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Why Solar Energy Use Matters
By Solar energy | April 6, 2009
Why Solar Energy Use Matters
Sometimes we need the occasional reminder that our small energy decisions do indeed amount to a collective whole.
My hiker husband and I just returned from a trip to Big Bend National Park.
Above is a photo taken near the summit of Emory Peak, looking toward the Southeast. Notice the haze of air pollution obscuring the distant hills.
The park ranger I spoke with told me the air pollution hangs over the park most days.With good wind blowing through in the right direction, the pollution is blown to other places, giving the park a rare day of clear air and greater visibility.
While the air was not clear during our visit this time, what was clear was the fact that individual energy use matters.
In the day-to-day activities of our individual lives, it’s hard to believe our small activities make any contribution to the environmental crisis. One family’s daily contribution to the collective carbon footprint seems insignificant.
Global warming, climate change, and carbon footprints seems like nothing more than fodder for political banter.
So if you need a reminder that your choices matter, visit one of our National Parks on your next vacation.
Somehow, away from the daily routine, away from the noise and busyness of making a living, things are so much clearer.
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