Logan said the consequences of not addressing climate change can be catastrophic.
“By the end of this century what are things going to look like?” he said. “I mean how we get there, how fast we can get there. That's one thing, but certainly by the end of the century we have to have solved our energy needs because if we haven't, the climate change consequences are enormous.”
At Penn State, the Energy 2100 initiative hopes to better integrate renewable energy technologies into Penn State research, education and outreach activities, and to promote and better advertise work in helping to transform energy infrastructure. The initiative focuses on research technologies that convert energy into useful forms, producing electricity or useful fuels such as hydrogen or methane gases from renewable sources.
The University has been committed to reducing its carbon footprint, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 32% since 2005. Penn State also transitioned from coal to natural gas, and started using hydroelectric energy and solar arrays.
Hoskins believes Penn State can be close to a completely renewable campus in 10 years, and Logan said the University can be a leader in the state.
“You're going to see our educational paradigm change,” he said. “We're going to train people differently, and 10 years from now we're going to be the example of renewable energy. We're going to be seeing Pennsylvania follow that as well.”
Visit the WPSU website for more information on central Pennsylvania’s public media station. WPSU is an outreach service of Penn State.