[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After experiencing what might be one of the most mild winters ever in Utah, many of us are forced to acknowledge the cause behind the lack of usual blistering cold and piles of snow: climate change. If its effects weren’t manifested in our daily lives before, that time has passed. Whether or not you believe in “global warming” is beside the point; our climate is changing and something must be done about it.
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Aside from the typical preaching about avoiding idling cars, recycling more frequently and creating a more environmentally friendly space, the more practical societal changes are not discussed. The advent of one such pragmatic change on a large scale recently occurred in France. The French government has changed building codes to require every new roof in commercial zones must comply with new environmental legislation and be either partially covered with plants or fully with solar panels. The United States could greatly benefit from a law like this, since solar panels are not utilized in many metropolitan cities and their benefits are widely unknown to the public.
This is not to say that solar energy doesn’t exist in the present-day U.S. The solar industry grew by 53 percent from 2012 to 2013 and the industry currently contains enough solar energy to power three million homes. However, more needs to be done to witness the effects of solar energy on our climate collectively. The major deterrent to this technology is its price, since many homeowners cannot afford to install solar panels — however, one large sum of money will guarantee savings in the future. For sunny places like Hawaii, projected savings were $65,000, and in moderately sunny areas such as New York, California and Florida, projected savings were at $30,000. In addition, solar panels, once installed, need very little maintenance and provide a consistent and reliable source of energy for homeowners and businesses. This extremely valuable technology is renewable and will continue to sustain our demand for energy as long as the sun rises.
Benefits of solar energy are economical as well as environmental. The solar industry creates tens of thousands of jobs, many times for small and local companies. According to the Solar Foundation, there are approximately 174,000 solar workers in the U.S. which accounts for a 20 percent increase in employment totals.
The “green roof” or plant-covered roof that France is also imposing on residents has similar benefits to solar panels in terms of reducing waste and pollution in communities as well as increased utility savings. A green roof, which consists of a layer of moss, rocks and plants over a man-made structure will retain precipitation, filter noxious gases and moderate temperature in hotter cities. Research published in the National Research Council of Canada found that green roofs reduced daily energy demand for air conditioning in the summer by 75 percent. If these environmental impacts are not enough for you, consider the aesthetically pleasing effect of both solar panels and green roofs. Both break up the mundane and symmetrical look of high rises lined up next to one another.
Although the benefits of solar and sustainable energy are undeniable, the sad truth is that inspiring discourse and popular culture encouraging environmental change are not enough to make it happen. In this day and age, the one thing that can create positive environmental development is to make it a requirement incumbent upon residents. Pressuring our governments, local businesses, apartment complexes and especially our university to incorporate this technology is the first step towards normalizing its utilization instead of seeing it as a rarity.
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