ’25 advocates for the University to address the risks of heat exhaustion and poor air quality by renovating older buildings to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
The University is already undergoing major projects to reach its target of net zero campus greenhouse gas emissions. Ijeoma Nwagwu, the interim director of Princeton’s Office of Sustainability, explained that “Princeton is undergoing one of the most extensive building programs in its history to house more students, expand research facilities, and replace aging buildings and infrastructure.”
The University is one of the first institutions to transform its energy grid at this scale from a co-generation plant to a geo-exchange system. In addition to new construction, the University is improving existing infrastructure to increase energy efficiency through the improvement of doors, windows, and additional insulation. What Wetherill advocates is ideologically in line with Robert Thornton, the president and CEO of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), who referenced the old proverb in regards to net zero project: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Wetherill calls for the University to acknowledge these risks to the community and begin renovation sooner rather than later to avoid “scrambling for less sustainable and more taxing solutions as the situation worsens.”
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Analysis by Jacqueline Zhou
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