Bismarck Tribune - News » Columnists » Jenkinson - Gasification plant would be fine, just not in South Heart

Gasification plant would be fine, just not in South Heart

Jan 27, 2008 - 04:05:27 CST

My Kansas friend Quentin visited last week. He's a highly regarded management consultant. He spends his time reorganizing institutions. He loves the Great Plains. He spends as much time thinking about the future of the Great Plains as anyone I know. He asked me to take him out into the heart of North Dakota.

Instead of heading - predictably - to the buttes and the Badlands, we spent the whole day wandering through the energy crescent: Washburn, Garrison Dam, Stanton, Hazen, Beulah, Golden Valley. We talked endlessly about what it takes to power up America's way of life.

As far as I'm concerned, it's this simple. If we are going to be the most prosperous people who ever walked on Earth, the most obsessive consumers, and the grossest wasters of food, energy, and other extractables, and increasingly obese to boot, we're going to have to ravage the garden of Eden. We're going to have to threaten or actually fight resource wars on all continents, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East. All that to secure our way of life. And now China, with four times our population, wants to gormandize just as much as we do in America.

We get uptight when people like Al Gore tell us that our lifestyle is damaging the planet in a potentially catastrophic way. Imagine how disturbing it would be if we all honestly tried to imagine what changes would be required to fashion a benignly sustainable lifestyle that could be equally shared by all 7 billion people.

Why that's positively un-American.

I like my Diet Coke in the disposable plastic bottle, my heated garage and my SUV. So Socratic logic tells me that I have to be OK with strip mining, hectic oil development (including, alas, in the North Dakota Badlands), coal and gas plants, probably even nuclear power. When I fill my SUV I am actually voting - whether I like to admit it or not - for oil development in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and for some version of our Middle East policies, which are much more nonpartisan than we sometimes pretend. It hardly matters what happens to my hanging chad in November. Whichever party is in power has to deliver my consumables. Period.

We need more coal-fired power plants. Some of them will be sited in America's western bituminous and lignite coal region, including North Dakota. We need more oil refineries. Whether we really need one in North Dakota is questionable. We need more pipelines. We need hydrogen, wind, solar, and geothermal power, too, but no serious student of energy believes these "happy forms of power" will more than nick the coal and oil (the gross carbon) paradigm any time soon.

The Great Plains Synfuels Plant, a few miles north of Beulah and a few miles south of Lake Sakakawea, is the largest industrial complex in North Dakota. It transforms approximately 6 million tons of coal per year into more than 50 billion cubic feet of natural gas. This is approximately one quarter of 1 percent of America's annual natural gas consumption. So, at current levels of consumption, if there were 400 such plants -

Quentin and I sat for a long time, gazing at the gasification plant. Because it was so cold, the steam hovered over the facility like a cumulous miasma. Later we studied it on Google earth and Mapquest as minutely as a couple of al-Qaida targeters.

The gasification plant is not exactly beautiful, but it is impossible not to be in awe of it - the gigantism of it, the intricacy of its miles of shaft, tower, and valve, the sheer number of welds it must have required. It's an industrial miracle and it ought to be numbered among the industrial wonders of the world. And yet, one cannot help think, all this to manufacture natural gas? It makes you appreciate God, who does it in infinitely greater volume without a single pipe.

If you sat there, as we half-heartedly did, and worked out what percentage of America's daily total energy consumption the synfuels plant provides, you might get gloomy.

How many gasification plants can North Dakota host and still be North Dakota? At what point do we cease to be North Dakota and begin to be Gillette, Wyo., or Colstrip, Mont.?

We need to fight, always, to remain North Dakota, always. That was the great achievement of Gov. Arthur A. Link in the 1970s. In his quiet but firm and magnificent way, he insisted that we still be North Dakota "when the landscape is quiet again."

I guess I'm not against more coal power plants in North Dakota, though if Montana, Wyoming, and Alberta are more eager to have them than we are, I'd gladly yield.

I'm not against another gasification plant or two in North Dakota, if we really need them, but my sense is that here on our lovely prairie they represent a degradation and a sacrifice, while in northeastern Wyoming they amount to standard operating procedure and a giddy way of life. So why not let them gravitate to where the zeal is?

Here is my one firm suggestion. If we have to have more coal plants and gasification and liquefaction facilities, we ought to insist that they be sited in the established energy crescent - between Washburn and Williston. Call it an enterprise zone or a sacrifice zone, depending on your point of view. The corridor already exists. We're used to it. We've come to terms with it. It's geographically confined.

But to put a plant south of South Heart, in the heart of North Dakota's most remarkable and most pristine landscape, on the edge of the glorious Little Missouri River Valley, close to our most significant national and international tourist destination, at the portal of a national park, would be a form of North Dakota self destruction. It would shatter our future as a prairie sanctuary. It would degrade North Dakota as nothing previously has done.

It would be, in my opinion, insane.

(Clay Jenkinson is the Theodore Roosevelt scholar-in-residence at Dickinson State University. He lives in Bismarck. Contact Jenkinson at jeffysage@;aol.com.)

