Everyone has a passion, and for Jacob Karasch, it’s using his engineering background to protect the environment from the nation’s carbon footprint.

“I want do something that takes something,” said Karasch, junior in mechanical engineering and president and founder of Environmental Technologies — or EnTech. “I’ve always had a problem doing things when I felt like anybody could do them.”

Karasch started EnTech in January. EnTech’s beginnings were very simple: A group of friends wanted to make a difference. They wanted to “further interest and education in environmental technologies,” according to EnTech’s mission statement. So they decided to build an electric car.

“It slowly came together as, ‘Maybe we should try it,’” said Steven Bromley, senior in software engineering and secretary of EnTech. “The president of the club was my roommate last year and very early on in the year he was really into electric cars and alternative vehicles and things like that. So he would constantly be coming up with these different designs and things. Me and some other guys on the floor would all sit around and talk about the different designs.”

Karasch not only succeeded in creating a new student organization, but he also created a place where friends can come together to change the world around them. Every student from any background is welcome to join the team.

“Even if you’re not an engineering major you can come and still have fun with it,” Bromley said. “If something is over my head or someone else’s head we usually break it down. The club for me provides an extracurricular activity where I can get my hands dirty.”

The club focuses on teamwork and friendship to get things accomplished. The close network of friendship has made communication and cooperation much easier.

“It’s interesting to see how they work as a team and actually get down to business,” said Meredith Young, senior in materials engineering and the only woman in the club.

The members come from all different backgrounds of engineering. Each team member has a different perspective to contribute.

“Everybody brings their own various strengths to the table,” Karasch said.

The club’s first project is Project ELMO, an electric motorcycle which is charged by natural means. The club wanted to convert a gas motorcycle to an electric motorcycle so it wouldn’t have to be built from scratch. After posting an ad on Craigslist, the club acquired a bike courtesy of Struthers Brothers Kawasaki in Des Moines. EnTech hopes to have the bike running by Veishea and have the charging system finished by the end of next semester.

Another priority for the club is outreach events. On several occasions the students have worked with elementary schools and middle schools to explain concepts of engineering to the next generation.

“We do as much outreach as we can,” Karasch said. “Usually they kind of get a little shimmer in their eyes, which is fun.”

Protecting the environment is a priority for many students. There are numerous activist groups trying to promote recycling, the use of green products and some even that get involved in politics. Karasch and the friends around him are protecting the environment by closing loop holes in current technology.

“We’re engineers,” Karasch said. “It’s what we do.”

To get involved with EnTech, visit their web site www.stuorg.iastate.edu/entech and contact one of the officers. The club usually meets on Wednesday nights.