An Event at UNI discussed issues around

An event at UNI discussed issues around energy production in Iowa.

The University of Northern Iowa hosted a series of presentations Wednesday called the “Ethics of Energy Production.”

UNI business professor, Craig Van Sandt, organized the events, saying it’s important that discussions take place about how production impacts jobs, the law, and agriculture.

“They are going to affect our children, our grandchildren — and depending on your leanings — they affect animals in the environment as well,” Van Sandt says. Iowa’s future energy needs are part of the discussion including the Bakken oil pipeline, and the Rock Island Clean Line power transmission project.

Van Sandt says the event was meant to start a discussion about how little or how much citizens should be involved in the discussions. “They’re being asked to give up a portion of their property through eminent domain, we’re talking about the environmental impact, we’re talking about employment issues, there’s just all kinds of things that go into this,” Vand Sandt explains. Van Sandt believes it is the only energy ethics workshop of its kind, and he’s encouraging other colleges and universities to host similar events.