This March, nine students, one staff member, and one alumnus traveled to West Virginia and Kentucky to tour the region’s energy system. The spring break trip was the first in a series of Energy Immersion Trips developed by the Dartmouth Sustainability Office and the Irving Institute for Energy and Society to provide students in-depth opportunities to examine energy systems from a variety of different perspectives and to explore future pathways.
Students examined first-hand the intersections of natural resource extraction, policy, economics, health, and culture in the Appalachia region. The group met with landowners, decision makers, community organizers, watch dog groups, environmental and social justice activists and leaders in the extraction industry. Throughout the trip, students kept a blog about their experiences and posted photos on the Dartmouth Sustainability Instagram page.
The Energy Immersion Trips Program will feature three learning trips to different regions over the course of a year. Students gain skills in problem assessment, creating dialogue across difference, and reflection. The second trip will examine regional, rural energy systems in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Canada this June.
Read the student's blog here and see photos below!