Letter to Editor by Callie Thomas

Coal has gotten Kentucky to where it is today: sixth-highest energy use per capita, sixth-highest unemployment rate, and fifth-largest percentage of people below the poverty line in the nation.

Needless to say, coal has not assisted our state in becoming a leader economically or socially.  Fortunately, we have the opportunity to lift Kentucky above its current second-rate performance.

UK prides itself in renewable energy research: it is home to a successful solar car team, and there is a solar house right here on campus.  We have the ability to make the switch to renewable energy; we only need to find the drive.

Why wait until coal is gone to switch to renewable energy? Why wait for someone else to find the solution?

The problem is not simple, and it cannot be solved overnight.  But we can solve it. UK has the capability to be at the forefront of energy technology and lead the rest of the country to a sustainable energy future.  Now that’s what I call a top-20 research institution.

Callie Thomas

political science and Spanish freshman