Kansas’ Kickapoo Nation Embraces Renewable Energy, Sets Sights on Energy Independence

Science & Technology (alternative energy)

kansas wind turbines photo
photo: Jeff Turner

Most people in the US probably have a stereotype of Native Americans having, historically at least, a greater enviro-awareness than some other ethnic groups out there. Last month that stereotype was reinforced with the announcement that the KILI radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota (the “voice of the Lakota people” for those who don’t know it) had erected a wind turbine which is completely powering the station. Now the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas has signaled that it too will be embracing renewable energy:

Energy Audit, Resource Map to Be Developed
The first step will be auditing the tribe’s energy usage and developing site-specific resource maps of the Kickapoo Reservation. From there the most appropriate renewable technologies—wind, solar and hydropower are being investigated—with the smallest environmental impact will be developed.

Local + National Action Needed
OK fine, you could say that as nothing concrete comes out of this announcement, but I think it’s just great. National efforts to develop renewables are important and supremely necessary, but there’s no excuse for communities to not take the initiative as well and investigate what they can do to develop the renewable resources around them.

via :: Renewable Energy World, :: The Clark Group

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