Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
DOI | 10.1088/1748-9326/ab70bf |
Geographic versus institutional drivers of nitrogen footprints: a comparison of two urban universities | |
MacDonald, Graham K.1; Talbot, Julie2; Moore, Tim R.1; Arsenault, Julien2; McCourt, Sibeal1; Goertzen, Aidan1; Kessler-Nadeau, Max Emile2; Manaugh, Kevin1,3; Maranger, Roxane4; Robinson, Brian E.1 | |
2020-04-01 | |
发表期刊 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS |
ISSN | 1748-9326 |
出版年 | 2020 |
卷号 | 15期号:4 |
文章类型 | Article |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | Canada |
英文摘要 | Excess reactive nitrogen (N) is linked to a myriad of environmental problems that carry large social costs. Nitrogen footprint tools can help institutions understand how their direct and indirect activities are associated with N release to the environment through energy use, food, and transportation. However, little is known about how geographic context shapes the environmental footprints of institutions. Defining the system boundaries over which institutions are responsible and able to control individual drivers of N footprints is also a challenge. Here, we compare and contrast the circa 2017 N footprints for two research intensive universities located in Montreal, Canada, with a combined full-time equivalent campus population of similar to 83 000. Our estimate of McGill University's N footprint (121.2 t N yr(-1)) is 48% greater than Universite de Montreal's (74.1 t N yr(-1)), which is also reflected on a per capita basis (3.3 and 1.6 kg N capita(-1) yr(-1), respectively). Key institutional factors that explain the differences include McGill's larger residential and international student populations, research farm, and characteristics of its on-campus fuel use. We use a series of counterfactual scenarios to test how shared urban geographic context factors lead to an effective reduction of the N footprints at both universities: the relatively small direct role of both institutions in food intake on campus (29%-68% reduction compared to a counterfactual scenario), energy from hydroelectricity (17%-21% reduction), and minimal car commuting by students (2%-3% reduction). In contrast, the near-zero N removal from the municipal wastewater system effectively increases the N footprints (11%-13% increase compared to a modest N removal and offset scenario). Our findings suggest that a shared geographic context of a dense city with plentiful off-campus housing, food options, and access to hydroelectricity shapes the absolute N footprints of Montreal's two main universities more than the divergent institutional characteristics that influence their relative N footprints. |
英文关键词 | footprint reactive nitrogen sustainability urban geography food production wastewater higher education |
领域 | 气候变化 |
收录类别 | SCI-E |
WOS记录号 | WOS:000528644400001 |
WOS关键词 | FOOD-PRODUCTS ; PERSPECTIVE |
WOS类目 | Environmental Sciences ; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
WOS研究方向 | Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
引用统计 | |
文献类型 | 期刊论文 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/279269 |
专题 | 气候变化 |
作者单位 | 1.McGill Univ, Dept Geog, Montreal, PQ, Canada; 2.Univ Montreal, Dept Geog, Montreal, PQ, Canada; 3.McGill Univ, McGill Sch Environm, Montreal, PQ, Canada; 4.Univ Montreal, Dept Sci Biol, Montreal, PQ, Canada |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | MacDonald, Graham K.,Talbot, Julie,Moore, Tim R.,et al. Geographic versus institutional drivers of nitrogen footprints: a comparison of two urban universities[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS,2020,15(4). |
APA | MacDonald, Graham K..,Talbot, Julie.,Moore, Tim R..,Arsenault, Julien.,McCourt, Sibeal.,...&Robinson, Brian E..(2020).Geographic versus institutional drivers of nitrogen footprints: a comparison of two urban universities.ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS,15(4). |
MLA | MacDonald, Graham K.,et al."Geographic versus institutional drivers of nitrogen footprints: a comparison of two urban universities".ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS 15.4(2020). |
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