Summer Read #1

The 12th Edition of Solar Living Source Book is 564-pages of info that reads like a blueprint of hope. There is no doubt that most rational human citizens have a nervous eye on the gas gauge when they commute to work these days. And many of us suffer a mild panic attack when the utility bills arrive in the mail. There is good reason for this. Growing societies are drinking from a finite reserve of petroleum, gas and coal resources.

It is always important to try and keep emotions at bay when one attempts a global understanding of the energy grid that powers the globe. For instance, I am not sure whether the concept of peak oil is entirely accurate. It is a geographical guessing game, flavored with science and politics. Will we ever know the exact amount of fossil fuels left on our planet? Probably not. But what stands out is the extreme record-breaking weather that seems to be occurring on regular basis. Monsoons, floods, droughts, hurricanes and melting ice caps seem to dominate the news. Hopefully it is affecting not just our daily lives, but our attitude, too.

The SLSB is at first, a tough nut to crack. This is because author John Schaffer has it all covered, and renewable energy is a complex subject. But if you consider yourself green, and by that I mean you try to limit your energy footprint, then this book is a must. Once you begin to grasp the philosophical approach to renewable technologies, you may find yourself eagerly dreaming about how you can apply them to your everyday life. Not only does the book explain the various aspects of solar, wind, and hydro power generation, but offers your a venue to purchase said items.

And even if you do not own a home or building, the book offers many optional solutions, on a much smaller scale. This is a great book for anybody interested in renewable energy and the future of our planet.