Not just legislators are talking about energy
February 1, 2008
The recently-introduced KS House bill 2711 and the KDHE Secretary’s denial of the Sunflower Expansion Project permit last October have called attention to an issue that many Kansans – legislators and citizens alike – had previously been able to ignore. Well, ignoring where our energy comes from is all but impossible now, as energy policy is becoming a focal point of this legislative session and our state’s future hangs in the balance.
What has struck me recently though, in my role as community outreach coordinator for CEP (surprise! not Maril today. She’s in Colorado. You know, that state with the enviable RPS legislation? Oh, and they have some pretty sweet mountains too…) But I digress.
What has struck me over the past few weeks of both participating in and facilitating community forums on climate and energy issues, is that Kansans are concerned and trying desperately to wrap their minds around the implications these issues have for their state, their jobs, their families and their futures.
Last week, CEP hosted 3 community energy forums in Salina, Overland Park, and Topeka (see photos below). If you added the temperatures of all three nights together, it still would not have broken the freezing mark. Yet, 400 motivated Kansans showed up to hear from wind developers, utility executives, transmission experts and climate researchers. The questions from audience members ranged from policy-level to personal action recommendations, from projected precipitation patterns in Western KS to the particulars of net metering legislation. It was extremely heartening to participate in a dialogue that connected citizens and decision-makers on these critical issues. Oh, and we ate pie. LOTS of pie.
On February 11th and 12th, we hope to contribute yet another piece to the conversation on climate change. Along with Sierra Club, Oxfam America, and the Kansas Rural Center, CEP is hosting polar explorer Will Steger to share his eyewitness account of the effects of global warming on the Arctic. Steger, a renowned polar explorer has led expeditions for 40 years, and has much to share about these precious and threatened regions. Kansans will have the opportunity to view Steger’s presentation, and interact with the explorer at two venues:
- Hutchinson, KS- Fox Theater- February 11th, 7:00 PM
- Overland Park, KS- Johnson County Community College Regnier Center- February 12th, 7:00 PM
This is all part of what we are trying to do at CEP- start conversations and provide Kansans with the information they need to make decisions about our state’s energy future. And eat pie.
Be sure to check back on Monday as we follow the news on House bill 2711!
-Eileen Horn
