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
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