I’ve heard a lot of people arguing against photovoltaic (solar) power, wind generated electricity, alternative automotive fuels, etc. They all have the right to have and voice their own opinions. And they may well be right in their perceptions. It is undeniable that many of these new technologies are inefficient, costly, and possibly potentially hazardous.
But we live in an age where, aside from the idea that we may run out of the resources we currently so readily consume, we have such a high rate of unemployment and a downwardly sliding economy. These technologies have the potential for decreasing unemployment and improving our economy. If you are against decreasing unemployment and/or against improving our nation’s economy, you don’t need to waste your time reading further.
Many of these technologies attempt to harness immaterial or intangible natural forces such as solar energy, wind, and magnetism in ways that supplement the ways we currently generate electricity and mechanical motion. The problem is that we have not found ways to make these technologies truly economical and efficient. But to draw a parallel here, think back to the 1980′s when desktop computers were just coming on the scene. Most people, and some major corporations such as IBM, scoffed at the idea of having computers in the homes and occupying valuable desk space in the offices. They couldn’t possibly be really all that useful, and one certainly couldn’t justify the cost factor. This was something for the hobbyist and for those who had money to burn on expensive toys. But as technological advances improved speed, made better use of current flow, reduced the gaps between components, reduced the size of components, streamlined instruction sets, improved multimedia capabilities, improved storage capacities and portability, the price of hardware was drastically reduced. Additionally, software applications and operating systems became more user friendly, more efficient, more interesting, more flexible. And the overall general acceptance of the personal computer became overwhelming. Very few homes are completely without desktop or laptop computers or other portable computing devices of some sort. The same goes for mobile or cellular phones, and many other recent technological wonders.
Each of these technologies saw surges in research and development and in production during periods when many people were still skeptical of the devices. Unfortunately, in order to meet demand for these devices at prices the masses were willing to pay, the developers and producers outsourced production to foreign soil. Can I get an AMEN when I say we should have kept American jobs in America as much as possible?
Well the sun shines here and the wind blows here just as much as the rest of the world. Lets put people to work finding new and better ways to harness these resources not just because we “might someday” run out of oil, coal, and natural gas, but because we can’t imagine right now what breakthroughs we could develop in the near future. Yes, it takes an investment that may or may not see an immediate return, but in the long run we will be better off with people employed rather than seeking handouts. God put so much potential in the brains of so many people who are currently being discouraged by the scoffers. Shame on us for holding them back. And shame on us for letting ourselves be held back.
Tracy Henness
