Home is a simple word, but the experience of finding home is personal, complex, and always evolving.
The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters invites people across Wisconsin to join our Finding Home series and explore what it means to find home through the lenses of science, arts, history, literature, and civil discourse.
In every region of the state, people shape their sense of home through cultural expression, ecological knowledge, and community care. Many are also noticing changes in the places they know best, from shifting seasons to new pressures on land, housing, and water. Finding Home programs explore how people respond with creativity, stewardship, and resilience.
At its core, Finding Home brings people with different perspectives together with the goal of deepening understanding and identifying shared values and common ground.
Today’s Finding Home story features Ryan Huebsch, the Executive Director for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Network. For Ryan, home is the Onalaska-La Crosse region. He has always appreciated the beauty of the Driftless Area, where he grew up surrounded by sweeping bluffs, the Mississippi River, expansive marshlands, and a strong sense of community.
Ryan believes that the biggest energy issue affecting people’s daily lives is cost. In a state with long, harsh winters, he says reliable energy is essential. Wisconsin communities cannot afford blackouts, especially during extreme cold, when a loss of heat can put people at serious risk.
He also emphasizes the importance of involving rural communities in conversations about renewable energy. Because many renewable energy projects are proposed in rural areas, Ryan notes that local residents need a seat at the table. He believes that much of the opposition to these projects stems from communities feeling left out of the decision-making process.
Ryan also notes that it is crucial to meet people where they are and focus on the real-world impacts renewable energy can have on local communities. Whether through job creation, lower energy costs, or greater financial stability, he finds that people are more open to these conversations when they understand the tangible benefits.
