The hot career on campuses nationwide has been those involving clean energy, the Los Angeles Times recently reported.

Many students are voicing their concern about climate change and going green, so they decide to study science or engineering. The interest has been strengthened by global warming, but what remains uncertain is whether or not those students will go on to graduate school.

The L.A. Times reported that the U.S. struggled in the past 20 years to produce enough scientists and engineers to meet demand. Grad programs in engineering dropped more than five percent from 2003-2005.Countries like China and Korea though have been revamping their programs, as they are rapidly developing.

Another interesting piece of information swas that grad science enrollment in the U.S. has doubled, but that the classes are half full of foreign students, many of whom end up leaving the country after they are finished studying.

The National Science Board reported in 2008 that, if that trend continues to happen, “the rapid growth in [research and development] employment and spending that the United States has experienced since World War II may not be sustainable.”

President Obama’s economic stimulus package could help this problem though. The L.A. Times reported that the package includes $20 billion to support basic and applied science research that could have cheaper solar cells, better wind turbines and longer-lasting batteries. The budget should triple the number of grad research fellowships.

What graduate research leads to is patents, which end of leading to start-up firms and then possible major industries. The L.A. Times stated that some economists show strong links between patent production and economic growth.

Certain schools where this phenomenon is catching on included Arizona State University, Indiana University and the University of Colorado.

Our Take:

Would you consider changing your major for clean energy? Do you think Obama’s stimulus package would help with our global warming issues?