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Comments

West River wrote on Feb 2, 2008 3:21 PM:

" Bismarck is doing his part - we should all do the best we can to do ours. It is ridiculous how wasteful we are - Ask someone who is 75 years old, they'll tell you. I recently heard my grandparents talk about how everybody used to take grocery bags back to the store and re-use them. Simple things like that add up. dlj you are missing the point Bismarck tries to make. One man having an economy car is not a big deal, but we need to commit to conservation as a society. You stated that If Bismarck enjoyed the outdoors he would not be driving a hybrid. Why not? You can't have an old 4x4 sitting around for hunting and drive an efficient vehicle? Is there no other option? "

Helga wrote on Feb 2, 2008 11:05 AM:

" Nodakman: oh come on! The point is that Clay is writing an OPINION column. You'll notice that a lot of other people are weighing in with their opinions either to agree or disagree, and being pretty civil about it. Think of it as a conversation between neighbors. We don't all have to be like-minded to be neighbors. But life is probably more pleasant in the neighborhood when we treat each other's opinions with respect. If you disagree with something in particular here, why not give it a shot at persuading him to your point of view? "

nodakman wrote on Feb 1, 2008 11:05 PM:

" Clay you seriously need to get a job. This thing you have going where you travel about and tell people whats best for them is getting old. "

87wg wrote on Jan 29, 2008 6:32 PM:

" I'm not going to argue about consumptions and hybrids, etc. -- on many of these points he's right on and I'll look at a hybrid as my next car; I'll always have a pickup though because sometimes I need to pull things and other times haul things. But his NIMBY attitude is interesting: What makes North Dakota more special than Wyoming or Montana that we shouldn't have these plants? Why does he assume that the people of Gillette and Colstrip want more, and not fewer, of these facilities? Has he asked? McLean and Mercer counties have X number of coal mines; does that mean the people want more mines? Has he asked? Finally, does he really know what the majority of people around South Heart and West River think about this proposed plant? Has he asked? "

Bismarck wrote on Jan 29, 2008 2:22 PM:

" halabis, great comment. We must work toward a sustainable lifestyle shared by seven billion people. It is the morally correct thing to do and the least dangerous. Desperate people who have a poor lifestyle can become dangerous people. Yes, we will run out of resources. Many futurists are telling us the only way to save the Earth is to get off it. No I don’t mean find an Earth like planet and invade. The technology is almost ready for humans to build huge space colonies in orbit around the Sun. One design, and there are many envisioned, are huge cylinders (like a soda can) many miles in length and width. Humans would live on the inside surface as the cylinder slowly rotated along its central long axis, this would provide a type of gravity on the inside surface of the cylinder. All power would be solar or fission nuclear power. Light from the sun, would enter through huge windows running the length of the cylinder. Food would be grown hydroponically or in soil on the inside walls of the rotating cylinder. An Earth like environment could be maintained. Each colony would be self-sustaining. Humans would visit the Earth on what we today call vacations. The cylinders would be made from material already in space. The asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter would be the principle source of material processed in space to construct the colonies. Some of the colonies could become manufacturing hubs supplying the other colonies with the things they need. Waste heat and polluting gases could be discharged harmlessly into space. I know it sounds like wild science fiction. Yet, your great, great grandfather would have a very difficult time believing what we have now and how we live. halabis, I will have to check-out the book authored by Brink Lindsey. "

Bismarck wrote on Jan 29, 2008 12:16 PM:

" Jim, no the hybrid is not the answer. It is just one of the many steps we will take to get to where we need to be. My brother went to an auto show in one of our west coast cities last week. Everyone was walking around looking at all the new models. He noticed the first thing everyone did, was look at the mileage on the sticker, many stood there shaking their heads. He has a large boat and also travels into the Cascade Mountains regularly, but uses his SUV when he does that sort of thing. Now he and the wife are looking for something to drive to work and run the errands but also take them to a special place in the mountains in the summer. He is very familiar with my hybrid. He is a car nut owning four autos, two of which are very exotic foreign classics. Today, I had an early morning appointment at my medical clinic, the hybrid just hummed along in minus 16-degree weather. If we were forecasted to have a blizzard, I would stock up on groceries, build a fire in the fireplace, watch no-brainer television or read a book or two and wait for the streets to be cleared. One of my neighbors is a mechanic and one of the first things he did upon looking at the hybrid, was to get down on his knees and check the clearance. He deemed it normal and adequate, taking it for a test drive, he was surprised that it ran just like any car including his own. I don’t think you are accurate when you talk about energy and cut little tires but none-the-less thanks for your interesting observations. "

halatbis wrote on Jan 29, 2008 10:19 AM:

" Good article by Clay with valid concerns. One thought that prompts some thought is the "Imagine....what a sustainable lifestyle that could be shared by 7 billion people". What could it be like? Would this be the ideal system that would be designed, from the ground up, by humans? Interesting thought. A book by Brink Lindsey "The Age of Abundance" tells in its early chapters that the people of the world are about 150 years removed from shortages, hunger, cold, and brutish living. Perhaps that could be extrapolated to indicate that we have yet a long way to go to perfection. "

jim wrote on Jan 28, 2008 9:06 PM:

