It was a bright, sunny and beautiful fall day. Then, after hours of nervous anticipation, the field of Jack Trice was flooded in a sea of cardinal and gold by overjoyed Cyclone fans celebrating an exciting win over our across state rival, the University of Iowa. Not only did we beat them in football this fall, but also basketball, cross-country, volleyball and gymnastics. Though we were triumphant against them in many athletic events, there’s one thing that they are completely outshining us in: cleaner, more renewable power production.

In 2008, the power plant used at the University of Iowa released 53,130 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, while the coal plant used by Iowa State emitted 374,959 tons. As a research university of science and technology, we should be expected to strive for innovation in the realm of power production, and we certainly should not be outshined by the University of Iowa.

There are several negative effects of harnessing coal for power production, and we should working towards ways of improving our facilities. What’s so bad about all of this? Putting the effects of carbon emission and sequestration aside, by products of these coal plants have been known to leach out toxic elements into Iowa’s depleting water supply. Elements such as arsenic, selenium, lead and mercury, have only begun to be monitored by the DNR in January of 2010; levels documented were set to be a control.

In 2009 an article by the New York Times released the consequences on water quality by coal plants across the country and called out the nation’s biggest offenders. Sadly, the Iowa State Power Plant was listed as one of the top 15 coal plants across the country to have the highest number of violations against it — Iowa State had 80 violations, while the University of Iowa had two.

An article distributed by the Des Moines Register pointed out the inevitable fact that the state of Iowa will be in a drought this summer and with such limits to our vital resource we cannot afford to place such hard to treat contaminants in our water supply. Additionally, the cost of coal is on the rise as our search to find alternatives to oil grows. This inherently adds to the costs Iowa State’s coal plant sees.

The bottom line is Iowa State needs to move towards a more sustainable and ecologically positive energy system. The University of Iowa has already begun this process by including oat hulls in their coal plant. When will Iowa State take its first step away from coal and begin to work toward a sustainable future? When will the coal plant start to follow Iowa State’s campus-wide Live Green initiative?

Are these past fall defeats something we Cyclones can strive to see again this coming fall along with a cleaner power source? Only time will tell. To help get the ball rolling and create a green change, join groups trying to make a difference, contact the coal plant, stay informed or tell a friend!