New museum exhibit explores 21st-century energy
From the horse and buggy to the internet, the world witnessed vast technological advances through the 19th and 20th centuries, many of them based on fossil fuel consumption. Today, meeting the world’s growing energy demand is one of our greatest challenges.
A new High Desert Museum exhibit, Fueling the Future/ Energizando el Futuro , looks ahead with hope in the face of climate change, exploring renewable energy in the High Desert. The original exhibit opens on Saturday, Sept. 14 and will be displayed in both English and Spanish.
Fueling the Future/ Energizando el Futuro considers what lies ahead in energy technologies and what’s currently underway that has the promise of sustaining both our people and our natural places. The exhibit looks at this through the lens of the High Desert – its people, places and potential energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal.
These technologies offer alternatives to fossil fuel, but each presents its own issues. Hydroelectric dams impact fish populations, and solar arrays can disturb habitats and heritage sites. No single renewable technology is going to offer the solution, but together they can help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also powering progress.
The new High Desert Museum exhibit engages kids of all ages and explores innovative technologies in interactive ways. Design and test your own wind turbine. Hop on a bike that powers different kinds of light bulbs. Find the best home for a new energy plant. The hands-on exhibit invites visitors to explore and be part of this important conversation. It fosters a greater understanding of where our energy comes from and how this connects to climate change.
Fueling the Future/ Energizando el Futuro also discusses how the energy choices we make in the High Desert will affect the region in the days to come and shares perspectives of industry professionals, scientists and students. It examines current innovations in problem-solving, such as wind turbines with bird-detection systems.
A team at Oregon State University partnered with the High Desert Museum to develop software that detects eagles from a distance and activates a deterrent. Other innovations highlighted include bladeless wind turbines, nature-based solutions and carbon capture technology.
“Changing our energy sources in the face of climate change poses daunting challenges, globally and locally,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw , Ph.D. “We’re so proud of this new exhibit, which looks to the future with optimism and examines what might lie ahead for the High Desert.”
Fueling the Future/ Energizando el Futuro (highdesertmuseum.org/fueling-the-future) will be on display through March 8, 2020. The exhibit is made possible by Lonza with support from Bend Magazine, 105.7 KQAK and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM:
THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum uses indoor and outdoor exhibits, wildlife in natural habitats and living history demonstrations to help people discover and appreciate this diverse region. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate and was a 2018 finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Services. highdesertmuseum.org .
