Students cycle Montana in search of sustainable energy future

Friday, 23 May 2008

Contact: Nicky Phear, Course Instructor, University of Montana and the Wild Rockies Field Institute, 406-381-3855, nicky.phear@umontana.edu.

Course Syllabus, 2008 | Student Blog Entries

MISSOULA —

A group of energetic university students and instructors have begun a course called, “Cycle the Rockies: Energy and Climate Change in Montana.” Nine students and their two instructors, Nicky Phear and Dave Morris, will spend the next four weeks cycling 650 miles from Billings to Whitefish to explore our regional energy choices and the impacts of climate change. The course is offered by The University of Montana and the Missoula-based Wild Rockies Field Institute.

While in Billings, the group will see first hand how fossil fuel energy is produced and the important role of energy conservation. The group will tour the ExxonMobil oil refinery and the coal-fired Corette Generating Plant, and then visit the award-winning, highly energy efficient, headquarters of the Northern Plains Resource Council.

Cycling north to Roundup, then west to Helena, students will explore renewable energy options. They will meet with farmers growing oil seed crops, visit the Judith Gap wind farm, a biomass fuels project at Townsend Schools, the Canyon Ferry hydroelectric dam, and a variety of other solar, wind and geothermal projects along the way.

Devin Trainor, who won a $500 Cycle Montana Scholarship to attend the course, said, “I am focusing my college education to prepare for a career in the renewable energy field. I expect this course will be instrumental in educating me about the realities and challenges for renewable energy that I would otherwise not be exposed to in a college classroom setting.”

After a series of meetings in Helena focused on energy and climate policy, the class rolls up the Rocky Mountain Front and through Glacier National Park, a place feeling the effects of global warming in highly visible ways. From Glacier the class concludes in Whitefish where they will give a presentation to the community on the insights they’ve drawn from their journey.

"Climate change and our energy choices will be defining issues for the next generation," says Nicky Phear, one of the course instructors. "We want to give students experiences and knowledge that will help them take part in our transition to a more sustainable energy future.”

“Montana is an amazing place to study energy and climate change,” says Dave Morris, the other course instructor. “We have so many energy options here, from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, all set in beautiful agricultural and natural landscapes that are already feeling the effects of climate changes.”

For engaging updates from the road and beautiful photographs of the course, you can access student-written internet weblog entries posted on the University of Montana website at this address: http://blog.umt.edu/cycletherockies/.

Cycle the Rockies is one of several field-based courses offered by the Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI). In addition to the experience of the cycling expedition and site visits, students will complete traditional academic assignments, including readings, discussions, written assignments, and a final presentation. Each student is eligible to receive six credits from UM (3 credits in EVST, Field Studies of Climate Change, and 3 credits in Resource Conservation, Field Studies of Energy Systems). For more information about WRFI or the course visit www.wrfi.net.

To reach course instructors, call Nicky Phear or Dave Morris (406-381-3855). To reach WRFI’s program manager, call Anna Tuttle (406-549-4336)

UM Press Release

Also see: Bike trip to teach about energy issues, climage change - Billings Gazette