UMass and the National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions

Thursday February 5^th, the University of Massachusetts participated in the National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions by welcoming a host of UMass researchers, research directors, and Amherst community leaders to talk about Global Warming. Vice Chancellor Paul Kostecki made the introductory remarks on the university-wide research efforts in clean energy. He praised the recent decrease in energy and water consumption on campus. He explained that currently the university pays for the removal of used cooking oil from the Dining Commons but that there are plans to use the cooking oil to create biofuel. The future of this and other projects looks bright according to Kostecki. Many “shovel ready” projects are poised to begin. He said, “I think the stars are in alignment and we finally have a president who gets it”.

His remarks were followed by those of Professor James Manwell, the director of the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory. Manwell spoke on the university’s history with wind turbine research. He also discussed the logistical difficulties in developing turbine technology like transport and permitting. He referred to the Cape Wind project and General Electrics inability to keep up with the demand for turbine production.

Professor Raymond Bradley, Director of Climate System Research Center, took on the question: Is global warming real? His answer was unequivocally yes. He presented NASA data, data gleaned from a weather station on Kilimanjaro, and computer modeled climate scenarios based on that data.