more on ORI building

1/17/2010: Anthony Biglan of ORI calls out the AAA professors opposing their new building:

This year Oregon Research Institute will celebrate its 50th anniversary of doing research in the behavioral sciences. Much of our work focuses on the prevention and treatment of the major psychological and behavioral problems that jeopardize health and well-being. To continue and expand this work, we’ve planned a new building in the University of Oregon’s Riverfront Research Park — a project whose timely completion is threatened by unwarranted delays.

… But our ability to do this work is threatened by efforts of UO professors Mark Gillem and Ron Lovinger and some of their students to prevent the building’s construction (Commentary, Jan. 3). The NIH grant comes from federal stimulus money that must be spent within a two-year time limit, and the clock is ticking. As we indicated to Gillem in early December, a delay in construction could result in our losing the funds entirely and/or the building not being built.

Tough questions for the opposition! I’m not impressed by this though:

The building plan includes photovoltaic cells to offset energy usage; …

We should be long past the point where you can paste a few solar cells on a building in Oregon and use that to brag that it’s green – whatever the LEED rules say. Both sides should take this off the table and send the photovoltaics to Haiti.