At a discussion Tuesday night about a controversial Gainesville power plant, even the youngest participant expressed concern.
Ben Morris, 12, explained his feelings on the issue during the Q&A session of the presentation, which was hosted by the Civic Media Center.
"My teacher at school has a quote of the day, and I think this one goes along with the issue with GRU," he said. "It goes, ‘Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut.'"
The discussion was about a biomass plant project that broke ground in October. The plant will run on wood and household waste. About 25 people attended the discussion.
The presentation was organized in order to keep the community informed, said Robby Czopek, a Civic Media Center staff member.
During the presentation, a small, heated debate broke out between two audience members about where a portion of the money for the project would be going.
The event speaker, Paula Stahmer, said she believes the project is "lousy, polluting and financially ruinous to the community."
"It is important to talk about this issue because there is a lot of misinformation out there, and this is an opportunity to set the record straight," Stahmer said.
The Civic Media Center is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for activists and access to points of view not represented in for-profit media, according to its website.
Civic Media Center board member Paula Stahmer talks to Gainesville residents Tuesday evening about a controversial power plant project.
