Future of Going Green and Green Renewable Energy

No matter what side of the “green” aisle you are on I would hope that we can all agree that the United States has been severely sold out by not only the oil industry but also government leaders. Our dependence on oil has reached epic proportions and we can't be so blind as to not share the blame along with several entities for allowing it. This crisis has brought green technology to the forefront of debate. This was also at the heart of a meeting which took place on Wednesday, 12 October, 2011, at the Shenandoah High School Auditorium.

A very informative presentation was presented to the public by Growth Energy which is chaired by Tom Buis and co-chaired by Retired General Wesley Clark. The presentation involved an almost one-hour-long film and piggybacked on the precepts and success of our own Green Plains Renewable Energy. Alternative fuels was strongly advocated but specifically the use of corn – hence ethanol.

For me, personally, I understand that there are always sixteen sides to every issue and it's important to understand them all before making any firm and informed decisions. I do know that we are way too involved and dependent in foreign oil. I'm all for liberating people from tyranny and oppression but when our military is sent into places where there may be our “energy interests” at stake then that's where a line needs to be drawn and we, as a nation, need to take a good look at ourselves.

Don't get me wrong. I wholly support our military servicemen who protect our interests overseas and seek to reduce the power of Al-Qaeda. However, we live in a society of many layers of unmentioned reasons and intentions for every action. I have to believe that a part of why we are so involved in the fighting effort, no matter how small that part may be, is because without THAT oil over there our own livelihood and economy would crumble. This is where the shame is and this is what I mean when I say I support the military effort but question the entirety of our reasons there.

Really, this is a quagmire that's been forming for decades. Any leader in office feels compelled to protect those interests because to not do so would make that leader unfavored among his/her constituents. For decades we have been weened from the skill of independence to a culture of servitude and dependence. Great modern cities and palaces are being built in desert sands with the wealth we supply while hundreds of thousand of our own men, women and children suffer to live under bridges or in appalling conditions. There is an obvious disconnect here and it takes the form of a noose with which we shall one day hang ourselves with lest other action be taken.

The presentation was interesting. A few things I learned in the presentation were:

• The corn used for ethanol is by and large not the corn we consume but rather the corn used in feed lots for livestock. This was interesting because I've heard many times the allegation that ethanol production is raising the cost of food. Apparently this was inaccurate.
• The corn used for ethanol is for the most part returned as feed source in the form of ethanol byproduct. This is product that is produced or left over after the entire ethanol process is complete.
• Algae production right here at Shenandoah's GPRE is having much success and is even at stage 2.5 out of 3 from being commercialized.
• Ethanol is not new. Henry Ford used ethanol before gasoline exclusively from the beginning of his company up until the start of Prohibition. That was interesting to me!
• The cost of an hybrid or flex fuel vehicle is a sham. The actual cost to make a car compatible with ethanol 85 is about $40-$50. The difference is the coating of the tank, some type of fuel line and a microchip. That's it!
• Green Plains in Shenandoah uses the city's gray water and not the water feeding into our homes. This waste water is used as a coolant at the plant.

There were many more things learned but it's important to note that we are releasing carbon into our air supply by burning a non-renewable source. The healthiest initiative is to harness the power in our own environment. Corn for ethanol is renewable. Algae is renewable. The same can be said for wind and solar. I also didn't know that there is an increased demographic of ailments among populations near oil refineries. If true than it's a testament that we need to steer into a new (or old according to Henry Ford) direction.

Yes, this presentation was a plug for ethanol and a push to raise awareness of our oil dependence. I know that there are perspectives, pro and con, to every side. I know that by shifting energy sources you cut a job in the oil industry and a source of income for a family. However, if the claimed benefits of ethanol and renewable energy sources is true then it must be the avenue we need to take. Furthermore, if we can steadily create jobs in the process of this shift even approaching the workforce of the oil industry than we can accomplish energy independence while adapting our own culture to the changing times.

Right here in Shenandoah we have a great opportunity to learn how GPRE works. We also have cutting edge technology and research taking place right here with algae. The more we learn the more we can contribute and teach others.

It all starts in the home. We must teach our youth the need of independence and self reliance. Do this in the home. Do this that they may maximize their integrity and self worth when they live out in the “real world” and raise their own families. Teach them the value of energy and how it's brought to bear both in the oil industry and ethanol. As we raise this independent awareness we'll be better prepared as a community to support initiatives that help cut the ties of financial and energy dependence.

I don't classify myself as “green” or even pro oil. I do, however, consider myself an American that is FOR the American family and especially the surety of it's future. Right now my focus is on the American families in Shenandoah, Iowa. I believe we live amidst opportunity. I believe we have energy sources all around us both that we have technology to harvest and even sources yet not identified. For us in the Shenandoah area I believe we need to embrace ethanol and have pride in where it's being produced.

From this meeting I have gained a deeper appreciation for Mother Earth and what she's supplied us with – opportunity!

Sister Cities Shenandoah Iowa and Tisovec Slovakia

Shenandoah has a great asset in Tisovec, Slovakia. Tisovec is Shenandoah's sister city. At Tuesday's (10/11/11) City Council meeting we heard the report of a recent trip there by a Shenandoah delegation. The entire report was superb and full of hope. The Tisovec people, especially in the parliamentary leadership, were moved by Shenandoah's gesture of goodwill. The delegation was even invited to a school program about 9/11. They thought they were going to hear student reports of the dreadful day but instead it was actually a chance for the Slavic people to ask us (the delegation) our own feelings of 9/11. The report was that everyone in attendance was greatly moved. These kinds of events further bind cultures. We are truly blessed to have a friend in the community of Tisovec, Slovakia.

