SOLAR TODAY Blog

By Joseph McCabe
SOLAR TODAY "Solar Prose" columnist

How did we get in this mess,
Greenhouse gas driven climate change?

I contribute to the problem:
Couldn't wait to get a driver's license,
Too lazy to walk so I use fuel.
My world became bigger, I traveled
Because I could.

My travels need carbon
Stored for millions of years.
Gasoline into my gas tank,
Drove to Alaska,
Flew to almost every continent
Because I could.

How much commute can I stand?
Driving from my home to work
Takes up to two hours of my day
Because I could.

My house is heated by fossil fuels,
Cooled by electricity from fossil fuels,
Electricity for gizmos from coal
Because I could.

I could pollute, but that doesn't mean I should.

I should strive for energy efficiency.
I should install solar thermal hot water.
I should install solar electricity.
I should bike, walk, take the bus, the train, and public transportation.
I should strive for these in my community, state and nation.
Because I can afford these solutions, I should commit to them.

The real environmental heroes
Are the millions who have already performed the solutions.
They are teaching by example
The ways to sustainable existence.

Perhaps, like you, I can do more.
Imagine if it became contagious:
Massive jobs, financing, and renewable energy solutions
Because we did it.