LAWRENCE – The map was the turning point.

            Nancy Jackson saw its depiction of Kansas’ projected climate in 2050 – the wheat belt wasn’t cinched in this state any more.

It had, instead, shifted north to Minnesota and Canada, where the climate was moderate enough to coddle wheat seed into productive stalks.

            Studying that map, drawn last year by an international coalition of agricultural researchers, climate change became real to Jackson in a way she hadn’t sensed before.

She now directs the Lawrence-based Climate and Energy Project, which was created this spring by the Land Institute, a non-profit pursuing agricultural research near Salina.

The institute’s new project aims to collaborate with both urban and rural Kansans to consider the challenges of climate change, particularly the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to it.

            The goal is dialogue, intending to give Kansans support to take action in their communities and statewide.

First up: wind

The project‘s initial focus is wind energy.

            “Notable strides are being made on wind energy in Iowa, Minnesota and Texas. We have a bit of catching up to do,” Jackson said of Kansas’ status as having the third greatest potential among states for wind power development.

            And that is happening, she points out. Three large-scale wind farms exist in the state now, another is under construction and one more is slated for construction. Others are in the planning stage.

Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson took office earlier this year and since has taken the lead in advocating additional wind farms.      

            Jackson says the Climate and Energy Project’s goal is to encourage understanding of wind energy, not to demonize fossil fuels.

They are “amazing resources,” she notes. “We just need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

            A former equities researcher, Jackson is clear on the economic wisdom of energy efficiency coupled with renewable power.

             A recent report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in Washington, D.C., asserts that policies promoting energy efficiency combined with renewable power sources can further reduce overall energy system costs compared with solely a renewable energy approach.

            These renewable and efficiency “synergies” are what the Land Institute’s new project looks to highlight for Kansans.

A call to act

            Institute staff grew interested in such a project after last year’s controversy erupted over three coal-fired electric plants slated for construction at Holcomb. Currently the plans include just two plants, which are awaiting state approval.

At public hearings on the plants’ state permits, Land Institute President Wes Jackson, who is Nancy Jackson’s father-in-law, urged state leaders to prevent more coal-burning power plants. He warned of their carbon dioxide emissions and encouraged the state to move toward alternative energy and efficiencies.

            Out of that came the idea to engage Kansans in a dialogue about their future energy sources and consumption.

            The institute’s mission is perennial grain crop research. But energy also was a priority when the organization opened its doors 30 years ago.

The American public’s concerns over power usage, however, faded after the energy crisis of the late 1970’s. That is, until evidence of global warming began to pile up.

Efficiency is cheap

            The institute now strives to be both connector and catalyst for people to engage in energy and efficiency issues.

            That inevitably leads to tough questions. Questions that Jackson believes also offer vast economic opportunities.

“How do we make a sustainable future? How do we make a better environment where there’s less vulnerability to terrorism, better energy security and reliability, and good new jobs as well as ecological sustainability?”

            The answers naturally lead to talk of ways to downshift people’s energy consumption, which currently is climbing ever higher in Kansas. Adding wind farms won’t cut emissions if consumption trends continue, Jackson reminds.

            “You can promote wind all you want, but you won’t cut carbon without avid pursuit of efficiency,” she said. “The good news is, efficiency is also often the least expensive way to produce new capacity.”

            That’s exactly what the U.S. Department of Energy is now promoting. And Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently announced appointment of her energy policy advisor, Joe Harkins, to the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates power companies. Harkins’ dedication to renewables and efficiency were cited during his appointment.

Seeking partners

The Land Institute’s program also looks to other states’ successful models to offer Kansans examples.

One that is particularly inspiring is Efficiency Vermont.

            The northeast state’s aggressive effort gives out information, training and real-life stories of cutting energy use in homes and businesses. It also has an interactive Web site for consumers to ask energy questions.

            Another source is the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a Chicago non-profit to educate consumers and businesses. Their examples include everything from change-a-light campaigns and weather-stripping to smart meters that give consumers greater control over energy costs and demand-side management by utilities.

             In a similar approach, Jackson’s small staff will launch a Kansas-based informational Web site, now under design. From there, they’ll seek partnerships with community organizations statewide to engage in dialogue and collaboration to produce change.

            “We’ll be working with the environmental community, but also well outside it,” Jackson said. “We want to partner with civic groups, agricultural organizations, chambers of commerce and churches to talk in bigger terms about stewarding Kansas for our children and theirs.”

            Ultimately, Jackson said, it comes down to the fact that climate and energy are inextricably linked.