Oil Spill Taints UC Berkeley's BP-funded Research
BERKELEY, Calif.-- BP's catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is fueling opposition to the University of California, Berkeley's research partnership with the British company.
The oil giant gave UC Berkeley a $500 million grant in 2007 to create the Energy Biosciences Institute, which works to develop new sources of plant-based fuel.
Now, as the spill devastates the Gulf Coast, some faculty members and local activists are say it's time to sever ties.
But UC Berkeley officials say the institute has nothing to do with the Gulf spill, and the university has no plans to end its research partnership with BP.
And BP officials say the company remains committed to funding the Berkeley-based research institute, as well as its other alternative energy research programs.
