If the world weens itself from its insatiable addiction to the dark stuff (coal), does that mean we can turn on the lights in our homes 24/7 while cranking the AC and heater on full blast?
Sure, the sun’s rays and wind’s breezes don’t emit CO2 or noxious gases, but that’s not the point of renewable energy. To paraphrase Immanuel Kant, we must treat our natural resources as an end not a means.
The sun’s value is the giver of life – when it shines flowers bloom, when it hides behind the mountains, the world turns cold. To treat it as a means to our greedy energy needs is nothing short of debasing the entire environmental movement.
Regardless of how much renewable energy infrastructure we can build, reducing energy consumption is still important with solar grids. The more energy we consume, the bigger the grid. The bigger the grid, the bigger the impact on nature – i.e. land and animal habitats.
The goal is not to replace one myopic energy plan with another. The goal is to keep looking to the future to account for our impacts. One of those impacts is our consumption!
Don’t install solar cells so that you can run your AC on high from April to September. Install them with the earth in mind.
Posted by aishazoe 
