insights
ENTER CALENDAR CONTEST THIS MONTH
The deadline to enter artwork in the Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest is March 18. This is the 25th anniversary of the contest and calendar. First place winners in grade divisions kindergarten through grade 12 will each receive $200. Their winning artworks will illustrate the calendar’s cover and the 12 months of the year. One “artist of the year” will also be selected and will earn an additional $100. In addition, the judges will select honorable mention winners whose artwork will also appear in the calendar. They will receive $75 each. The contest is open to Indiana public, private or home-schooled students. They must be in grades kindergarten through 12th grade during the 2021-22 school year. A complete set of rules and required entry forms are available at indianaconnection.org/for-youth/art-contest.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ENJOYS THE MAGAZINE
Painting the town Send us your mural photos for June feature
Our June issue will focus on photos of murals taken by you, our readers! Do you have a favorite mural in your hometown that you marvel at whenever you see it? Is there a mural that best represents your hometown’s or state’s spirit? The murals can be painted either indoors or outdoors. When submitting your photo, please indicate where the mural is located and include any background information you may have about the mural and what you like most about it. Submit your photo by April 15. If we publish your photo, we will send you a $50 check. One randomly selected submission will also receive $50. Our address: Indiana Connection, Murals, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240. You can also send us your photo online at indianaconnection.org/painting-the-town.
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MARCH 2022
I just wanted to let you know how much I thoroughly enjoy this publication! I look forward to receiving it each month and save many of the stories, recipes, and travel destinations. So many of the stories are heartfelt and inspirational. Who knew that I would be crying when reading a magazine from my electric cooperative! Thank you and your staff for all that you do to make the magazine possible!
Laura Duwel, via email
SETTING THE EV RECORD STRAIGHT I want to set the record straight about the article on electric vehicles in the January issue. I am an engineer in the IC engine and power industry and this article does not represent the facts. The biggest issue I see with the article is that it failed to mention the efficiencies associated with the coal-fired power plant. This ranges anywhere between 33-35% according to multiple sources (i.e. 65% or more of the energy is lost in the process). There are also electrical transmission and distribution losses. For the state of Indiana, these losses average around 6%. Also, the modern automobile internal combustion engines average around 30-35% efficiency (not 20% as stated in the article). Finally, coal has one of the highest CO2 emissions per BTU of energy released (from burning). If you take all this into account, a car engine operating on gasoline actually emits almost half the CO2 compared to an EV deriving all its power from coal. Please don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of EVs. The message just needs to be clear that we need to focus on renewable forms of electrical energy like solar, wind, hydro-electric and nuclear.
Joe Reynolds, Memphis, Indiana