Dur-O-Lite Dream

Generally, I avoid advertising pencils, they're just not my cup of tea.  But never say never!  This Dur-O-Lite from the post- WWII era caught my eye.  It didn't hurt that it was red! Its advertising slogan is not for a product or a company, but for a concept--electric heat.

It is a thought I have been pondering as a homeowner, when considering furnace and water-heater replacements, especially with the creation of a "solar garden" recently by our city utility company. Citizens funded the endeavor by buying shares, and are receiving dividends in the form of a rebate on their electric bill.  For me, that was a no-brainer decision.  Solar and wind power are the future.  For some nations, clean energy is the present, as in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.  When I lived in Europe in the nineties, these countries were already focused on changing to clean energy, and they were not daunted by lack of space or the expense of the technology.  Solar panels have now been developed that multi-task as roofing shingles and highway pavement, using no additional space at all. Technology has advanced, bringing the costs down and making significant improvements in efficiency.

One company, Land Art Generator Initiative uses art to promote clean energy. In 2009, they calculated that an area slightly larger than California covered with solar panels would power the entire world with solar energy. And just to power the United States? A few counties in Texas.

When this Dur-O-Lite hard plastic pencil was imprinted with its slogan, electric heat was powered by coal and other fossil fuels, but now the dream of every home having electric heat using clean, renewable energy is entirely possible, and urgently needed. Someday, the dream expressed by this humble red nose drive pencil might be reality. I hope it is someday soon.

To see a short video clip of my town's solar array, click here:
Prairie Lakes Solar