Throughout his life, nature has been the setting for most of Peter L鈥橢sperance鈥檚 leisure activities.
鈥淚 feel more balanced when I鈥檓 outdoors,鈥� says the recent Schulich School of Law graduate, who grew up in rural Prospect Bay, N.S. It鈥檚 no surprise, then, that during his first year Peter joined the Environmental Law Students鈥� Society (ELSS).
It was with the society that Peter conceived of a community-based Carbon Consultancy renewable-energy pilot project to encourage people, businesses and organizations to measure, reduce, offset or mitigate their carbon emissions. The collective initiative is proposing that a five-kilowatt solar panel be installed on the AV俱乐部 Legal Aid Service (DLAS) office in Halifax鈥檚 north end.
The total cost of the panel and installation is $32,500. By the end of June 2016, L鈥橢sperance, along with the Environmental Law Students鈥� Society, had raised more than $18,500 through successful pitches to interested sponsors ranging from McInnes Cooper ($10,000) to Saint Lou鈥檚 Gentlemen鈥檚 Barbershop at Historic Properties. (Patrons have the option to pay a 10-cent carbon-offset fee as part of the haircut price). AV俱乐部 鈥� through its Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management departments 鈥� will contribute a further $9,800 to the project bringing the total fundraising to $28,300.
McInnes Cooper鈥檚 involvement is unique. The firm calculated how much it would cost to offset annual work-related employee air travel through contributing to standard carbon-offset projects, such as those provided by airlines when you buy a flight ticket. It has decided to direct those funds 鈥� two annual $5,000 payments 鈥� to the DLAS solar-panel installation.
鈥淭he goal is to open up channels for individuals, businesses, and organizations to bring more renewable-energy installations into the community,鈥� says L鈥橢sperance, who is the project鈥檚 lead. The panels will produce net emission reductions of roughly 71,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide during its 30-year lifecycle and will lower the DLAS鈥檚 energy costs by more than $24,000 over that time period.
Other AV俱乐部 partners include the Marine Environmental Law Program, the Advancement Office, Facilities Management, and Financial Services.
鈥淭his project is giving faculty and staff, students and community members an opportunity to shape the place where they work, study and live,鈥� says L鈥橢sperance.
For more about the Carbon Consultancy, .