Feeling kind of wonky these days? Perhaps a little unbalanced? You might just be sensing the subtle tilt of the earth as it tips away from the super star that powers us all.
Officially the fall equinox starts around September 21. County residents have already noticed the sun “rises” a little later, and “sets” a little earlier.
Beyond its astronomical significance, the autumnal equinox in our hemisphere carries spiritual meaning across cultures and traditions, marking a time of introspection, preparation, and gratitude for the harvest. What better time to pay attention to the solar system, and how we harvest energy from the sun?
For millennia humans and domesticated animals transformed sunlight into bodily energy through eating plants grown through photosynthesis—arms and legs did our work. And civilizations experienced minimal increases in their standards of living.
In the 18th century, James Watt discovered that sunlight stored underground as coal could be burned to produce steam to power trains, boats, looms, and spinning lathes. Remarkable changes resulted. Soon after, a well drilled in Pennsylvania released sunlight stored underground as oil that could produce half again as much energy as coal. Combustion became king, smoke became ubiquitous, and the Industrial Revolution roared into the 20th century.
Fast forward to 1954, when research scientists at Bell Labs produced a new way to use sunlight: the solar cell, now called panel. But the public showed little interest, while the fossil fuel industry aggressively advertised gas cars, appliances, and industrial production. Coal mines, coal-fired power plants, oil wells, oil refineries, natural gas wells, methane-leaking fracking, pipelines— all far from urban centers, generating microscopic particulate matter—air pollution invisible to eyes, but lethal to lungs.
Currently we have reached new frontiers with cleaner energy solutions—based on sun, wind, and advanced batteries. Wind and solar energy are now the cheapest sources on earth. And they are available at the scale and speed that our global economy requires. In just one hour, the sun provides enough energy to power the entire planet for one year. ONE HOUR, ONE YEAR.
These developments are chronicled in a new book, “Here Comes the Sun,” by Bill McKibben. McKibben documents how the world is moving in a cleaner direction, and the United States will too—eventually. Enormous investments capturing solar energy are taking place from Australia to Germany, from Chile to China.
The solar movement will celebrate clean energy that improves our health by burning less and breathing smarter on Sun Day, September 21, with international events. Locally, at the Bay Theatre (1 p.m.), Leelanau Energy will screen, “The Light Won’t Dim,” a new documentary film, with a community conversation afterward. Local bookstores, libraries, and schools will showcase SunDay-themed resources.
So, as you walk the sandy beaches of Leelanau, rest assured that the sun CAN be stored, and we will soon find ourselves powering our busy lives with new technologies that move us beyond the Age of Combustion into the Age of Conservation.
“And I say, it’s all right.”
By Anne Harper, Ph.D. Northport Member, Leelanau Energy
