The prevailing research on place-based writing seems fairly clear on one point: understanding the social and environmental issues in a place is necessary to constructing a place-based identity. My primary "social" interests have always been environmental. I suppose this is because I grew up in the country; I've always appreciated it more and been protective of natural spaces. (This isn't an iron clad reasoning--I know plenty of rural people who would be happy to take down a mountain in exchange for a coal mining job, etc.) But I do have to acknowledge that environmental issues are complicated, particularly in cases of environmental degradation being opposed to jobs in impoverished areas. (Little known fact: Appalachia's per capita income before the mining industry was actually HIGHER on average than other parts of the country, because the people were very self-sufficient and provided for their own needs via natural resources. Once they pushed people into the mines, they became dependent on salaries and store-bought supplies, and eventually lost many of those skills. In essence, mining made the region poorer.)
But I have to look realistically at the situation as it is. We are dependent on industrial jobs, largely mining related, yet those jobs cause health problems and environmental degradation in our communities. I wish often that we could just bypass coal altogether and get our power from clean wind and sun power, which we have plenty of and which we're wasting. Of course, this leads to another problem: as a typically impoverished area, few can afford to install the needed equipment for wind and solar power.
These issues have a local relevance. I was walking past college gate in February--and being Ohio in February, it was cold--but a small group of people were determinedly standing near the gate holding a banner: OHIO UNIVERSITY BEYOND COAL.
I did some digging on this group, and I found an article posted by College Green Magazine. The Ohio University Beyond Coal group is working for a very specific purpose: altering the source of Ohio University's power from coal to a cleaner energy, such as geothermal. The group is protesting the high levels of air pollution caused by the current coal-burning Lausche Heating Plant; they contend that the plant is in violation of the Clean Air Act. The plant has caused the university EPA fines, which, given the upcoming budget cuts OU is facing, I'm doubting the school can afford.
So what I'm hoping to do with my "issue" entry is look at the role coal plays at OU, explain what the Beyond Coal group wants to achieve, and let interested readers know how they can influence the outcome of this debate. Additionally, I'd like to show my students my process for constructing a public-oriented position on an issue, with the focus on a mainly local audience.
Research Plan and Sources:
My primary lines of research will be local news sources, in order to ascertain more recent information focused on locally-relevant aspects of the coal/energy discussion. Among the sources I found:
College Green Magazine: This article describes the recent meeting between OU and the Sierra Club. (An additional article explores a guest speaker's discussions of possible coal alternatives for OU's future.)
The Post: an article in The Post gives details about the problems the current heating plant has caused, including EPA fines.
Modal Construction: I would like my readers/viewers to visualize both coal and the environmental costs of coal mining. I would like to acknowledge the complexity of the situation, given that many local people are dependent on the coal industry. To this end, I may include a clip from the recent documentary, On Coal River, to show how the coal debates are effecting a local community. In addition, part of the purpose of this assignment is to allow students to position themselves on a local issue, and to provide them with a means of influencing that issue via public writing. Therefore, I'll include links to contact pages and/or email addresses for authorities, so that interested readers can voice their opinion on OU's energy future.
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