Students in UNC's School of Theatre Arts & Dance constructed a "carbon cube" out of PVC pipe and displayed it outside of Ross Hall during Earth Week to help campus understand the scale of carbon emissions.

The 14-foot cube represents one-seventh of a metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions.

The average American produces enough carbon dioxide annually to fill 112 of these cubes.

Since 2010, UNC has saved almost 10,000 metric tons of CO2 — almost 70,000 of these cubes — through energy and water conservation, which includes projects funded through its student-led Leadership for Environmental Action Fund (Student LEAF).

UNC, in partnership with McKinstry, has also embarked on a major energy-improvement project across 18 campus buildings. Along with a behavioral education campaign, the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by just under 6,000 metric tons and yield $550,000 in annual savings through reduced utility and operational costs.