Feb 7, 2013 4 min read

Energy was the topic, energy enlightenment was the objective and the venue for cerebral talk was ideal.

“The goal is to bring a thoughtful discussion to the table by presenting facts,” said Silvie Tran, a manager for Shell Oil Co.

“We want to have a more civil, fact-based understanding of energy issues,” said Diana Stares, director of the Center for Energy Policy and Management at Washington & Jefferson College.

Tran and Stares adressed an audience of about 60 Wednesday night at W&J’s Yost Auditorium during the introduction to their program, the second of four in the W&J Energy Lecture Series.

Five of the 10 short, documentary-style films that comprise “The Rational Middle Energy Series” were shown interspersed by three panel discussions.

John Ubinger, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, was the moderator of a panel that included Tran; Bracken Burns, former Washington County commissioner, and George Jugovic, president and chief executive oficer of Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future.

Boosted by the films, the organizers and panelists stressed the importance of educating a public that generally lacks sufficient knowledge about energy. There are a lot of misconceptions, especially about gas and oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

The majority of audience members, however, appeared to be well-versed on the multifaceted subject of energy Wednesday, enhancing a spirited set of discussions with their questions.

The initial two films focused on energy as it relates to the environment, and included a list of five energy source categories and the percentage of U.S. consumption: oil (37 percent), natural gas (25), coal (21), nuclear (9) and renewables (8).

Afterward, Burns said: “The perception that people don’t look beyond the light switch is enlightening. Most of the 7 billion people on Earth don’t think about energy. Most of the rational people in this room realize that if you don’t reasonably manage energy, you could have catastrophic consequences.”

Before someone flipped the often-overlooked light switch, Ubinger lamented that “we’ve had the luxury of taking energy for granted.”

The lack of an energy policy rankled a number of individuals.

“We need an energy policy in the United States,” said Ubinger, the moderator. “Do we need an energy policy in Pennsylvania? Do we need an energy policy in Washington County?”

“We’re heading the wrong direction at an accelerating speed, yet we don’t have a plan,” Burns said. “We need an energy policy. How do we get there?”

PennFuture’s Jugovic added sternly that “there’s not a comprehensive plan to promote.” Gov. Tom Corbett has said he plans to announce an energy plan for the state, but has not released details.

Burns called for an increase in renewables – solar, wind and hydroelectric – which don’t create the environmental concerns that accompany coal and oil.

“People were talking about the costs of solar and energy five or 10 years ago,” Burns said. “The reality is the costs of those renewables is diminishing dramatically. We should have a certain percentage of energy that is renewables, and that percentage should grow every year. To me, this is a moral imperative.”

Two of the films, “Realities of Drilling” and “Realities of Driling II,” detailed drilling processes, including fracking. They acknowledged legitimate concerns, such as the possibility of drinking water contamination and the noise and air pollution trucks can create at or en route to drill sites.

Those films also pointed out that groundwater is fairly close to the surface while fracking occurs about a mile and a half down, meaning if done properly, fracking fluids – often toxic – should not affect drinking water.

Burns cited an example of still another person who was ignorant about energy matters.

“One woman told me that hazardous fluids are being injected directly into her water supply. I told her, ‘No, it’s more than 1,000 feet away (from the drilling point.)’ She said, ‘Really?’ “

All of the panelists agreed that energy-related firms, here and anywhere, must be open and honest with residents in areas where they operate. Some people are suspicious of companies’ motives and actions.

“Companies are becoming more transparent with communities,” Ubinger said.

For more information or to watch the films, go to www.rationalmiddle.com.

The third event in the series will be March 5 at Yost Auditorium, featuring Maggie Koerth-Baker, who will speak about the past, present and future of America’s electric infrastructure. She is senior editor of Boingboing.net and author of the blog maggiekb.com.