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| Shot from today, just a trace of snow here in Nolalu |
"If you don't have something good to say, keep your mouth shut."
That was always my mom's admonition about talking. It seems especially relevant this year when it comes to talking about climate change. I have recently heard somewhat conflicting advice on the subject.
I believe it was on CBC radio's climate program What On Earth that host Laura Lynch wondered if all the talk about climate change was making things worse. The experts she interviewed said it actually was because it was virtually all about doom and gloom -- things are getting worse rapidly and we aren't moving fast enough to correct them. People can only take so many negative waves, said the psychologists. Making them feel helpless and depressed accomplishes nothing.
Then, last week, Bill Nye (the Science Guy), seemed at first glance to give opposite instructions in an interview on CNN. "What can we do personally about climate change?" he was asked. "1. Talk about it and 2. Vote," he said.
In reality, all the experts were on the same page. Keep talking about climate change, just focus on the solutions and positive steps that have already been made and which are added to each day.
So that is what I'm going to do from now on in this blog, starting with this link to a BBC article yesterday Nine Breakthroughs For Climate and Nature in 2023 You May Have Missed
On a personal note, I would like to report on our first summer of using a solar system at our cabin that the power produced by just two photovoltaic (PV) panels is mind-blowing. I think you have to see it to believe it. As soon as the sun strikes these two 4x7-foot panels you have more electricity than you can possibly use at one time, plus it charges the big batteries that ran everything over night. Four hours after sunrise the batteries are charged and the system is just twiddling its thumbs until the next day.
And here's the kicker: once you have purchased the equipment, that electricity -- that clean energy -- is absolutely free. Even more positive news is the equipment costs about one-tenth what it cost a decade ago and gets cheaper every day.
Red Lake Marine had its first electric outboard for sale last summer.
"This is where everything's going," said Bob Uhrina, who has worked at the marina for about 60 years and has been its manager for at least 30. He is also a master mechanic.
That's pretty remarkable coming from a man who knows more about outboards and any other internal combustion engine than anyone I have ever met.
I think I know what he means. It is just the evolution of energy.
It reminds me of a statement I heard a few years ago by Sister Jean, the now-104-year-old nun who is the chaplain for the Loyola University men's NCAA basketball team. In the week before every game, Sister Jean scouts the opposing team on video and makes a report to the team about the best ways to beat them.
A reporter noted that she does all of her work on an iPad and thought it remarkable that such an old person embraced new technology.
"If you don't keep up, you're left behind," said Sister Jean.
4 comments:
Glad your solar power worked out so well. With shorter days of winter would the same system work as well or would you need many more panels? It will also be interesting to see how the boating industry changes and embraces Electric boating. I'm not sure that the ski boat junkies will want to give up the power of the V8 engine but imagine how much quieter the wave runners would be if they were electric (or we could only hope)
We need four hours of sunlight to charge our batteries with our two panels. We could do it twice as fast with four panels, I would think. November would be the worst month. It is cloudy about the whole month. December has the fewest hours of sunlight. But by January the days are usually very clear. The cold is no bother. By March there is more than enough light again.
I too wonder how fast all outboards will switch to electric but it is coming. Incidentally, I just saw advertised today a full-size snowblower that runs on batteries.
I am not sure if you would give up power in an electric boat motor. Cars seem to tons of power. Weight of batteries would be my concern. Maybe a hybrid!
Dan you seem to be very good at new technology, and not scared to spend money and try it.
The Mercury Avatar 7.5 had a battery the size commonly used in battery-electric lawnmowers. It may have weighed a couple of pounds. From what I have read on-line, that is only good for a couple of hours under full throttle. At trolling speed it lasted four times longer. So you would probably want to take a couple of batteries with you. It would be lovely if you could connect your discharged battery to a solar charger right on the boat.
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