OPINION:
As president of Oklahoma State University, I have the privilege of not only learning from extraordinarily bright people — our own research faculty, industry experts, and government leaders — but also of hearing divergent views on complex issues.
Most recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the American Energy Security Summit hosted by the Hamm Institute for American Energy here at the university. Experts from across the nation and around the globe gathered at the institute to participate in a critically important discussion about energy security and what it means for economic prosperity, national security and world peace.
As a land-grant institution driven by the impact we have on our students, the state of Oklahoma, and the world in which we live, OSU embraces a strategy that aligns our historic strengths with society’s grand challenges, including feeding the world, health, aerospace and energy. What is the common thread connecting these vital areas? The critical role of secure, reliable and affordable energy.
Energy security matters. For most Americans living in our great nation, the lights will always turn on, the oven will always fire up, our heat and air conditioning at home and at work will always run, and our cars will always be powered by readily available gasoline or electricity.
Worldwide, however, too many people suffer from energy poverty: 675 million people live without electricity, and 2.3 billion people cook or heat their homes with polluting fuels that harm their health and the environment, according to the World Bank.
Energy poverty is real. As a mother of six, I traveled to a developing nation to adopt my three sons. I saw how energy poverty can impede human progress and harm the environment. Flickering lights were a daily occurrence, with businesses opening and closing based on the availability of power.
Hillsides once populated with forests were barren due to deforestation as families harvested trees to cook and keep warm. The water my boys used was collected in buckets, placed in barrels and trucked to a storage tank — a process repeated every few days as the water was depleted. Children would often miss school, walking 2 to 3 miles each way to fetch water for their families. This harsh experience overseas opened my eyes to the energy abundance we as Americans can take for granted and the freedom it affords us.
In hearing the global leaders at the Hamm Institute American Energy Security Summit, I refined my understanding of energy as the backbone of modern life and a key to unlocking prosperity, no matter where one lives.
As a land-grant R1 research university, Oklahoma State University is committed to finding solutions to address society’s most pressing problems. Addressing humanity’s growing energy needs is one of the grand challenges of our time. That’s why Oklahoma State University is proud to partner with the energy game-changer Harold Hamm and Continental Resources to establish the Hamm Institute for American Energy. The institute partners with industry and collaborating universities to develop practical, science-based solutions to ensure a global abundance of energy and to fortify America’s energy security and independence.
At the Hamm Institute, we will generate cutting-edge, energy-focused knowledge and technology to impact a world that will grow to 9.7 billion people by 2050 and consume 50% more energy in the process. As the global population swells, all sectors of the economy are affected, including our vital food production segment.
Whether to power machinery in the field, to create vital fertilizers or to transport produce to markets, food security and energy security are inextricably linked. Energy is essential for global food production. To meet the world’s growing demand for energy, the Hamm Institute for American Energy will push the boundaries of scientific knowledge to find new and innovative ways to create, explore, produce, and distribute all forms of energy — energy that is produced responsibly and with minimal impact on the environment.
Energy is at the heart of economic prosperity and human progress. Energy makes possible the investments, industries and innovations that provide jobs, fuel economic growth, and enable us to carry on our daily lives.
This is a pivotal moment for our nation’s energy security and independence. The world needs the human innovation and ingenuity that resides at top research universities like Oklahoma State University to address the growing global demand for energy and the growing environmental expectations to produce energy responsibly.
Oklahoma State University, through the Hamm Institute for American Energy, is ready, willing, and more than capable to tackle the challenge.
• Kayse Shrum is an American physician and the president of Oklahoma State University. She is the first woman to lead a public research institution in Oklahoma.
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