The luxuries and necessities that we have grown so accustomed to are the reason why the switch from oil to a renewable source of energy will not happen soon enough for us to shed our dependence on a finite resource. People talk and say that we need to cut back, we are destroying our world, but many are not doing anything about it.

It was trendy to boycott, to conserve, and to act when the gas prices shot so high. Talking about solar power, hydro electric power, global warming, and alternative fuels was the Hollywood thing to do. Now that the prices at the pump have fallen back to a reasonable rate, people have fallen back into their habits of traveling more, filling up the gas tank, turning the heat up just that little bit so they can be warm instead of just ‘not cold.’

A Way of Life Obtained through Progression Cannot Be Sustained Without Progression

These habits are not bad habits, but they are the actions that perpetuate the dependence on oil.

They are not wrong doings in and of themselves, but they are hurting the environment immensely.

It is not inherently evil, but it is destroying the world.

It is not intentional, but it is real and now, what other choices do we have?

It Needs to be Practical to Be Applicable

Convenience most likely will be the determining factor. Fuel Cell cars, poised to be the rescuer of the ozone and our wallets, cannot yet sustain a vehicle for more than 35 miles without a refill. Outside of California, filling up is out of the question because there are no refueling stations. The environment will benefit now if the changes are made, but people will not benefit, and that will hold people back. The Earth cannot be saved without sacrifice.

Home energy solutions are in the works but they are too distant, too impractical, too expensive. Things like hydro electric power and solar power feed off resources we already have, but to make them practical the technology would have to sustain a home with all of the necessities and most of the comforts and be affordable to the majority of Americans. While both alternative energy resources are on the way to doing this, neither is there yet.

Questions that Need to be Asked

What switch will we see when we have the ability to sustain our houses with alternative energy? Will houses throughout Arizona, Nevada, and California have large photovoltaic cells on their roofs? Will the coastal cities like New York, Boston, and Miami take in their energy from generators on the ocean floor? Will people be asked to spend their own money, or will the government offer incentives? Will that increase taxes? And for who? What will happen to those who don’t convert? What will be the socioeconomic impact be?

Long term, the effects will no doubt be positive, but it’s likely that in order to take that great leap forward we will have to take several steps back first. We must come to grips with the possibility that if we do not sacrifice a little now, we will have to sacrifice a lot more painfully later.

Solar Power: From Saving money to Saving the World

The term solar power instantly recalls images of a seventh grade science text book, solar cookers, and a futuristic fantasy.  This future is becoming reality. 

Solar power is taking the sun’s light and converting it into usable energy. Think of a plant using sunlight to grow.  The sun hits the Photovoltaic (PV), or solar panels, and disturbs electrons giving enough movement to be harnessed as an electrical current.  The amount and the intensity of the sun’s rays is directly linked to how much energy can be produced. 

Although the technology has been available for more than fifty years very few strides have been made, partly because the initiative and concern have been absent.  That is until now.  Recently, MIT professors have hit a long anticipated milestone where solar power can be stored.  Now solar power can be used when the sun goes down, if the proper amount of energy was stored during the sunlight hours.

 The advancements made coupled with the efforts to “go green,” rocketing electricity prices, and government incentives have many businesses and institutions looking for solar powered alternatives.  These alternatives reach far beyond the solar panels on houses, unpractical solar powered cars, and your old calculator from 1994.

Electrify your Underwire

Now woman, and the adventurous male, can sport the new Japanese made solar powered bra.  This bra will enable people to sunbath, absorb some rays, and keep their phones or iPods charged.  Maybe not chic, subtle, or stylish but for those who cannot afford to be without a phone, even while relaxing, it could prove invaluable.

Solar Cookers to Save Lives

On the more humanitarian front the classic solar cookers are making a revival.  In places like the Sudan the solar cooker is a coveted commodity.  Because of the dangers in the region, many women and children are forced to stay indoors for fear of their life.   With inexpensive solar cookers, the task of risking one’s life to gather wood so a family can cook is eliminated.

Artificial Self-sustaining Oasis?

The most ambitious solar powered project is called the Sahara Forest Project.  Sound like an oxymoron? Give it a couple years and it may be as real as jumbo shrimp.  The project’s goal is to use solar power to evaporate sea water creating cool air, pure water, and the possibility of naturally operating.  If this project succeeds it will turn an immeasurable amount of unusable land into fertile grounds.  This is piquing the interest of many African and Middle Eastern countries.

With its booming possibilities and growing necessity, solar power can change the world.  The ability to use a replenishing source of energy could be the most precious secret to the survival of people across the world. 

The field of photovoltaics involves the research of harnessing solar power for energy where sunlight is directly converted into energy. Because of the growing need, photovoltaic (PV) production has increased dramatically since 2002, thus making it the fastest growing energy technology worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »