By EMILIE PRUETT, guest columnist
There is no question that our lives would be extremely difficult without the electricity we have become so dependent upon, but the generation of electricity using fossil fuels is a major destroyer of our environment, and thus, our health and the future of our children and upcoming generations.
Reversing that is a cause that should unite us all, because it affects us all.
It is natural that we might want to believe the climate crisis deniers, because it is comfortable and does not call for us to change, but believing that puts us and those we love in great peril.
We have to be smart and wary of all the disinformation that is being spread by the fossil fuel industry and the politicians that work in their behalf, instead of advocating for the people, like you and I, who elected them to represent us.
All over the world, grassroots movements are springing up, demanding that their governments and elected officials enact legislation to reduce carbon emissions and put us on a path to save our collective home, the earth. As often as not, they are ignored, but they keep on raising their voices to be heard and working to make positive changes at a local level.
That is the mission of the Brown County environmental group, Earth Rising, and one of our endeavors is to educate ourselves and the community about alternative renewable energy sources like wind, geothermal and solar. We are just one of many organizations doing this and one of many communities working to put a green, sustainable lifestyle in place.
For example, if you travel down I-65 South, you will see a new solar farm under construction just south of Scottsburg that is being built by the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA), a not-for-profit wholesale power provider that serves 61 cities and towns in Indiana and Ohio. This new solar installation contains nearly 25,000 solar panels on 36 acres, and the power that it generates will be directed to the Scottsburg Electrical Utility distribution system to provide green energy to Scottsburg residents at competitive rates. IMPA will also be a major taxpayer in their community, providing a significant boost to the tax base.
A number of other solar farms are being built in Indiana also, as well as individual solar installations to churches, businesses, municipal buildings and private homes. Look up “solar in Indiana” on the internet and you may be surprised, but we still have a very long way to go.
Brown County resident and Earth Rising member Bill Todd writes: “Did you know that you can get solar power for less than you are now paying for your electric bill? Customers of Duke Energy can benefit from net metering until the year 2032 as well as the 26 percent federal tax credit that is currently in place for installing solar. Hundreds of REMC solar members enjoy their solar without net metering. You can learn about the performance, cost and incentives for solar energy systems when members of the non-profit group, Solar Indiana Renewable Energy Network (SIREN), and Earth Rising hold a solar panel forum at the Brown County Public Library, room B, on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.”
Let me share the truth of a quote by Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Let’s all work together to make Brown County (and Nashville of course) one of the green leaders in the state of Indiana.
Emilie Pruett of Brown County submitted this information on behalf of Earth Rising, a new local group with the mission “To learn and share how to tread lightly on the Earth.” Pruett and Earth Rising can be reached at [email protected].
