A Look at Alternative Energy in Sheboygan
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Nov 24, 2024
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A Look at Alternative Energy in Sheboygan
Environmental pollution has been a global problem for several decades now leading to
numerous conventions and policy changes in an attempt to tame it. Specifically, human behavior
is the biggest contributor to pollution which has led to the need for changes in regulations and
the implementation of measures aimed at promoting accountability in different levels. One major
source of pollution is the emission of greenhouse gases, especially from the production of power.
While this is a global phenomenon, it starts on smaller scales such as counties as states, whose
annual emissions lead to the negative effects such as global warming. Sheboygan county in
Wisconsin is no less contributor to pollution with its increased energy production and
consumption. The “ThinkHaus: A Look at Alternative Energy in Sheboygan” convocation tape
on a Lakeland College seminar by Paul Pickhardt, who is an associate professor of biology and
chair of Lakeland’s Natural Sciences Division focuses on Sheboygan and what can be done to
improve its energy practices.
Paul Pickhardt’s lecture majorly revolves around the use of alternative sources of energy
in Sheboygan, as opposed to coal and petroleum, which have a lot of negative effects on the
environment. In the first section of the tape, Pickhardt reviews Sheboygan’s energy needs and
consumption rates. In this case, he points out that the county’s energy consumption is slightly
below the national average. As a result, he commends the citizens for their proper energy
practices. Pickhardt also reiterates on the cold winters in Sheboygan and the energy-hungry
industries such as manufacturing, which would conventionally lead to increased energy
consumption (Pickhardt, 2014). Regarding the sources of power, Pickhardt states that half of the
energy used in the state is generated from the combustion of coal. While it is a traditional form of
power generation, coal has some of its advantages such as affordability. Besides, coal industries
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in the region have created employment opportunities. For instance, the Edgewater Energy Center
employs a significant number of the local population (Pickhardt, 2014). Unfortunately, coal
combustion emits greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, Sulphur oxides, and nitric oxides, which
pollute the atmosphere.
Contrary to coal, Pickhardt offers alternatives available, and those that could be utilized
to reduce pollution from power generation such as wind, hydro, nuclear, and wave energy. The
state has different energy sources installed, which account for about a tenth of the total energy
produced (Pickhardt, 2014). These include a nuclear reactor, some wind turbines, wave energy at
the beach, and hydroelectricity from the national grid. In this regard, Sheboygan can focus on
other sources and increase how much yield is obtained from these current alternative energy
sources. For instance, the installation of wind turbines on the vast shoreline to help increase the
wind energy yield obtained. In addition, the state is a home to a lot of dairy farming. As a result,
the waste from the dairy farms can be converted into biogas or other form of usable energy to
power the state (Pickhardt, 2014). Moreover, Sheboygan could enjoy photovoltaic or solar power
generation. The facilitator welcomed discussions into the renewable energy projects possible in
Sheboygan.
I agree with Pickhardt’s lecture that Sheboygan could improve the pollution rates through
the implementation of renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels such as coal have caused massive
pollution in the environment. It is time people put serious attention to the alternative sources and
invested in them significantly. Pickhardt gives a sustainability point of view brought about by the
renewable sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear energy.
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Reference
Pickhardt, P. (2014, November 19).
ThinkHaus: A Look at Alternative Energy in Sheboygan
|
Lakeland University
[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ktfMCORUyWk
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