Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ary reach due to reduced dependence on imported fuel. You might be surprised to know
that some of the highest casualty rates among our troops in the past decade were sus-
tained while protecting diesel shipments used to air-condition tents in our foreign wars;
and the greatest risks of war to date with more countries relate to petroleum or nuclear
power, from North Korea to Iran. In other words, solar power keeps the peace.
10. Evolution
Solar-power adoption represents a new stage in the evolutionary ascent of humanity. Ul-
timately, people will evolve from our current steam-driven status quo to a more sustain-
able solar-powered civilization. Climate change doesn't mean the end of the world, but
it does portend a lot of suffering the longer we allow it to continue. Given that the world
will live on for many generations after our generation is gone, we have a responsibility
to go solar now.
Humans have great and sometimes very timely ingenuity that has been applied to so-
cietal problems before, such as ending asbestos use and battling ozone depletion. Few of
these problems have been as large as the threat of the climate destabilization, caused by
ourentrenchedaddictiontoburningfossilfuels,butwedohaveatrackrecordofaverting
disaster by adopting a new model when an old one becomes obsolescent. I'm confident
that we'll adopt solar power as the new model.
But we still have a lot of work to do to be good ancestors, and our immediate des-
cendants willhavetocontinue ourlegacy toensurethesurvivalandtheprosperityofour
planet and all of its inhabitants. We're the New Greatest Generation, forging a Rooftop
Revolutiontopavethewayforour
next
NewGreatestGeneration,whowillseetheSolar
Ascent through. We must take the next steps. The science is in, the benefits are many,
and the time to act is now.
“Look, the eyes of the snake!” said that old man two decades ago and half a world
away, pointing to the destruction that ol' King CONG had wrought on his land and fear-
ingthattheendoftheworldwasnigh.Butnowwedon'thavetolookintothechasm,the
gapingwoundintheEarth.Insteadwecanturnourgazeupward,tothehealingpowerof
the sun—and see a world without end. Shine on!
What You Can Do as a Rooftop Revolutionary
Educate your children about the power of the sun and solar energy. Get a solar
grasshopper at
www.rooftoprevolution
book.com/kids. Watch your children's
eyes light up when, as if by magic, the grasshoppers come to life when placed
in sunlight.
