Energy schmenergy

[TransitJohn]

So it's like this. The entire state is freaking so hellbent on the "we are the energy state" paradigm, that it makes me just alternately sigh or bang my head against the wall. Why is there absolutely no forward thinking going on in Wyoming? I am not just referring to the nutjobs in Cheyenne, either. No, it is implicit in our communities. It pervades the entire fabric of our society and culture in Wyoming. Yes, we produce a shitload of coal, oil and gas, and yes, our coffers runneth over because of it (by the way, how come we don't get any of that cash, they do in Alaska?). But how about trying to become a little less staid, a little more reflective about the way we characterize ourselves to the rest of the world? I could get in to the whole hokey ass western/old west myth identity we schlock along with, but I have been working on that one for a while, and it's turning into a big piece. It would just be nice if we didn't limit ourselves by holding on to myths that never existed anyway, and forcing ourselves into those roles. Highly recommend everyone read Pushed Off the Mountain, Sold Down the River, Wyoming's Search For It's Soul by Sam Western. And let's get a little freaking progressive, folks. If we want to be the Energy State, why don't we freaking fill the whole state with wind farms like you see along I-80 by Evanston and Arlington? Casper has got to be a good place for that. Thoughts?