Please in My Back Yard: Using Creativity to Generate Interest in Renewable Energy

Though most people support renewable energy in concept, they balk when those projects are slated for their own community. Much of the controversy surrounding wind turbines, large scale solar installations, biomass plants, and other energy infrastructure is due to their physical size—they are large, imposing creatures that change our visual landscape. Are they simply eyesores, or are they a sight for sore eyes? Could they be blank canvases? What if a renewable energy source like a wind farm became an art exhibit, a bike park, a light show, or a picnic spot? What if we were to climb a hillside to be rewarded with the chance to see a flash of harmonious color on a chain of anaerobic digesters? What if we found ways to interact with the spaces around clean energy projects differently? This presentation by Jennifer Haugh will showcase examples, both existing and imagined, for merging creativity and renewable energy into win-win situations that benefit the earth, our communities, and our aesthetic sensibilities.

Jennifer Haugh is the CEO of Iconic Energy, a consulting firm that uses a civic engagement process to spark healthy dialogues around renewable energy projects.

This lecture begins at 7pm, and is free and open to the public. Please join us.

Jan 23, 2025, 6 to 8 PM

Jan 25, 2025, 8 to 9:30 AM

Jan 25, 2025, 3 to 5 PM