The elections are past and is time for all of us to refocus. For me, this will be a good thing.
I do have one more thing to say. At a time when “leaving a better country and world to our children” received a lot of political play, it seems strange that global warming and sustainable energy were ignored. This bothered me. There were plenty of ads from big oil and clean coal (they keep saying this, but it should be cleaner coal). There was big money behind the ads and a focus on the economics of low energy costs. Then there was that “I am an energy voter” campaign.
North Dakota owes the relative prosperity of the state the emerging oil industry (and Canadian shoppers). However, it has the potential to be an energy leader in other areas. The problem is that the oil industry is immediate and easy money. Alternative energy will not be immediately competitive but it has extremely important long term potential. Politicians in tight contests want to appear fiscally responsible discouraging vision and a long term view. Why back anything that is risky and costly?
I am frustrated that developing wind energy – an obvious opportunity to anyone who has spend time outdoors in North Dakota – received little attention. Despite the focus on jobs, jobs, jobs – the failure to encourage growth has resulted in job loses in this energy sector (LM Wind, DMI Wind).
Energy storage and transmission are obviously inefficient and expensive. I am assuming these are problems that science can address. However, you cannot solve such problems if you ignore them. I have long been a fan of Tom Friedman (see Hot, flat and crowded for his view of the future – $10 on your Kindle). He suggests that clean energy be the “man on the moon” program of our generation. Why not take on this challenge for the same reasons President Kennedy “chose to go to the moon” – not because it is easy, but because it is hard. It is a challenge we need to accept.
UND would be in a great position to drive this agenda. We have an energy research center and quality engineering programs. We are well positioned to take advantage of the wind and there is money in the state. We should start by erecting a wind turbine on campus. What a great opportunity to encourage a STEM focus.
