Cooperating, For Our Very Survival

IN A SMALL BUCOLIC TOWN in upstate New York, a local farmer was struggling with his agri business. Crop prices were down, expenses were up, and his farm's profitability was diminishing as expenses inexorably cuaght up with revenues. He realized that he was not fully taking advantage of opportunites to exploit his valuable land for profit. Suddenly, a thought came to him, of converting a part of his acreage for use as a solar farm. Wind, perhaps later. For now, solar. Either way, a large installation of machines and equipment would be imposed upon the landscape, replacing corn fields ugly metal objects,, changing the scenery considerably. He began discussions with a solar energy company whose ownership was very inerested in the idea, and plans were made. The farmer was promised that isntalling a solar energy facility would multiply the profits from his land. Word got out, neighbors and townfolk found out what was up, thought about it, mulled over the proposed details of the solar plan, and proceeded to pitch a conniption. Thus was the battle joined. The farmer and his family, always well liked among the townies among whom they had lived their entire lives, found themselves suddenly surrounded by less than friendly neighbors. The back and forth went on for months, then years. A local study group was formed to formally address the situation, everybody lawered up, and the war of words accelerated. Finally somebody had the good sense to suggest that the town prepare a formal list of changes to the solar plan that would make it acceptable to the community, and to present it to the farmer and the solar energy company. The list included items which were seemingly so reasonable as to be immediately aceptable without qualifications. The land on which the solar array was built and located must be utilized for other purposes simultaneously. Hiking trails, woods, streams, and nature parks, wildlife sanctuaries, a botanical garden on site, a reduction of electric bills for the town and its residents. Full payment of property taxes based on the enhanced value of the land. Ironically, opponents to a solar energy facility NIMBY were primarily concerned about the environmental impact of the proposed facilty and the loss of habitat, farm land and bucolic scenery. Ironc indeed. Despite the ostensible solution, problems remained. The solar energy company, in true big business style, cleverly failed to write the amended conditions into the actual legal contract, and thereby managed to wriggle free of most of the costly requirements it had originally agreed to. Its management claimed that it had no control over property taxes, local electric bill rates, and even lacked authority to impose zoning requirements upon any local land. All across America's fruited plain, similar scenarios are playing out, with differing results. Sometimes the solar failities go up, sometimes not, depending on the particulars of business negotiations and legal renderings. The United Sates has billions of acres of farmland and wilderness, and the government wants about ten million to be put into use for solar and wind energy over the next few years. Much more land than that is already being used for oil and natural gas development; much of this land could be converted to use for sustainable energy. The drama is being played out. The future for solar and wind energy looks promising, as the world increasingly understands our desperate survival needs, and sustainable energy proliferates. Increasing billions of dollars, both governemnt and private, are being invested in our future survival each year, as wind, solar, and geothermal energy systems take over. It is truly amazing what human beings can accomplish when we cooperate rather than engage in conflict. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we can accoplish our own future survival and that of the planet's ecosystem, because of and depsite our best intentions.