RAH Solutions

RAH Solutions is about educating people about environmental issues not because I think the planet is in danger because it is not. The Earth could survive as a molton fireball and eventually cool off and start again- the Earth is not in danger.  Life as we know it is what is in danger. It is very possible that global climate change is a natural cycle that is not greatly influenced by Man. It is also possible that Man and his technology has created or at least greatly contributed to the situation and can therefore do something to bring things back into balance.  The sad thing is that there are many opinions and theories but no one knows for sure with 100% certainty what the truth is.

So the options are give up and accept fate, or do something about it because at least there is a chance we might make a difference. Only one of these options gives us a chance at controlling our destiny.  So I guess I'd rather think that there is something I can do about the future than to feel that I'm helpless.

As a science buff I find the whole area intreging. My first brush with environmental science occurred when I was a freshman in engineering school.  We were looking at the properties of a parabola in Calculus class and it hit me.  I was born in New Hampshire where the winters in the White Mountains are COLD. (Note-I now live in California) A solar heating system for that climate presented some challenges. I however noted that a parabolic mirror with a small black water tank at the focus would generate a fair amount of heat.

I made 3 designs for a solar hot water heating system based on parabolic mirrors and a sensor so that the mirrors would follow the suns path throughout the day. One of them resembled one of those spotlights used to advertize grand openings in Hollywood.  The water was stored in a large underground tank (one design had it positioned under the home). Now a days I'd power it with a solar panel but they didn't have those back in the 60's when I was designing this.

I was young and decided to become a muscian so I never finished the project but it had potential. The idea of conserving energy was not totally new but when gas was $.20 +/- a gallon it didn't seem as important.  After all oil is a renewable resource as long as you are willing to wait a million or so years for it.  The sad truth is that not only is oil not an environmentally friendly fuel but we are running out of it.  I won't have to worry about it in my lifetime, but in the grand scheme of things if we don't find other energy sources soon we will find our selves powerless in the not that distant future.

Americians are slow to change, we like to maintain the status quo.  As a kid it was obvious that the rest of the world was going metric but we still clung to our treasured "foot" based on some dead king's shoe size. Only now are we beginning to accept the liter bottles. Today Americian science has accepted the Standard International system but in my day the accelleration due to gravity was 32 ft/sec^2 and we didn't want to know about all that French stuff.  We hung on to Muscle cars and other gas guzzlers because it was the Americian way.  We will probably still be driving SUVs when the last of the oil is being pumped out of the ground (although they might be hybrids.)

I personally won't be arround when the oil runs out or when we have any of the catastrophies fortold by "Global Warming prophets", so why should I care about the future or try to help "save the planet"?  Well aside from the fact that with my luck the Hindus are probably right and I'm coming back as a cow, we all have a responsiblity for the future. Our children and our children's children will inherit what we do today.  They may see the temporary extinction of our oil supply and if we don't start doing something today they might not fair so well.

I am not absolutely sure that anyone has made a solar hot water system that will work in a New Hampshire winter to date, and I almost made one in the 60's. Should I feel bad? Even if I should we can't change the past, but we can help make the future.  Are you ready?