The Boiler Plant, which provides 90% of the heat and hot water in the residence halls and many of the campus' other buildings, utilizes a renewable source of fuel - sawdust. Recently, two boilers were replaced in the heating plant that burn sawdust to provide heat. Plans are currently in motion to create a completely new heating plant that will house three new boilers, all of which will use wood as the primary heat source. By using sawdust instead of electrical heating systems, the University is saving money on electricity and reducing the amount of waste being put into the atmosphere.

Most importantly, we are burning fewer non-renewable fossil fuels. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) damage our environment by unlocking sequestered carbon and releasing it into the atmosphere in the form of CO²-a greenhouse gas. Wood and sawdust fuel on the other hand is 'carbon neutral' - a tree will absorb as much carbon during its lifetime as it gives off when it is burnt meaning there is no net gain in CO² emissions. According to E-Magazine, "Burning woody biomass instead of coal can reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (the primary cause of acid rain) by more than 95 percent and reduce nitrous oxide (the primary component of smog) by more than 70 percent."

Another benefit of sawdust: as a biofuel, it is biodegradable, and thus relatively harmless to the environment if spilled.

Learn More:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1594/is_3_15/ai_n6137130 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel