#7 False

The science, as applied by engineers and experts who know how to measure such things, in contrast to the passionate speculation of amateurs, yields exactly the opposite conclusion; it is the maintenance of the present building that will be the climate disaster. The Library Trustees’ Sustainability Committee, composed of Town experts professionally experienced in such technical measurements, retained engineers to assess the energy per square foot required by the building; it will be only 40% of the energy per square foot required by the present building; the building energy costs will be reduced by 8%.  They also determined that the total carbon emissions of the building over a 60-year life cycle will be 40% less than those of the present building; this includes the climate impact of the removal of the 1993 addition which is a tiny fraction of the total.  The project will be a huge win for climate change mitigation, producing a facility that is net-zero ready, and one of the most climate-friendly buildings in Amherst. The sustainability experts – those with training, credentials, and experience – uniformly support this project. We will never have a better opportunity to achieve sustainability goals for the Jones.