A ray of sunshine
Image from http://www.solarnavigator.net/images/solar_cells_panels_array_monocrystaline.jpg
One thing I’ve always wanted to do is disconnect my house from the power grid. It would be so cool if I could generate my own power and heat from nothing but solar and wind energy. There are people who have done this or who have set up a system that is still connected to the power grid. This works such that when the self contained power plant isn’t producing enough electricity for the home, additional electricity can come in through the meter and when the home’s self contained plant is producing too much power, it is sold back to the power company by back feeding through the meter and spinning it backward. This, actually, is probably a better more eco friendly and cost effective approach to what is called “grid independence� as there is no need to invest in a network of batteries or something to store your electricity in. What you don’t use can be used by someone else if you stay physically connected to the grid.
There are quite a few firms on the web that sell solar panels and wind turbines and even a few that are set up specifically for the homeowner that wants to become “grid independent�. There are a few different wattage outputs of solar panels to choose from as well as turbines.
Getting my own home off the power grid might not seem like a very grand save the environment scheme. However, imagine if every middle to upper class home in the country had the capability to generate it’s own green energy. The country could begin shutting down coal and gas fires power plants and phase in a system where the citizens of the society generate their power. What a sense of community that would be!
If we could mandate that every home be roofed with solar panels we could easily accomplish this goal. The initial cost might be a bit off putting at first (about $6000 per home if the mandate was 10 panels per home) but the massive chunk this would take out of the power grid would be well worth it. Even if we could just phase out coal powerplant it would be a big step in the right direction. The huge business this would generate for solar power companies would be great too, new jobs and businesses could spring up form the ashes and revive economically stagnant cities.
Now Tax increases would of course be necessary, but I think... no I KNOW it is well worth the money! Who’s with me?...
Some web sites of interest:
Solar power for your home forum
Image from: http://www.tholt.com/images/cohatrol.jpg
While there is an extensive bus system in the city today, just think how effective our transit system could have been if we had kept the streetcars and built on them with more lines and busses. it is still woeful when compared to just about any city in Europe.
Many republicans, such as former Minnesota senator Dick Day, will argue that we should be investing tax payer dollars in roads since traffic congestion is becoming a growing problem in the Twin Cities. This, however, is a very short sighted and unfair use of our money. Not only can many people not or barely afford a car, but putting transportation dollars toward roads as opposed to more public transport also thrusts us further into the crisis of global warming. To really begin to work to solve out environmental woes, we need to get as many Automobiles off the road as possible and to do this we need to invest in a truly all-encompassing transit system. This will not only get cars off the roads but also make transportation more available to the less fortunate.
Now heres where I tie in the bit about street cars. I believe that busses are necessary to provide an all encompassing transit system given our existing infrastructure of roads, however busses are slow and inefficient when compared to a rail line. That is why I strongly support the expansion of the LRT system. It may be much more expensive in the short term, but in the long run it will save money, and more importantly, carbon emissions. Now I realize that Light rail is not emissionless. The electricity that runs it has to be generated by burning something, however, Electricity to motion is much more efficient then combustion to motion. Also, not only is much of the energy in a combustion engine lost to heat but the frictional coefficient of tires on pavement is much higher than steel wheels on steel tracks.
Image from: http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/min-lrt-trn-emerging-airport-tunnel-2004dec-cameo_ddobbs.jpg
What I would ultimately like to see is Light rail lines coming in to the city and running between all major suburbs of the Twin cities area. This might seem like a very ambitious project, however it is absolutely vital if we are to have any hope of reducing our carbon emissions and eliminating the need for many people to own a car. The gaps where the light rail lines don't run could then be filled with busses branching out like the veins in a leaf. Also existing tracks could be used in conjunction with diesel electric trollies to reduce some of the initial cost of the project which could perhaps later be phased out when sufficient funds exist to build overhead lines and convert to fully electric trollies.
Transit fares would obviously have to be subsidized to give all classes the ability and incentive to ride the system. This would most likely mean higher taxes which would have every republican in the state crying foul but can we not think about the bottom line for once? An all encompassing transit system would give everyone the freedom to travel around the city and huge initiatives like this are necessary to get the ball rolling on the long road toward curbing this country's obscene waste.
Informational Sources:
1. http://www.dickday.org/
2. http://www.trolleyride.org/index.htm
