It is great that a company will be manufacturing “green” cement locally [“Clean cement plant to employ 70,” Gazette, Jan. 10]. However, “green” production is a very difficult concept to pin down, particularly in cement production, which is one of the most energy-intensive and greenhouse gas-emitting industries.

Even if the process engineering uses clean materials, what energy source will the company be using to provide its electricity, and what provisions are in place to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the factory?

Peter M. Haas

Emeritus professor of
political science, UMass Amherst