TERRE HAUTE — With a strong dependence on foreign oil, a national policy change is needed to encourage increased development of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, some U.S. military veterans said Thursday as part of the “Veterans for American Power Tour.”
The bus tour started in Indiana on Nov. 30 in Valparaiso and stopped in Terre Haute on Thursday at One Planet Solar and Wind, a Terre Haute solar and wind distribution and contracting business at 2350 Wabash Ave.
The tour ends today in Evansville before going to West Virginia for five days and will resume in early January in the western United States.
It is sponsored by Operation Free, a coalition of veterans political action committees such as VetPAC and security groups such as The Truman National Security Project and The National Security Initiative. The coalition seeks support for Senate Bill 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, also known as the Kerry-Boxer bill.
Ed May, a resident of Jeffersonville, served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 1992, serving during Desert Storm. He was among three veterans riding in a 50-ft long vinyl-wrapped logo-covered bio-diesel tour bus.
“It is time for America to have a national energy policy that also relates to national defense. When we crossed the berm into Kuwait, I could see on the horizon hundreds of oil well fires,” May said.
“And I realized at that point, we weren’t there to liberate Kuwait, we were there to liberate the oil. Our civilization, our society has to have oil right now to do the things we do every single day. We also have to protect those sources, and unfortunately they are in countries that don’t like us,” May said.
May said he remembers long lines at gasoline stations during the 1970s, caused “when OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) cut the spigot off because United States policy upset them. There was talk then that we would get America to clean and renewable energy, from the Nixon administration up through [President Jimmy] Carter. I thought at that time something was going to happen,” May said.
But the effort was put on the back burner by the 1980s, he said.
“That is why a national policy is needed to move the country to more renewable energy. I would like to see incentives, tax help and a reason for companies to invest in solar and wind. I would like to see the first step,” May said.
Glenn Kunkel of Akron, Ohio, served in the U.S. Marines from 1998 to 2008. Kunkel said he thinks current use of fossil fuels is leading to climate change which can cause droughts, crop failures and famine. Such effects, he said, can destabilize governments and result in increased terrorism activities in Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia.
“If we don’t change our energy policy, as we should have done 30 years ago, we will face multiple kinds of threats,” Kunkel said.
Phillip Roberts, owner of One Planet Solar and Wind, said efforts such as the Veterans for American Power Tour “is important to the [solar and wind] industry and very important to what we are trying to do on the local note. Local note stems out to a national note,” he said.
“It does help us continue on the domino effect with renewable energy. This is an important step in our generation to restructure and repower America,” Roberts said.
The veterans urged Hoosiers to contact Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to support the Kerry-Boxer bill. More information can be found at www.operationfree.net.
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com
ZZZ Delete Legacy
No dependence: Veterans tour country to tout energy independence for USA
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Florence Elizabeth 'Flo' Hogue
Florence Elizabeth “Flo” Hogue, 87, of Terre Haute, passed away Saturday, June 26, 2010, in Union Hospital. Florence worked many years for Albert Pick Motel before retirement. She was born Aug. 4, 1922, in Red Oak, Iowa, to Samuel Valentine and Nancy Jane (Allendar) Valentine.
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Kenneth E. Levin
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Ruth Ann Dugger Morris
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Audrey Olah
Audrey Olah, 90, of Terre Haute, died June 22, 2010, at Southwood Health & Rehabilitation Center. Born at home on Oct. 14, 1919, in rural Clay County, she endured the Great Depression as a farmer’s daughter in Lewis, worked at Owens- Illinois Glass Company during World War II, and was an initial hire of Dr. Morey’s Glas-Col Apparatus Co.
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Harrison Cabell Shade
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Norma Mae McAtee
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Ronald Dale Rozina
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Jerry Rex McDonald
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Madelyne Skipo
Madelyne Skipo, 86, of Terre Haute, went home to be with the Lord early Saturday evening, June 26, 2010, at Davis Gardens Health Center. She was born Sept. 29, 1923, in Hymera, to Tracey and Hayley Mahan.
