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Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens spoke to a crowded auditorium about energy reform on Nov. 5. His visit was the inaugural presentation in the UT Dallas Forum on Energy Issues and Innovation, intended to reflect the growing emphasis on energy and natural resources stewardship.
But those expecting Pickens to speak about the environment or conservation heard instead about the political and economic ramifications of foreign oil.
"I'm not selling green, but I'm not opposed to it," Pickens said. "I'm for anything American. Does that mean I support nuclear energy? Yes. Coal mining? Yes. Offshore drilling? Yes."
The Pickens Plan, which aims to reduce American dependence on foreign oil, would replace oil consumption with renewable energy and natural gas.
World oil production peaked in 2005, according to the Pickens Plan Web site, and there is no apparent way to increase production. Petering supply and increasing demand could raise the price of oil to $300 a barrel in 10 years, Pickens said.
When oil prices rose to $4.11 a gallon last year, more people were interested in alternative energy, but as soon as prices fell, the issue of energy receded to the background, Pickens said .
"Now that (oil is) cheaper, people say we don't have a problem. We have a problem," Pickens said.
While the Pickens Plan addresses the energy problems through legislation, it does not mention how individuals could help.
"Sign up with me," Pickens said. "I'll be more than happy to help you. The more you get acquainted with the problem, the more you'll figure out how help."
UTD organizations are taking a more hands on approach to sustainability. Two new groups, Student Government's sustainability committee and sustenants, focus on resource consumption at UTD, while Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA) relies on the impact of individuals to help them with recycling, petitions and other events.
"We focus on grassroots movements to help students know what they can do," said arts and technology senior Yaseen Benhalim, vice president of SEA.
SEA is cooperating with Neighborhood Alliance of Richardson (NAR) to oppose the expansion of a trash transfer station in Richardson. The expansion will triple the transfer station's size to accommodate more waste, but half of the trash coming into the station is from Plano, not Richardson, said international political economics sophomore Alison Beatty, SEA president.
Along with NAR, members of SEA plan to attend the Richardson Town hall meeting Nov. 16, when the proposal to expand the trash transfer station is up for consideration.
The other two organizations, sustenants and the sustainability committee both have their own roles to play in UTD's conservation of resources. Sustenants performs energy and waste audits for UTD to help them improve their sustainability, while the sustainability committee acts as a liaison between students and administrators, helping groups like SEA and other students improve communication with UTD policy makers.
Though they were not all started by the same people, or for the same purposes, Beatty said the sustainability committee, sustenants club and SEA are all connected.
"We should meet," Beatty said. "(The sustainability committee should) foster a conference, and decide what we are working on, what we want and what to do."
SEA is not only focused on action, but also community outreach.
"SEA's goal is to educate and inform the community about sustainable action," Beatty said.
Members of SEA visit junior high schools promoting conservation and college. To help get them excited, the members will ask the younger students trivia or put on skits, said computer science graduate Alan Davis, environmental steward for SEA.
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