Energy consumption and cost are controversial, but Howard residents share one belief: conservation.
“Maybe the problem isn?t in energy ? maybe it?s in us,” high school student Isabel Enerson said at a town hall meeting Tuesday at the Columbia Sheraton Hotel.
ConocoPhillips, an energy company based in Houston, joined the University of Maryland Energy Research Center for the “Conversation on Energy” meeting with several experts.
Conservation should be the starting point in pursuing a comprehensive energy approach, said Bill Berry, ConocoPhillips? executive vice president, who spoke at the 26th of the company?s 35 planned stops nationwide to give residents a voice on energy. The tour began in late 2006.
Building on this platform, he referred to diverse energy sources such as wind, biofuels and solar, with the goal of using technology wisely and leaving the least-intrusive environmental footprint on the earth.
However, some residents were concerned about the feasibility of using certain energy sources.
Enerson questioned how the panel felt about using the ocean as a source of energy.
The panelists said challenges with this energy source, which is not widely used, included finding consistent waves and handling storms.
Resident Jacob Deutch questioned the group on nuclear energy. Malcolm Woolf, director of the Maryland Energy Administration, and others said the challenge was finding a safe disposal site.
Resident Mark Howard said the No. 1 problem was dealing with greenhouse gases. “The real question?s what level of energy consumption we need to go down to, to stop the glaciers from melting,” he said.
A recap of each town hall meeting will be posted on the company?s Web site, said Edward Burke, a ConocoPhillips communications manager. “We take the messages back. How can we do a better job at what we?re doing in these areas?” he asked.
In turn, the company hopes residents gain a “better understanding of energy issues we?re all facing as a country,” Berry said.
Staff Writer Sara Michael contributed to this report.
