OCR Text |
Show THE ZEPHYRMARCH 1990 PAGE 8 Utahs Challenge for the 90s by Bill Howard was watcnlng ths naws a faw avanlngs ago as they wars doing a story daallng with tha hearings on ths proposed toxic wasta Incinerator which Would ba located outside Green River, Utah. Tha proponents for tha Incinerator desire good paying jobs In the area, which Is understandable. But, they are willing to sacrifice the air quality, not only for themselves and their children, but for the entire basin, ranging from all of canyonlands In the south, clear Into southern Colorado on the east, the entire San Rafael wilderness area to the west (Including the Lake Powell recreational area) and backing up clear to Price to the north. I The pollution that the Incinerator would create Is obviously not ust a local Issue. It Is really a national problem which we should all be addressing, for Canyonlands and Its parks belong to us alL It Is a major Spring escape for people living along the Wasatch Front, Colorado and California. And during the summer months, people come from all over the world to enjoy Its rare pristine beauty. In fact, more people visit the parks and pass through the area In one season than the total populations of Green River, Moab and every small town In southern Utah combined. With them they bring revenue for local businesses which rejuvenates local economies. These Issues even go beyond being simply national concerns. For our current all, Including the planet and Its climates. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels from antiquated Industries produce 70 of the pollutants which produce acid rain. They contribute to Innumerable throat and respiratory Illnesses, pulmonary (heart disease, and cancer, as well as affecting overall global warming and its disastrous consequences of increased aridity which Impacts upon farming and subsequently the food supply of the planet. abuse of the atmosphere Is Impacting us these sound like local Issues to you to be decided by one small population desperate for Jobs that pay above the minimum wage? have compassion for their outcry. But there must be a better solution for their needs. Do I What about clean Industry? Such as solar generated power, heat and water? Dont laugh. Contrary to Ronald Reagans claim that solar energy is for the future, the new technology exists nowl Countries like Switzerland and Japan are leaping Into the gap created by American Industries who have been resting on the job, gleaning vast profits from post World War II technologies and systematically polluting our atmosphere. Meanwhile, the Swiss are going electric. And they are producing It cheaply enough so that people can afford It How are they doing It? Not by burning coal and polluting the air we breath; I can assure you. In Switzerland, people are generating their own electricity, and heating and cooling their homes with sunlight. What energy they don't store In batteries, they sell back to the utility companies to be used by someone else. What's more, photo clean. And that spells happiness for electrically generated power Is 100 But the the Swiss and Japanese can't take total credit everybody, Including planet. for these Ideas; they've been floating around the United States since the late 1960s. The difference Is that the Swiss and Japanese are acting upon these Ideas and creating systems and we are not. And why aren't we addressing these problems In the United States? Because we've been told that converting to solar powered energy Is not cost effective. Translated Into everyday speech, that means that the utility companies hate to see this, because they think that It means a terrific financial loss for them selling the pollution generated power. But, If they would perceive this as public over-pric- ed an opportunity rather than a crisis, all of this could change In a hurry. New technology means new Jobs and that means a vitalized economy. For considerably less than what has been wasted on leaking nuclear generated power, vast grids of photoelectric panels could span across the sun belts of Texas, Arizona and Southern Utah. The utility companies have an opportunity to be the forerunners of the process, but they must have vision and be willing to act upon It we as a people begin to see this next step not as a crisis but as an opportunity, vast new Industries will be created retrofitting older dwellings and Installing new systems In new homes and building. Good Jobs will be created building solar hot water and heating systems, as well as building and Installing If photoelectric collectors. Sure, there will be major adjustments; banks must be willing to make loans for new systems and to homeowners wishing to retrofit their older dwellings, and since solar energy works best with direct current (like they use throughout Europe), low priced converters must be marketed to convert the old 110 A.C. systems Into D.C. But, thats yet another new Industry to be created and a new market to be explored. Since practically all of the new technology we have come to enjoy like: televisions, computers, stereo systems, washing machines, etc. are being marketed In Europe that uses D.C. power, they are available now. Alternating Current 110 power (like what weve been using In the U.S. since the turn of the century), although effective for transmitting long distances, Is wasteful and locks us into an antiquated power system. But, If most of our energy Is generated on location and the energy system of wires that connect us to the utility companies Is used only as a back up, much of this waste Is eradicated. Utility companies could then serve the function as caretakers of the collective energy storehouse. They would only generate new energy to compensate for any deficiencies In the collective energy pool due to weather conditions or excessive energy use by the consumer. In other words, the functions of the utility companies still exist; they still must maintain their systems and generate some power. They just don't have to generate It all. And we as consumers of power and Inhabitants of the planet benefit by having clean air to breathe and Inexpensive energy to usel Tills transition could be a boom to our economy. The banking Industry could profit by making loans to retrofit older homes and Insist that newly built buildings have the new solar technology before they would make loans on them. (An excellent photovoltaic systems costs as about as much as a new furnace and duct system, around $2500.00, and a hot water heating system which will heat a house and provide abundant hot water, around $5,000.00.) These are todays prices, but If we as a nation really applied ourselves to the problems, competition would bring these prices down even lower. New Jobs would be created for designers, fabricators, welders, electricians, carpenters; In fact, It would affect positively nearly every portion of our economy. But, we must have the courage to make that next step or we will be left far behind by other more farsighted nations. So what do you say America, are we going to hide our heads In the smoke of antiquated technology or are we going to make the next step and walk Into the 21st century with clear blue skies and sunshine enough to power our planet? It does already, you know. But it would be a shame If we were the last to know .... 76 So. Main 4 259-547- 5 ATTORNEYS TITLE Lynda Stocks, manager William L. Benge, licensed agent Locally Operated land title insurance title searches Real Estate Closings JIM DAVIS TREE AND LANDSCAPING CO. COMPLETE: tree service large trees lawn maintenance evergreens & bonsai yard and lot clean-up- s tilling |