Sustainability is the Captain Planet of today's college students. It's here to save our poor, defenseless campus from the clutches of green house gasses and mountains of potentially recyclable cans. Facing down sustainability in Athens is the Lausche Heating Plant.
The mere mention of a coal power plant raises eyebrows and protest signs. Talk of CO2 emission and our champion sustainability are prevalent topics at the tables of Shively's dining hall. Surely sustainability efforts overcome the evils of this heating plant.
Yet, the villainous acts have taken place on OU's campus since 1967. The power plant boasts three coal and one natural gas-fired boiler. The plant received an impressive 31,000 tons of coal in 2007.
Holy coal consumption
Batman!
What many students don't realize is that Ohio University owns the power plant, granting employment to 18 stationary engineers. The plant, through the use of underground tunnels, heats your frigid dorms and classrooms.
One rebel in the fight is the Beyond Coal campaign, a group that tried to shut down the diabolical coal plant. Its activists campaigned and petitioned so endlessly that it seemed like sustainability was about to defeat Lausche.
The campaign, of course, was stopped right in its tracks before anything could be done.
Not less than a quarter ago, Student Senate decided to forego any support of the plan and left this monstrosity up for future review. However the campaign was plagued with holes and shaky ideas, contributing to its eventual downfall. And although I do support Student Senate's motion to deny any campaign shutting down the plant, something should still be done.
I do not believe any reasonable person would want to rely on the power plant forever. Unfortunately, there are few alternatives.
The most basic principle in chemical engineering has to do with the first law of thermodynamics. Ah, yes, the most important rule stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed. This principle limits many of the alternatives engineers can invent for power plants.
Solar, wind and nuclear are all nifty ideas, but there is simply not enough heat generated from all of those processes to provide energy for the entire campus of OU. Coal power is much too efficient and cheap to suddenly convert from its only heating source to alternative energy.
So all hope is lost. Sustainability's battle-torn cape and beat-up face only ensures the ultimate victory of the sinister heating plant. His laugh echoes in our ears, knowing our efforts are futile and his secretion of more harmful products is certain.
But there, in the distance, draws nigh our shining hero riding in from the sunrise just in time for the most critical moment of our fight.
This hero's name is promise.
Promise of the engineers and scientists trained in new ways to solve the impending problems. Promise of the awareness beginning to arise about the sheer impact of coal plants and their wrongdoings.
The Beyond Coal campaign is only the first in what I foresee as a long line of students finding better and newer ways of combating the coal plant.
Even now, at the end of January, transitioning into February, RecycleMania starts once again. RecycleMania, which only a few years ago included a handful of schools, has now spread its mania to a couple hundred schools. The infection is gaining speed. Everyone is beginning to do his or her small part.
It will take the collective efforts of numerous professions and peoples around the world. And while the power plant will be here for some time, it won't be around forever.
Arise, sustainability, for your finest hour is close at hand.
Luis Delgadillo is a sophomore studying chemical engineering and columnist for The Post. Send him your favorite Captain Planet episode at ld199907@ohiou.edu 4
Opinion
Luis Delgadillo
