I found Gabriel Kovacs' column ["Alternative Energy: Better than Trayless dining," Oct. 2, 2008] to be correct in multiple assertions, but unfortunately lacking in the development of his thinking about the nature of the "Energy Problem."
First and foremost, designating our current societal situation as a single "problem," is in and of itself problematic in many respects. The most obvious shortcoming of such an approach is the conflict created by a multitude of voices all touting their favored solution to the "problem;" i.e. going trayless, working on renewable energy, putting in solar panels, etc. The reason this approach has gained such wild popularity is the typical application of engineering principles to systems that are not well parameterized, and have no single solution.
To get things straight: we may have an energy crisis, and it may pose a problem for a given mode of life, but what we are really concerned with is the development (to use a truer word: evolution) of a given socio-econo-ecological system (which includes an engineered infrastructure, and all manner of personal and social interactions). To evolve the current system that we find ourselves living in we need to embrace a dynamic of partnership, to understand our current position, and its trajectory. There are many projects the university could and should undertake to improve its energy efficiency, sustainability, and to decrease its consumption. Solar panels, small scale super efficient wind turbines, solar heat tube hot water, general efficiency retrofits, and integrated site/building design, as well as going organic in land management, changing our suppliers of foodstuffs and other purchased goods to be local and/or low impact being the least of them.
While frustration with the inherent slow nature of change in a large beast such as UConn is understandable, we should not let the all too human tendency to tout misconception undercut our ability to work together to bring about the evolution of this institution (and our society) as we see fit.
- Zbigniew J. Grabowski, graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology and intern in the Office of Environmental Policy
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