Charging Stations

Electric Car Charging Vs. Trees: Controversy on a University Campus

Charging Stations

Cities across the globe have started installing charging stations for electric cars. Given President Obama’s ambitious goal of placing 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015, charging stations will be a necessity on American roads.

Most electric car owners will charge their vehicles behind closed garage doors, but during long trips, public charging stations will be in demand. The future of transportation is looking decidedly electric, but one university found out that not all environmentalists are enthusiastic about it.

Environmental Concern of Stations

At Western Michigan University, Ursula Zerilli reported that nine locust trees were removed from campus so that an electric vehicle charging station could be installed. The 15 charging stalls were powered by solar panels. WMU was the first college in the state to purchase a fleet of electric vehicles, and the project was funded by a $700,000 Clean Energy Coalition grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Joseph Szuszwalak and Nicholas Wikar, leaders of the group Students for a Sustainable Earth (SSE), protested the removal of the trees. Szuszwalak claimed that removing the trees to make the campus more sustainable was counterproductive.

"The students could be working together to ensure we do have a sustainable campus, but now we have to pick and choose. When you look at the carbon being sequestered, it actually is better than what the trees can do on their own, but if you wanted to be sustainable, you would have kept the trees and supplemented them with panels."

The two students claimed that the charging stations were another example of WMU “green-washing,” meaning that the university claimed it was a step forward in green sustainability without actually taking action.

In a letter to the Kalamazoo Gazette, Katherine Binder, a graduate student, refuted the allegations of the SSE. She noted that different locations for the solar panels had been researched and rooftops considered. However, because of snow accumulation in the winter, the solar panels would have to be positioned vertically and thus becoming a hazard in high winds. She also pointed out that the trees in question were Honey Locusts, an invasive species not native to Michigan.

“More importantly, WMU has a long-standing policy that requires two trees to be planted for every one taken. Meaning that eighteen trees will be planted in the spring and this project results in a net gain of nine healthy, well-located, non-invasive campus trees.The planned solar panels will help provide electric car owners with substantially cleaner energy than what they would use at home. The panels will also be part of the campus electrical grid, normally powered by WMU's natural gas plant.”

Resolution

Keeping both sides of the issue in mind, WMU administration worked diligently to address the protests of the environmentally concerned as well as the voices of its students. The charging stations and solar panels were installed and new trees have been scheduled to be planted in the spring.

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Chris Keenan is a green and general blog writer. He writes for many sites including Precision Garage Door. Chris also maintains a personal house and garden blog.