NEWS RELEASE

Knauf Insulation Supports Research and Launch of Climate Change Pilot

Purdue University research quantifies and visualizes emissions by source

(SHELBYVILLE, Ind., Nov 9, 2009)  Almost two years to the day from the announcement that Knauf Insulation would fund the development of a climate change model through an unrestricted research grant to Purdue University, HESTIA is progressing well. The world’s first data-driven model to quantify, visualize and analyze fossil fuel emissions down to the street level was introduced at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on November 12, 2007.  HESTIA, developed by Purdue University’s College of Science and Climate Change Research Center, will ultimately allow anyone with an Internet connection to visualize emissions at the neighborhood or street level by simply clicking a button. 

As the first corporate partner to Hestia, Knauf Insulation provided the research grant to help Purdue University fund the project.  Named after the Greek goddess of hearth fire, HESTIA is directed by Dr. Kevin Gurney, a Purdue University assistant professor of earth and atmospheric science.  As one of 2,500 worldwide scientists devoting efforts to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr. Gurney shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, alongside former Vice President Al Gore.  The Nobel committee cited the IPCC’s two decades of scientific research and “efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about manmade climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.”

HESTIA is a data-driven modeling system in which all processes that generate carbon dioxide emissions are quantified at fine space and time scales.  Beyond a rich digital map of emissions, HESTIA provides analysis and visualizations of climate policy scenarios, connecting emissions to the activities that cause them.  The effort began in Indianapolis using information provided by the city and offering a pilot example of what HESTIA could do on a global basis. That pilot project is nearing completion, with results expected within the next 6 months to provide the city of Indianapolis with a real picture - a literal visual representation - of carbon emissions in the city, which will include information about neighborhoods, factories and vehicles.

This pilot will provide the groundwork for what will eventually become a global resource to quantify CO² emissions and visualize them in a three-dimensional Google earth environment. “At Purdue we are working on a method to track carbon dioxide emissions in great detail and pair that with satellite imagery, traffic information and census data," said Gurney.

Beyond identifying emission sources, HESTIA will enable researchers to test assumptions about changes in emission levels and how they impact local neighborhoods.  Not only will this technology enable policy makers and municipal leaders to identify where emission problems are located, the data also will provide insight into how to remedy the problems. Ultimately, data provided by HESTIA will assist policymakers and researchers at the national, state and local levels.  The technology will further assist utilities, environmental quality agencies, transportation and planning departments in better understanding the impact of emissions across the planet.  “The changes impacting earth’s climate are not exclusive to any single point on the globe. HESTIA will allow the global community to help share in the ownership of addressing climate change,” noted Robert Claxton, president of Knauf Insulation.

Data from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association indicates that insulation in buildings is one of the most sustainable measures for reducing emissions.  By reducing energy consumption, installed insulation cuts pollution from the utility infrastructure, slashing carbon dioxide emissions by 780 million tons annually in the United States. 

“Being a responsible environmental steward is a core business value for Knauf. And we recognize that we have the social responsibility to help address energy efficiency and climate change through more than just operations improvements and the products we make. Through our partnership with Purdue, we are able to address climate change far beyond anything we could ever do as an individual company,” said Robert Claxton.

Dr. Gurney and Hestia organizers at Purdue University expect HESTIA to emerge as the internationally recognized state-of-the-art model/data system and interactive graphical interface for global industrial activity in the form of quantifiable CO² missions. “Essentially, HESTIA will quantify and simulate the metabolism of global industrial economic activity,” Dr. Gurney noted.

The Purdue Climate Change Research Center is affiliated with Purdue’s Discovery Park.  The center promotes and organizes research and education on global climate change and studies its impact on agriculture, natural ecosystems and society.  It was established in 2004 to support Purdue in research and education on regional-scale climate change, its impacts and mitigation and adaptation strategies.  The center serves as a hub for a range of activities beyond scientific research, including teaching, public education and the development of public policy recommendations.

Knauf Insulation is a leading global manufacturer of thermal and acoustical insulations for residential, commercial, industrial, OEM and metal building applications. For more information about Knauf sales and products, visit www.knaufinsulation.us, write to Knauf Insulation GmbH, One Knauf Drive, Shelbyville, IN  46176 or call 800-825-4434 ext. 8212.