Go Solar for the Lorax"I AM THE LORAX. I SPEAK FOR THE TREES. I SPEAK FOR THE TREES, FOR THE TREES HAVE NO TONGUES. AND I'M ASKING YOU, SIR, AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS - HE WAS VERY UPSET AS HE SHOUTED AND PUFFED - WHAT'S THAT THING YOU'VE MADE OUT OF MY TRUFFULA TUFT?…
"I'M THE LORAX WHO SPEAKS FOR THE TREES WHICH YOU SEEM TO BE CHOPPING AS FAST AS YOU PLEASE. BUT I'M ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE BROWN BAR-BA-LOOTS WHO PLAYED IN THE SHADE IN THEIR BAR-BA-LOOT SUITS AND HAPPILY LIVED, EATING TRUFFULA FRUITS.
"NOW…THANKS TO YOU HACKING MY TREES TO THE GROUND, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH
TRUFFULA FRUIT TO GO 'ROUND. AND MY POOR BAR-BA-LOOTS ARE ALL
GETTING THE CRUMMIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE GAS, AND NO FOOD, IN THEIR
TUMMIES!…" so said DR.SEUSS in "THE LORAX" (1971) Published by
Random House.We have many responsibilities as adults, and the top priority should be to children. Their safety, health, and education should always be foremost in our minds in everything we do.
One way we should set a good example is to strive to use the resources that have been made available to us in ways that say WE CARE ABOUT THEM AND THE EARTH. Using SOLAR in either passive or active fashion is a good start. According to Dan Ramsey in " The Complete Idiot's Guide To Solar Power For Your Home" (2003) published by Marie Butler-Knight, "Solar water heaters have been around more than 100 years. They were the first application of modern solar technology…THE SUN is continually giving us energy to use, if we harness it. How can we turn SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY into hot water? By running cold water where it can be heated by the sun. That makes sense. You can rig up some pipe on your roof and run water through it to get hot water. Or you can sit a large tank of cold water in a sunny spot and let it get warm."
Ramsey goes on to say, "A 50-gallon passive batch-type heater used to preheat water for your conventional water heater will cost about $1,500…figure $500 for installation, your total is about $2,000. If the system can save you $300 a year in water heating costs, the unit PAYS FOR ITSELF IN SEVEN YEARS."
Other sections from Ramsey's book include SOLAR COMMUNITIES, SOLAR POWER FOR BOATERS, and BACK-UP SYSTEMS. He also discusses purchasing and selling a SOLAR HOME.
Well, folks, the time is nigh to decide. If you haven't already made the switch, STRONGLY CONSIDER GOING SOLAR. Do your research. Find out what will fit into your lifestyle and your home or apartment or trailer or boat. There are endless possibilities. Even schools, city halls, stop lights, and bowling alleys can be run on SOLAR. It is quiet, clean, smart, fun, and a great project to discuss with your family and community leaders.
One final SOLAR tidbit I'd like to mention is from another book "ENERGY RESOURCES: OUR IMPACT ON THE PLANET" by Ewan Mc Leish (2002) published by Steck-Vaughn. He says "People use more than 50,000,000,000,000 (that's trillion) kilowatt-hours of power per year. The same amount of energy reaches the Earth every 40 minutes in the form of solar radiation."
Let's do this for the children. When we read kids "The Lorax" twenty years from now, let it not be a living reality as it is now.
For more information go to www.fchart.com out of Madison, WI that estimates performance for PV (photovoltaic) systems.
See also: www.raintreesteckvaughn.com for Ewan McLeish's book mentioned. It is a great resource for middle school use.
Also check out www.seia.org for Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the one for an IOWA connection is Heartland SEIA in Lenexa, KS at 913-338-1939. (No web-site available)
And finally, CPR …CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
Public Invited to Demonstrations of New Voting Equipment
