Durham, NC - Before students participating in DukeEngage experiences jet off to all parts of the globe this summer, they can each do their part to help Duke move toward its goal of full carbon neutrality by 2024 by purchasing carbon emission credits.

DukeEngage director Eric Mlyn announced the program in an April 15 letter to the program's students and parents.

The offsets are being created by a Duke partnership with North Carolina hog farmers to capture methane gas, which is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

By purchasing offsets at swine farms, Duke is also helping to create a new market for offsets in North Carolina, said Tatjana Vujic, director of the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative.

The methane produced by more than 2,400 swine farms in the state is the equivalent of about 13 times the greenhouse gas emissions that Duke produces in a year. In addition to being a relatively easy source of offset credits, if this methane were all captured and burned in electrical turbines, it could generate enough power for about 70,000 homes.

To participate in the offsets program, DukeEngage students have to log into a website http://sustainability.duke.edu/climate_action/carbon_offsets/DukeEngage.html, use a calculator to determine the carbon emissions of an upcoming trip, and then pay for offsets with a FLEX account or a check. (The calculator is restricted to registered DukeEngage participants.)

Depending on which route she took, a student flying to South Africa might pay $123 in credits to offset the trip. Portland, Oregon would be just $37. Students can also elect to offset a fraction of their travel, rather than the whole trip.

Sustainable Duke staff members will be on hand at the DukeEngage Academy May 10 and 11 to discuss the program and help students purchase their offsets.

Over the past year, DukeEngage students, faculty and staff logged more than 4 million miles of air travel. That works out to about 3,000 tons of CO2.

"Duke Engage was really motivated to address their greenhouse gas emissions and do something positive," Vujic said. Other Duke programs are in discussion with the carbon offsets program to see how they might participate as well, she said.