Last week the media got all silly about the "Weather Bomb" which was about to descend upon us. This weather front with rain and high winds did hit southwestern Ontario fairly hard, but lots of us wondered what the fuss was about. The goofiest image was of a young CBC reporter standing in the rain with her hood up looking like Little Red Riding Hood. She earnestly advised us all to make sure we had survival kits. Why don't we call in the army while we're at it. There is an old expression that "it is an ill wind that blows no good." Because of those intense winds the province's weather turbines were working at full capacity. That day they produced enough electricity to power 900,000 homes. That is impressive.
An important aspect of Creation Care is seeking out alternatives to our destructive patterns for powering our lifestyles. Of course simplicity is an essential aspect of Jesus' message, but finding new paths is also necessary.
When energy alternatives such as wind and solar were first proposed the naysaying experts assured us that they could never make a dent in our consumption. God gave humans the capacity to use our imaginations and inventiveness for good as well as bad. I would like to believe we are seeing the evidence.
Any thoughts?
I can only hope that all levels of government take up alternative energy as a means to power our community.
ReplyDeleteGiven the benefits (and relatively small spate of drawbacks, depending on what form we're talking) it would make sense to grow the movement at a 'grassroots' level.
I also can't help but notice how much this issue (and environmentalism in general) has moved to our collective background since 2005.
It's a shame, really.
Thanks Ian. I agree that we seem to have lost our enthusiasm, societally, about environmental concerns. I am actually encouraged that the current provincial government has been proactive in supporting the alternative energy industry and subsidizing solar installations. Maybe we will get there!
ReplyDeleteI am confounded by the push back from the public about alternate energy.
ReplyDeleteTake a drive up Porter road or hwy 35 past Ponty pool. Signs are stop the wind turbines, and health studies before wind turbines. No one wants them near their house. I know a farmer who was going to have a wind turbine set up on his property, and his neighbours petitioned successfuly to block it.
Near Alexandrea Ontario there was a farm that was purchased for the purpose of setting up a solar farm. They planted trees all around the perimiter of the property so as not to be an eye sore in the country. They even converted the old farm house into an information centre about the process of capturing solar energy. The neighbors signed petitions, and protested against the project. It even went so far that the old farm house was vandilized so badly it had to be demolished.
How can so many people be so opposed to clean energy. Would they rather an incenerator, or nuke plant next door?
Sometimes I just don't understand people.
How c