This is Sunday, the 18th of March, 2007. It is in the American Capitol City, Washington, D.C., and protestors and anti-protesting protestors were out in some numbers to mark the anniversary of something or another. This was way beyond my thinking about events in the world where authorities routinely send club wielding thugs to disperse protestors and haul them off to prison if not shooting to kill. I have an ecological message that will follow, but I noticed that the report on demonstrations in cities around the country were mostly ceremonial and muted but there is one picture showing gas-masked police with white plastic ties who dwarf one struggling protestor and THIS IS IN AMERICA, FOLKS. What I couldn’t understand was the arresting of 200 peaceful prayerful persons out to make a point. Obviously, something is seriously wrong with our right to free speech and in a country where Faith-Based programs are endorsed by the present government.
NOTE ON ABU DHABI AND WOODSTOCK
There were two different stories in the paper today on the use of solar power in surprisingly different places. It appears that in Abu Dhabi an Emirate where there is no fresh water but where it sits on top of one of the world’s vast reservoirs of oil, that the country now has an initiative to preserve its reserves of oil and invest in solar and wind power. They have lots of money to pursue this research and to actually use the sun (which shines almost every day there) to desalinate ocean water to produce fresh water instead of depleting their oil for that purpose. This is admirable and should be an inspiration for all those countries – even where oil is lacking. The sun is up there and is sort of free if you can convert its power to electricity. In Abu Dhabi, the Prince or royal personage who runs things thought this was a good idea and, Presto! The idea was put into effect.
Meanwhile, in Woodstock, New York, the voters approved an idea to reduce carbon emissions (riding more bicycles is one way) and installing solar panels on top of public buildings to produce electricity that will reduce the budget for power needs. In fact, so much electricity is produced by use of solar panels that the town of Woodstock can sell excess electricity back to the electric company and add this surplus to the grid.
These two widely separated (they are not experiments) programs point the way for the rest of the world to see how others can change dependence on present wasteful uses of oil to more environmentally friendly measures. All it takes is more stories like these to make you think.