I realized we have to shift the dynamic. Nearly 90% of Americans support solar energy, but 97% also overestimate its cost. That’s a really interesting dichotomy. Somehow, despite the fact that nearly everyone wants to use energy from the sun, we don’t believe it’s something we can achieve on our own.
But we can.
Look at Germany. After the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan, the German people and government started a national conversation about energy. They asked themselves, “What do we want?” and in just over two years the percentage of home solar panels and use of wind electricity increased dramatically. By June 2013, Germany had its first day when renewable energy provided 60% of electricity—almost half of that owned by individuals. And Germany is about as sunny as Alaska, busting the myth that solar power only works in hot, sunny places.
So let’s make solar panels the next national gadget of choice. In many states, you don’t have to pay a penny to get solar panels for your home—and it will save you money every month. Going solar shows that you are cutting edge, smart and frugal—that you understand we need to share the resources this planet provides.
Here is where I get truly excited. Together, we can lead the government to better decisions. After all, the ultimate goal is to get away from our dependence on polluting forms of energy. It’s all in our hands, and I have great faith that we will get there.
Yes, the data on climate change is daunting. Yes, global carbon pollution levels must come down immediately. But Germany—and Denmark, and the Philippines—are showing it can be done. And the volume of new solar panels needed for Germany’s transformation had a happy side effect: all that increased production helped the price of solar panels to drop by 80% in the last six years.
As a parent, my job is to protect my son. As humans, it is the job of each one of us to protect the Earth, if we have any hope of this planet continuing to provide for us.
Join in. We have the opportunity, the desire, the motivation and the technology. Now, find out how to put solar panels on your roof, and help lead the way. If other countries can do it, can’t we, in America, do it too?
Keya Chatterjee leads WWF’s sustainability engagement efforts as senior director for renewable energy and footprint outreach. Before coming to WWF, she served in the Peace Corps in Morocco, as a climate change specialist at the US Agency for International Development, and as a program officer at NASA headquarters. She closely monitors human consumption patterns and their link to climate change.
Visit worldwildlife.org/solarmyths to get the truth behind the technology.
