Big changes are on the horizon for UR’s environmentally-friendly initiative. UR President Joel Seligman’s University Council on Environmental Sustainability, created in November, has mapped out plans to create a more environmentally friendly campus. UR Security has already made achievements addressing one initative – to incorporate hybrid vehicles into the University’s fleet – which was listed among the council’s list of 25 energy initiatives.
“Our Security department has recently purchased two 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid vehicles for purposes of working closely with the University’s efforts toward fuel energy consumption,” Supervisor of Security and Traffic Division Rory McTarnaghan said.
McTarnaghan added that more hybrid vehicles may be added as Security tests the waters with the two new additions.
The Ford Escape Hybrid uses regular fuel and works like any regular car except that it gets 29 miles to the gallon. This is a vast improvement over the average fuel economy of Security’s current fleet. Hybrid vehicles perform far more efficiently than nonhybrid vehicles at low speeds and for short distances.
In a March 25th statement released by Seligman, he stated his challenges to the council.
“[I charged the council to] develop a proposed University-wide vision for environmental sustainability that also addresses academic and research initiatives.” Such proposed changes would be implemented while continuing to improve current efforts to achieve sustainability.
If this program goes well, UR may see an entire fleet of hybrid security cars by the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year.
Karron is a member of the class of 2011.