The Sister Cities International program is a great way to connect the world. It's a “win win!” Great strides seem to have been taken to warm relations and strengthen future ties. As a gesture of goodwill Shenandoah proposed a tree planting ceremony on Tisovec ground as symbolic of a solid foundation of relations between our two great cities. This tentatively may take place in the spring of 2012.

As part of my “wish list” of things to happen in Shenandoah while in my proposed tenure of City Councilman At Large is the hope that individuals in our community may organize through this Sister City International delegation to communicate personally with individuals of the sister city of Tisovec, Slovakia. Ongoing communication may help create friendships and foster even economic ideas to benefit each other.

Constantly improved technology can make this process easy. With the help of Facebook and even the premiere of Google+ exchanges can take place daily. Google+ especially comes to mind because there are simple avenues to have webcam “hangouts” in circles. This can be not only fun but also productive as far as economic ideas and cultural exchanges are concerned.

I plan to look into this process immediately to see it's relevance.

A Treasure in Shenandoah Iowa

Some knowledge is taken for granted. Some knowledge is so essential yet simple that it often needs to be reminded by even a simple voice in a noisy world. Such is the case just last week. Often, we in southwest Iowa feel isolated and cut off from opportunity and those activities that make city life look exciting. I was reminded just last week of a treasure that we have right here in Shenandoah. A treasure that I also grew up with in the Isolated Nebraska town of Avoca and even Nebraska City. The treasure is – isolation.

Don't get me wrong. This is not some dark dismal rendition of some kind of grandeur of being away from the more populated world. I only want to expound on one aspect of the isolation that we have - yet take for granted. Are there things to learn and remember from living in an area with exponentially less traffic? Are there good things that come from living in an area where most people still don't lock their doors? Is there a softer sense of safety when our children go on their walkabouts? Consider these things and then consider the future.

I remember when I lived out in the country in Avoca, Nebraska. We were trailer house tenants on a farmstead that had lots of crops and lots of cows. I remember that maybe four or five times a year we'd wake up to cows in our yard because they escaped the fencing somehow. It was interesting running to the car while dodging the landmines left by our guests. We didn't lock the door because there was no need to. There was nearby vegetation to go exploring in and there was a hay barn just up the hill where my brother and I used to play and jump on the huge rounds. These are memories that, now looking back, contributed to my entire makeup today. It fostered courage and curiosity. It also allowed the principle of self reliance and endurance to prevail.

Avoca is home of the Quack Off!

Being in a trailer house on a farm was brutal during the winter. I remember the pipes freezing up every year and the only true warm room in the house was the bathroom which was located right next to the furnace. It served as a family room because we brought in the little black and white television (with tin foil for reception of course). I remember us having to bring the dishes into the bathtub to be washed. Also, don't even get me started on the toilet. That was an indulgence that we may now sit comfortably and read the paper but at that time our system of family restroom turns was extremely disgusting. Remember, no plumbing and frozen water lines. You do the math and use your imagination. Yet – it was a memory that contributed to who I am today.

I loved walking a half mile to the small town of Avoca and walking the streets having fun with friends. My brother and I often went to the small laundromat to play Space Invaders. It was one of two video games there. I loved and continue to cherish my memories of my school there. Though not used as a school no more, and old and musty, it still bears memories good and bad for many past students. These too contributed to my being today.

In Nebraska City I enjoyed the liberty of walking the streets. It was safe as far as I allowed it to be in my rebellious years. We did lock our doors more but the town was just small enough to enjoy the privilege of walk and curiosity – with an added touch of trouble I might add. Still, these added to who I am.

Nebraska City is the home of Arbor Lodge.

Shenandoah is no different for our children. I often hear them scourge at the lack of things to do and their desire to go to the big city. However, what they don't realize now is that fifteen or twenty years down the road they will look back with gratitude of the latitude and liberties they had. These freedoms were dependent largely because of being in a smaller city in a greater rural area.

This is the treasure which we have here. In order to retain the fond memories for our youth of the nature of Shenandoah we need to give them things to enjoy and to create their own environment in. We do have a great many activities and places to visit here. Our rising generation have many local generosities of a wide variety of scholarships to partake of. Yet there is always more that can be done.

Take a drive down Shenandoah!

I submit that we need to continue striving toward community involvement and interaction. Acquiring the sense and knowledge that you are part of something larger is fulfilling and encourages happiness. I believe that there should be greater dialogue between the public and the officials they elect. Through this, perhaps we can expand the activities available so as to further inspire and interest all kids across the diverse spectrum here in Shenandoah.

Our “isolation” is a gift which we can benefit from immensely. It's an opportunity to create opportunity in a community ripe with talent and occasion to serve one another. All this is made possible by the blood and courage of the United States military past, present and future. They continue, as they always have, to protect those simple things in life that we take for granted yet reap the benefits from down the road.

Honor our defenders, honor our rising generation, honor citizenship and honor the memories of Shenandoah. Always be engaged in a good cause. Let's roll up our sleeves for the betterment of this community.