" Uh bismarck do you actually think a hybrid car is an answer? It still takes a great amount of fuel to create the energy that goes into recharging you batteries, not to mention all the enegy it takes to make the plastic that makes up 90% of car bodies these days. It takes even more fuel to make those cute little tires cars run on. How much electricity did we all waste in these comments? Yeah it takes electricity which is made by coal and petroleum and water, lots and lots of water.Why don't we all build a car that runs on wind. We could put sails on some type of "green" frame and let the wind push us around and the sails could filter the air.Makes more sense to me. We need these plants if we want to live like this. It would create jobs and maybe bring life back to some of these small towns that are dying which was the jist of last weeks article. "

Bismarck wrote on Jan 28, 2008 4:54 PM:

" Duff, I have a hard time understanding your comment. Are you saying I am a hypocrite? Please answer, as that is not my intention and perhaps you see something that I don’t. "

Bismarck wrote on Jan 28, 2008 4:48 PM:

" dlj, you are the type of person I am describing. You would never talk to me face to face, as you have just written. You would have to look into my eyes. I have a great lifestyle; I no longer have a boat, as I don’t need one. Nor do I have a camper, and that is OK, and it is OK for you to have one and a boat too. I am not interested in deer hunting as it was something I did in my youth and have now moved onto other interests. You do not need a gas-guzzeling monster 4X4 pickup or huge SUV to enjoy the outdoors. Yes, Al Gore would be proud of me, as I am proud of him. The real you, did not right your comment. That part of your personality called the id wrote the comment, not your total personality, not the real you. The id, is a concept introduced by Sigmund Freud and I learned about it in college. The id is that part of the mind dominated by the pleasure principle. The mind of a newborn baby is completely “id ridden”. A babies mind is a mass of instinctive drives and impulses, a mind that demands immediate satisfaction. The id is responsible for our basic drives such as food, sex, and aggressiveness. The id is amoral and egocentric, it is without a sense of time, completely illogical and infantile in its emotional development. As we grow older, guided by our parents, friends and mentors, the id is controlled by our growing ego and super ego and we usually become fair and balanced individuals. Unfortunately, these Blog sites allow the ids, of some individuals, to run amuck without the social constraints that person-to-person communication creates. Looking beyond some of your naughty observations, you sound like a good person, I have always wanted to paddlefish but never had a friend to do it with or even show me how. "

dlj wrote on Jan 28, 2008 2:48 PM:

" Well Mr. Bismarck good for you. You apparently have no life though. Unlike alot of us out there you do not enjoy the outdoors and what this state has to offer. If you did you would not be driving a hybrid. I would love to see you put a harvested deer in the back of your hybrid you are so proud of, or pull a fishing boat with it, or in the winter after a storm how would you leave your house with any large snow amount on the roads ? I pull my camper every year to the Fairview area to go paddle fishing. If youo like your hybrid and youo feel good about yourself driving it then good for you, but don't snub your nose at those of us who won't drive one because it is not part of our lifestyle. As for the little carbon footprint you are making, well Al Gore would be proud of you. Almost every scientist out there will tell you that ONE volcanic eruption will spew more carbon into the air than what man could do in 100 years, and that is a scientific fact. Since the early 1900's there have been 20 eruptions around the world. That is more than what man can put into the air in 2000 years. Do you really think your hybrid is making that much of an impact. "

Duff wrote on Jan 28, 2008 1:25 PM:

" I think the third circle for gluttons is a great distance, and much more pleasant, than the 8th circle range for the smug hypocrites "

Bismarck wrote on Jan 28, 2008 11:24 AM:

" Excellent article Mr. Jenkinson. Unfortunately it will go right over the heads of most of the citizens who read it. They will pay little or no attention to it and it will be business as usual which is total wasteful consumption. I drive a Prius, a hybrid. Whenever the price of gasoline goes up, someone writes a letter to the editor complaining about it or describing the merits of a state owned refinery. I write, in the Tribunes Blog site, about my Prius and its excellent mileage, the peppiness of it etc. Instead of complementing me, or praising me, or thanking me I am attacked and mocked viciously by other Bloggers. Some have excuses like: not large enough (if you have a family of 5-6, it is not), not enough power, its ugly, batteries will wear out, will wait until something better comes along, etc. Or the question, “how often do you have to wind the rubber band?” They just don’t get it; we (people of the Earth) have only so much petroleum left. By driving the hybrid I am making more gasoline available to others and am prolonging the day the last gallon is sold. Whenever the price of gasoline does goes up and I drive by a gas station and see the current price of gasoline, I just smile, as it really does not affect me. I drive the car everyday, last month my gasoline bill was $31.43. My carbon footprint is also much lower. As a young man, my parents often reminded me, “don’t criticize success, emulate it.” When I was attending college, I read the Inferno by Dante Alighieri. Our humanities professor guided us through it. For a long time, after reading it, I thought twice about doing something naughty. In the Inferno, Dante had a special place in Hell for the gluttonous and wasteful. I have never forgotten how they were treated and punished. Although a work of fiction, the Inferno left a powerful imprint on my mind. "

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