Give engineering students a workshop to develop innovative vehicles and they are happy. Give them a race track to try out their creations and they are ecstatic. Give them natural gas for fuel and they become world record breakers. Oklahoma State University racing enthusiasts set a record by running their natural gas-fueled formula race car 328 laps in a 24-hour period at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit outside of Stillwater.
See how they did it in this week’s video blog.
Andy Barth
When I was in high school, science class was always fun. We would spend our time looking through microscopes and growing mold on bread. And let’s not forget the cool frog and cow heart dissections. Those were definitely fun memories. However, the things I learned in my science classes do not hold a candle to the students we introduce you to in this week’s video blog.
The students in the Biotech program at Southern Oklahoma Technology Center are learning in-depth science techniques that will catapult them into the field of bioscience. From DNA testing to growing cultures, these up and coming scientists are on their way to becoming the best in the industry.
~Andy Barth
On the Horizon: CSI Science Class from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.
The green energy push has been around now for several years. It seems as though more and more people are moving toward a greener way of living. From individual wind turbines to household solar panels, people are making a conscious effort to help conserve our planet.
Students attending Metro Tech Career Academy in Oklahoma City are getting a firsthand education at what it is like to live green. They recycle, have energy saving lights, and oh yeah, their entire building is made from green materials. In this video blog we take you on a tour of this year-old campus and show you what it is like to live green.
Andy Barth
Human health has been an issue for as long as I can remember. We see more and more people losing an uphill battle to weight gain and fast food chains are profiting from it. It seems like every channel has a new weight loss reality show starting that promises to change our lives. My question is why do we wait and let it get so bad?
In this week’s video blog, we show you how an Oklahoma woman is teaching kids to cook and eat healthy. The recipes are simple and quite tasty. Just a glimpse of a fun and proactive way to help battle the obesity beast before it gets out of control.
~ Andy Barth
On the Horizon: Eating Healthy Can Be Fun from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.
Few times in my life have I experienced something where I was moved to tears. When I traveled to Southwestern Oklahoma and saw the devastation brought on by the severe drought, my tears were some of the only water around. The temperature was so brutal; my equipment was too hot to touch at times. My hands were blistered from grabbing my tripod and camera.
This area has not seen any rain since October of 2010. Their grass is dried up, if it has not been burned by fire, and most of their ponds are history. Livestock and equine producers are forced to sell out because they simply cannot feed or water them. We stopped by the sale yard in Apache, OK, and the sight there was almost unbearable. The average number of cattle that runs through there is about 3,000 head of bulls and steers on Thursdays. Because of circumstances beyond control, there were over 6,000 head already there and trailers kept rolling in. When it was all said and done, auctioneers sold until 4:00 the next morning.
Growing up in Washington State, I never knew drought. I did grow up on the “dry side” of the state but we have a wonderful irrigation system that has made Eastern Washington a prime agricultural area. I never dreamed I would see the day where Americans are restricted in their water use. It was a wakeup call for me as I drove through Cement, OK, and saw very few people watering their lawns. Even when the time came to where people could water, many forfeited their chance to save water for the firemen.
A lot of times, stories like these create awareness and people take a stand to change things. Unfortunately, in this case, the change that needs to be made is RAIN. So say an extra prayer, do a rain dance, or whatever it is you may do. Because the people, the livestock and the land in Southwestern Oklahoma are drying up and are running out of options.
~Andy Barth
On the Horizon: Devastating Drought from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.