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William D. Farris
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William Freeman
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Jewell M. Ennen
Jewell M. Ennen, 80, of Terre Haute, died at 4:25 a.m. Thursday, June 24, 2010. She was born in Phoenix, on March 20, 1930, to Merlin and Odessa (Caldwell) Arthur.
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Valerio Chironna
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Ruth P. Klingler Lietchy
Ruth P. Klingler Liechty, 85, of Terre Haute, died at 8:53 a.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2010, in Davis Gardens Health Center. She was born in Clay County, on June 5, 1925, to Uly Klingler and Mary Rentschler Klingler.
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Pauline Arnold Mobley
Pauline Arnold Mobley, 89, passed from this Earth on Wednesday, June 23, 2010, at Meadows Manor North Nursing Home, where she resided for six years. Pauline was born Oct. 21, 1920, to John Ernst Arnold and Ora Alta Wilson.
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Mary Margaret Curry
Mary Margaret Curry, 70, of Terre Haute, passed away at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 20, 2010, in Terre Haute Regional Hospital. She was born in Matheson Ontario, Canada, on July 10, 1939, to William Melville Moffat and Mary Janet Mulligan Moffat.
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Beulah F. Funk
Beulah F. Funk, 81, of Terre Haute, passed away Sunday afternoon, June 20, 2010, at the ELC of Brazil. She was born Sept. 30, 1928, in Vincennes, to John Huebner and Agnes Bowman Huebner.
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Robert T. Scott
SULLIVAN — Robert T. Scott, 91, of Sullivan, and formerly of Farmersburg, died June 21, 2010, in Sullivan County Community Hospital. He was born Feb. 7, 1919, to Thomas and Edith (Lewis) Scott.
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Maxine LaVerna Noble
Maxine LaVerna Noble, 81, of Terre Haute, passed away at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, June 20, 2010, at Southwood Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born in Terre Haute, on June 20, 1929, to Albert Lowe and Stella Rice Lowe.
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Charles 'Pune' William Ellinger Jr.
Charles “Pune” William Ellinger Jr., 58, of Terre Haute, passed away on June 19, 2010, at 9:25 p.m., at Union Hospital. He was born June 25, 1951. in Terre Haute, to Charles W. Ellinger and Betty L. Hooker Ellinger.
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Saralu Thomas
DANA — Saralu Thomas, 86, of Dana, died at 5 a.m. Monday, June 21, 2010, at the Waters Nursing Home of Clinton. She was the retired owner/operator of Thomas Corner Store, in Dana, for 16 years. She was born Sept. 5, 1923, in Dana, to the late Dwight Thompson and Millie Thomson Thompson.
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June Evelyn Trout Mormans
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Marjorie E. Muir Allbright Wiot
Marjorie E. Muir Allbright Wiot, 85, of Terre Haute, formerly of Parke County, passed away at 1:20 a.m. Sunday, June 20, 2010, at Davis Gardens Health Center, in Terre Haute, from natural causes. Born June 10, 1925, in Parke County, she was the daughter of Carl J. Muir and Alice Wimmer Muir.
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Gregory D. Barnett
BRAZIL — Gregory D. Barnett, 58, died Sunday, June 20, 2010, at St. Vincent Clay Hospital. He was born Feb. 27, 1952, in Kokomo, to Donald A. and Johanna Keegan Barnett.
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Tyler E. Jackson
Tyler E. Jackson, 21, of Terre Haute, passed away Tuesday morning, June 15, 2010. He was employed with Walmart in Terre Haute. He was born Nov. 14, 1988, in Jasper.
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Franklin John Followell
Franklin John Followell, 74, of Terre Haute, died in Terre Haute Regional Hospital Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at 8:50 p.m. He was born on March 19, 1936, in Sullivan County, to William Homer Followell and Florence (Martin) Followell.
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