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Map of Site | Location of Sunflower Ecovillage |
By now we all know about “peak oil,” that point after which the production of oil declines and begins to cost more. Rising prices for gasoline suggest that we are past the peak. And, given how dependent the industrial food system is on oil, it is not surprising that food prices are also rising. Oil, coal, and natural gas are fossil fuels, formed of decayed plants deep in the earth by great pressures. They are the product of “ancient sunlight,” but as we burn them the carbon is released to create a greenhouse effect which warms the planet’s atmosphere. We call this ecovillage “Sunflower” because it is reliant on the current flow of solar energy. In order to prevent global warming the ecovillage will not be using ancient sunlight in the form of fossil fuels. The whole earth is a sunflower, but it does not thrive on ancient sunlight. |
Sunflower Ecovillage uses solar energy
to generate electricity with photovoltaic panels and to heat water with
solar water heating panels. Wind power, which can be
harvested with turbines to generate electricity is simply air heated
into motion by the sun. And all life on earth is possible
because of photosynthesis as plants capture solar energy to grow and
provide food for animals. Thanks to the sun we can live on
the earth by harvesting energy and food where we live. An “ecovillage” is a community of people who live in a neighborhood and help each other in cooperative ways. As the prefix “eco” suggests, it is a community of people who share an ecological awareness. They express this by building “green” houses powered by renewable energy. They may cooperate in the provision of local food and in the sustainable management of the fields and forests they own in common. Although the members of this community will enjoy living in harmony with the flow of solar energy now, their enjoyment of renewable energy will grow in the future when prices for fossil fuels will make them much less affordable. Once it is harvested, with some modest investments, the flow of solar energy is free. |
