Friday, February 21, 2014

Good morning,

We as a global society, as a species, are facing some serious environmental challenges. If you think global climate change is a problem, what do you think will happen when gasoline is so expensive you can't afford to drive to work? Or electricity is so expensive you can't afford to run your air conditioner on a 100 degree day? Or fresh water is so scarce it is only turned on every other day?

Sound bizarre? All of these crises, or a dozen others, could be upon us sooner than you think. Probably within your lifetime.

But there is technology out there that can be used to ameliorate many of these issues, if there is the consensus and motivation to implement them on a broad enough scale. Technologies like solar cells. And if you think building giant solar farms in the desert is the only way to exploit solar energy, you don't give the egg heads enough credit.

Please scroll down for a brilliant idea for huge amounts of energy that could be available in the very near future. Make sure to watch the video!

Thanks for reading,

Your Living Green editor

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Imagine driving on a road paved not with asphalt but with glass. And within this glass are photovoltaic cells that transform sunlight into electricity and send it directly to the homes lining the street. That's the aim of an Idaho- based company called Solar Roadways. And before you dismiss the notion as impossible, you might be astonished to know that the company has federal funding and is currently leading the GE Ecomagination Powering Your Home Challenge, a program that promotes energy innovation.

"There's 25,000 square miles of road surfaces, parking lots and driveways in the lower 48 states. If we covered that with solar panels with just 15 percent efficiency, we'd produce three times more electricity than this country uses on an annual basis, and it's almost enough to power the entire world," said Scott Brusaw, co-founder of Solar Roadways.

Though many think driving on glass wouldn't work, materials scientists beg to differ. Window glass is only one of countless forms glass can take. If specially manufactured, its strength can be that of steel and ideal for driving on.

Watch: Solar Roadways