Mondays are now Green.
I heard an interesting story over the weekend, one that was produced by BBC World Service, discussing ways in which we have the ability to harness Solar Energy. And ultimately, this is the energy we are using to power all other renewables.
Solar energy creates wind and photosynthesis. While geothermal is debateable on that front, it still is made efficient by the weather patterns of our planet. And all weather is a byproduct of unequal solar heating of the surface. I won’t bore you here on the details of that, but if you would like to know more about weather I think I do a pretty good job of teaching the basic principles.
Anyway, the discussion is geared toward creating plants in the world’s desert regions to convert the high amount of solar energy into electricity. Specifically, using 1/8 of the Sahara Desert to power all of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, with the possibility of creating an electrical grid with a capacity of transporting the energy all the way to Scandanavia.
Currently, solar power is used in global communities and cities to power homes and business during the day. This energy is used to power the coffee pot and television set, but more importantly it is used as a source of energy to heat water. The efficiency of installing a solar power unit to aide in the heating of your water can amount to saving 50-80%of your energy costs in the home. Plus, George W (holy mess, he might have done something good afterall!) signed an extension of the tax credit to individuals who install and use renewable energies. Check it out! I’m going to install a wind turbine and flat plate collector with my solar panels!
While we are probably still a long way from creating some ’supergrid’ of transferring energy across contintents, this is a technology we can implement on a consumer level to make a large impact in the fight for energy independence. It’s becoming increasingly affordable, is (rightly so) supported by our government, and shows a deeper commitment for the conservation of our planet.
What will it take to convince the average consumer to adopt a mindset favoring options that will cut pollution, cut out of pocket expenses, and model planetary stewardship to future generations?
Posted by stevebragg 
