Sun and Water

I find myself thinking about sun and water lately. About the duality of these things in a time of rapid climate change.

The sun is the source of heat that’s baking the planet as a result of our fossil fuel emissions tipping atmospheric chemistry out of the safe zone. The sun is also a source of clean energy to replace fossil fuels, limited mainly by our choices on the pace we develop and deploy the technology to use it.

Water, either in deficit or in excess, may be linked to most human suffering from climate change. Water is also, as is often said, ‘life’. With clean flowing water comes health and abundance, and another source of energy to replace fossil fuels if used right. (imo Site C is not right)

The technology to use the sun is not only solar photovoltaics to produce electricity. It’s also design of communities, buildings, agricultural spaces and greenspace to make use of the sun when and where it’s wanted and shade from it when and where it’s not. Not that we design or build that way, usually. But we know how. We could.

Many years ago on TV I saw two men in a high mountain place that if I was to guess I’d say might have been in Mongolia, making tea with a kettle suspended over a metal reflector. I don’t remember anything else about the show, but that scene stuck with me. Why isn’t that sort of use of the sun ubiquitous around the world? Especially with high tech products like those from GoSun available.

Does the thought of going out on your deck or into your yard to boil water for coffee or cook a meal in a solar cooker seem odd? Yet for many the thought of going outside to use a barbeque carries feelings of joy. (Thinking in a mainstream Canadian context.)

Sure, a passive solar appliance won’t work all the time. But having one doesn’t mean you can’t also have an electric appliance, just as people probably still have some kind of cooking range in the house even if they love to barbeque outside. And speaking of barbeques, the apartment building where I live doesn’t allow them. Due to fire hazard, maybe? I could have a solar oven though. And after occasional mentions over the years being met with a bit of resistance from my partner (priorities, not opposition), there’s a hint a solar oven may be coming to our home soon. If so, I’ll write about my experiences with it.

Meanwhile I’ll be here wishing we could put shades on the outside of our windows to reduce the energy we waste air conditioning this place. Alas, it’s a rental and we’re not allowed to attach anything to it or renovate things. The quality of insulation, windows, and building envelope sealing — to code, so poor — are energy decisions we’re stuck with for now.

Explore posts in the same categories: Energy, Environment, GoSun

Tags: climate change, Energy, environment

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