By SAMI MCGUIRE
Sports Reporter
Northwest Oklahoma is a place with a lot of wind. We deal with almost every day. The knotted up hair, the sand in the face and the broken down tree branches.
To most of northwest Oklahoma the wind is a nuisance, but there are ways that the wind could be repurposed into something positive.
At 7 p.m. on April 19 CORE will hold a panel to discuss wind turbines. The discussion will be held in Alva room EC 102, Enid room 225, Woodward room 147 and Ponca City room 124.
There will be five panelist to answer questions and discuss wind turbine’s effects in northwest Oklahoma. The panelist are Casey Camp-Horinek, Ponca Tribe representative; Tim Olm, an Alva cattle rancher; Candace Reim, a wind catcher representative; Tiffini Jackson, a wind catcher representative; and Sue Selman, a Woodward farmer. There will also be special guest Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist.
With this many people, along with CORE and school members the event is expected to be lively.
Jason Ogg, CORE president, is leading the event. He said to expect a educational and lively, but civil, disclosure of how wind energy can impact northwest Oklahoma. The audience will also have a chance to join the dialog during the Q and A portion of the event.
CORE’s main goals are to inform the community of environmental issues, campus recycling and textbook reuse. This event will fill the group’s first goal, to inform.
Ogg said CORE supports alterative energy, but along with benefits to it, there are also downsides. Steven Mackie, co-faculty sponsor of CORE, also talked about the negatives and positives of wind turbines.
Some concerns that will be discussed in the panel are the rights of the native peoples and their land, impact of the well-being of inhabitants of the land, sustainability of the manner in which energy is produced and distributed and tax credits.
Although Alva seems like the perfect home for wind turbines that doesn’t mean the Alva community would directly benefit from their presence.
“Wind turbines are not green or sustainable unless the energy produced is locally used,” Mackie said. “Many of the wind farms in northwest Oklahoma transport their energy to distant parts of the state or even out of state. The massive power lines to transport energy have severe health risks to locals, plus they are an eye-sore.”
Although there are many downsides to wind energy, there are also many benefits.
Ogg said: “Producing wind energy makes us less reliable on finite fossil fuels. Economically, turbines provide a benefit in the form of tax incentives for school districts, and an income for those whose land house the turbines.”
Around this topic there are many opinions. Many of the opinions are based on local use and health of the inhabitants around the wind turbines.
“Personally, I believe renewable energy should be pursued and developed, but only after a thorough analysis of its sustainability and impact on the environment,” Ogg said. “We have to go about in a way that is responsible, that respects the well-being of all inhabitants, and leaves the smallest carbon footprint possible.”
Mackie’s approach to the topic is similar in some areas, but also goes in another direction that many people forget about: conserving energy.
“Oil is a finite natural resource,” Mackie said. “We need smart and viable sources of alterative energy, like wind and solar. However these forms of energy are old sustainable when sourced and used locally. It would be remise if we didn’t also address our energy consumption habits. The first step is to conserve all forms of precious energy. Then take smart steps to produce truly green sources of energy to meet our needs.”
For more information about the event contact Jason Ogg at 580-213-3141 or jlogg@nwosu.edu.