Is solar energy a viable solution to reducing oil dependence?

Yes

8 of 17

by Morgan Johnson

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Developing and mandating Solar Energy is the primary means for any nation to achieve energy independence. Vast amounts of heat and light pour out over every square inch of this planet regardless of borders, religion or laws.

Nobody owns the Sun.

In fact, that's the main impediment to the implementation of solar energy units on a national scale. Currently, big corporations sell you devices that need energy: oil, gas or diesel. Then they charge you to refuel. Then they charge you for distribution.

Then, most importantly (from their point of view), they prevent any new technology from threatening their monopoly. Corporations have gone so far as to buy up independent patents for millions then hide them away.

Eventually, oil is going to run out. The taps on the world oil fields are running wide open now. They're barely keeping up with demand while new deposits of oil are rare, hard to reach and expensive to obtain.

Oil reserves are finite and the companies have known this for a long time. Now the world knows as well. For world industry to keep advancing it will need to develop a new source of energy.

Now we are turning back to the original source of power, the source of all power on earth. Oil, organic, wind and wave power all depend on the Sun to power and sustain their existence.

America is the world's leading consumer of energy. It has to take its destiny in its own hands and develop technologies for exploiting the Sun's energy. In addition, our government must:

- Force corporations to release suppressed technology. Certainly they know who has what. When they applied for the patents, they applied to the US Patent Office.

- Educate the American people on proper energy stewardship.

- Incentivize solar power usage on the domestic and commercial level. We already have tax breaks in place but they can be increased to a more reasonable level.

- Finally, the government must pass laws mandating all new construction install solar panels to provide 25% of their energy needs (heat, electricity and hot water) initially. Over time this can be raised to 50%.

This isn't unreasonable. It's possible right now to build a house that generates in excess of 100% of their power needs. Excess power is sold to the power grid. Homeowners have the rare thrill of watching their power meters run backwards on sunny days!

Corporations don't make much money this way but who cares. At best they can buy up smaller companies who currently market solar collectors and heaters. Then they can profit from producing the equipment. There's not a lot of maintenance involved and very little needs to be done to keep them operational.

Meanwhil e, the price of oil will drop as the main consumer falls off the grid. Let them trade barrels of oil in Euros instead of dollars. Let them speculate on oil futures or worry about tanker spills.

The Sun will come tomorrow, as it always has.

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