Nitrogen and Carbon Footprint Tracking

The MBL has been calculating and tracking its carbon and nitrogen footprints since 2013. The institution is also an original member of the Nitrogen Footprint Project, a group committed to reducing the environmental impact of higher education by reducing nitrogen emissions. Through as part of our participation in this group MBL scientists and the Ecosystems Center recently identified and modelled strategies the MBL could employ to reduce its nitrogen and carbon footprints. This effort determined a 7.7% decrease in nitrogen emissions via only low-cost and low-effort strategies. These results were published in Environmental Research Letters in 2021 and the next step is to begin implementing the strategies outlined in the study.

Graph below shows reductions in the MBL’s total nitrogen and carbon footprints under modelled emission reduction strategies presented as percent reduction. 

Nitrogen-and-Carbon-Footprints graphic