Plenary Lecture: Biofuels and Global Climate Change

The official opening session and Plenary Lecture featured a talk from Jerald L. Schnoor, of the University of Iowa, entitled, “Biofuels and Global Climate Change.” This topic was especially fitting for the June conference as gas prices and temperatures are on the rise once again this summer.

Jerald L. Schnoor received the B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State, the M.S. degree in environmental health engineering, from the University of Texas, and the Ph.D. degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas. Throughout his career, Schnoor has been very active in environmental issues. He testified several times before Congress on the environmental effects of acid deposition and the importance of passing the 1990 Clean Air Act. As Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Science and Technology, Schnoor guided the leading journal in the world in both environmental engineering and environmental science. Professor Schnoor has published (as author, co-author, or editor) six books and over 150 research articles in archival journals, in addition to serving as lead editor of a series of texts and monographs for John Wiley & Sons. His vast array of knowledge and his passion for environmental issues was evident in his lecture. Professor Schnoor was an eloquent speaker and surely set the bar high for the rest of the week with his thought-provoking presentation.