| Is this science fiction, or is it reality? | | | | longing for the day when they could say "We told you |
| Imagine this. You are in a city of 40,000 people. There | | | | so". It seems that day has arrived, and it has done so |
| are no cars as such. It is an almost exclusively | | | | in spectacular style and fashion. |
| pedestrian environment. There are no carbon | | | | It has been only a very short while since CNN aired a |
| emissions. Every single thing is powered by some form | | | | short two minute clip which was shot on location in |
| of renewable energy such as solar electricity, or solar | | | | Masdar, UAE. While it turns out that one or two of the |
| heated water and so on. | | | | statistics quoted by CNN are just a little off, the gist of |
| The oppressive heat of the day is blocked out to a | | | | the story was right on the money. What an exciting |
| large extent by giant umbrellas which resemble huge | | | | story it was! |
| flowers opening as the day warms up. The very | | | | Since that day, the university has opened its' doors for |
| ground which you are walking on is cooled by water | | | | business, the first residents are at home, and the |
| flowing just beneath. The air is amazingly clear due to | | | | ongoing quest for the worlds' future energy solutions is |
| the complete lack of emissions. | | | | underway. |
| You have access to a full complement of the finest | | | | Having heard all this good news, it may come as a |
| stores and malls. There is a world class university at | | | | surprise that the power system for Masdar is no |
| hand. People hop into people movers, and with the | | | | different than what is available to us all, and in fact has |
| push of a single button are transported to their chosen | | | | been for several years. Some ninety thousand solar |
| destination as if by magic. The theatre is waiting for | | | | panels - just the regular old silicon based variety - |
| your arrival in the evening. Seemingly, nothing is missing | | | | provide much of the electricity. |
| - except the pollution we have all grown used to. | | | | Even though there are different and more efficient |
| What say you? Sci-fi or reality? If not today, when? | | | | panels on the drawing board, and many of the new |
| And where? | | | | techniques have actually been proven, it is indeed |
| As unlikely as this sounds in 2009, such a city actually | | | | heartening to see what can be done with good old |
| exists today. Not in our imagination, but in actual fact. | | | | silicon PV panels. |
| For years, the alternative energy crowd has been | | | | |