Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity to experience and engage with the cultural, societal, political, and economic complexities outside of the United States, their connection to the United States, and to develop personal and professional competencies that will stay with you your entire life! While these benefits are robust, it’s also important to consider your impact on the local community, and the world.
At Gettysburg College, we recognize our collective responsibility as stewards of the environment and our principle commitment as an institution of higher education toward education, research, and scholarship in this area. Global study is an integral part of a Gettysburg education, and it is important to give students the opportunity to engage in stewardship, and reflect on their impact.
One way for a Gettysburg student to mitigate the impact of their global study is to purchase carbon credits to offset their carbon footprint. Carbon footprints measure how much C02 we produce in our daily lives. Fossil fuel combustion is the source of daily activities like riding in a taxi, cooling your apartment, shipping your food, and flying to your destination. When fossil fuels burn, they emit greenhouse gases like CO2 that contribute to climate change. This tool measures your impact on our climate. The carbon footprint calculator estimates how many tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases your choices create each year. For example, a roundtrip flight from DC to Paris creates about 3 tons of carbon.
The Center for Global Education encourages students to travel sustainably whenever possible, including purchasing carbon offsets for your international flight. To encourage sustainability, any student who provides a receipt for their carbon offset to the CGE will receive a FREE flag patch of the country you studied in for your Commencement gown.