Green Energy Advocates Talk Renewable Energy and Healthy Food
By Eliana Mello | Observer Contributor
Photo by Thomas Hill Jr.
MWCC supports the environment through their own green energy facilities, classes, and through partnering with organizations in the community.
Robert LaBonte, Vice Principal of Finance and Administration, said, “It’s important that we show some leadership in initiating green energy on the campus.”
MWCC has been involved in green energy since the 1970s, using electricity rather than oil in order to help with the oil shortage during that time. A biomass facility was constructed next to the gym in order to use a renewable energy source. Wood chips are used to heat the school rather than oil.
When burning wood for energy it is believed that “trees take up as much carbon as they put in,” said LaBonte. The biomass facility replaced most of their electrical needs and the turbines were installed in March of 2011 to help with the remainder of the school’s energy needs.
Photo by Betsy Torres
During the eight years with the turbines, they have produced 41 million kilowatt hours of electricity and the school has used 44 million kilowatts of energy. This means the school has produced around 94% of the energy used over the eight years, according to LaBonte.
At times, the turbines may produce more or less energy than needed. In these instances, energy is either taken from the grid to be used by the school, or the extra energy is distributed back into the grid to be used by the population.
The turbines have shown that locations farther inland can use wind energy as a source of energy, LaBonte explained. When planning for the turbines, the community was supportive towards the project, according to LaBonte, and the community has been continually supportive towards the renewable energy source.
MWCC offers a Natural Resources degree program in order to teach students about environmental occupations and natural resources.
The program is a two-year program that uses the greenhouse to teach students.
“It helps prepare students for that specific field,” said Thomas Montagno, Biology professor and Chairman for the Natural Resources program.
The Biology 120 and 140 classes teach students the ins and outs of running a greenhouse. These biology classes can be taken by any student. Students who are in a major that requires a biology class can take Biology 120 rather than an intro to biology class.
MWCC’s greenhouse is about two years old and is computer controlled. It allows students to learn about plants in a controlled environment. Montagno said this was a good investment for the school and recommends other schools to get one only if they have a program that would support and use it.
“If we didn’t have the greenhouse the NRD program wouldn’t be what it is today,” said Montagno.
The herbs and vegetables grown in the greenhouse are occasionally sold by the Green Society. This also helps students learn about the selling aspect of growing plants.
Montagno’s biggest tip to help the environment is to recycle and to do it intentionally. The Green Society created a public service announcement to show what can and can’t be recycled on campus. There are plans to show the video during freshman orientation in the fall.
MWCC has also been involved with teaching the community about how to support the environment. The 8th Annual Food Gardeners Gathering, hosted by Growing Places on the Gardner campus, emphasized how participants can get involved in the local food system and increase access to healthy food.
According to Amy Yeagle, Executive Director at Growing Places, their mission is to “increase healthy food access and environmental stability for underdeveloped people in Central Massachusetts.” Their focus is to achieve this in an environmentally safe way, Yeagle explained.
“It’s about taking care of the earth as much as we are taking care of people to make them healthy,” said Yeagle.
After circulating a survey throughout Fitchburg State University, Growing Places discovered that 15% of the people at the school purchase their food at a dollar store. Many people are unable to buy healthier foods because they can’t afford it. Yeagle called the food system broken, believing we need to think outside the box in order to fix it.
“We need to be more thoughtful about our food all the way around,” stressed Yeagle.
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