Changes, Big and Small

After full immersion in the planning stages of The Nature of Things, watching Jeff Muhs kick off the series with his talk about transformational energy technologies was extra refreshing. Not only did he discuss some truly ground-breaking innovations as promised (electrified roadways? Who would have thought!), but he also frankly addressed the reasons why new energy systems have a hard time being implemented. Unsurprisingly, a primary challenge is the traditional incremental system of technological progress that favors gradually building upon existing methods rather than replacing them with different systems that could work a lot better.

Of Muhs’ many solutions to our energy crisis, I particularly enjoyed his shoutout to universities and other non-federal organizations as capable keyholders to a bright energy future. I see that truth every day as I roam the U of U campus. My peers and I are highly sensitive to the fact that things aren’t moving quite as fast as they should be, and we’re dead set on achieving real change. We are thankful for the few ‘compostable’ plastic spoons in the Union cafeteria over here, but most of us realize that a corn-based spoon is not really going to reverse global warming. I have faith that my generation has the ability to move beyond cutlery, beat the system, and save the world.

And in order to do that, we have to start at home. Another reason I liked hearing from Jeff Muhs is that he is innovating right here in Utah, where his work is extremely important. Utah is one of the US regions most severely impacted by climate change. We are already painfully aware of the limited amount of water available in our arid climate, which will only become more scarce as we release more emissions that mess with the weather and make Utah even more susceptible to drought. As summer starts earlier and ends later, the amount of snowpack on our mountains will not be able to provide the required amount of water to sustain us. Not to mention the myriad other ecological impacts of wonky weather (don’t even get me started on the ski season).

There is a lot at stake, both at home and the world at large, and it’s time to put solutions to action. There are many possibilities out there, which we will continue to explore in the coming Nature of Things lectures. For example, a member of the audience brought up a question about the controversial cap and trade system as a solution to reducing climate-changing carbon emissions. Muhs chose not to touch that can of worms, but this Wednesday’s speaker, Fred Krupp, is bringing a can opener. As president of the Environmental Defense Fund and a leading proponent of the cap and trade system, Krupp will bring new insight to cap and trade as well as a host of other large-scale ideas to battle climate change and reinvent energy. Don’t forget to reserve your free tickets, and we will see you there!