Oops. Ouch. Uh-oh.

Got caught in a mistake today.

We’re hoping to create a solar array, our town’s very own, in the not-too-distant future.  I have been working on identifying a parcel of privately-owned land where we might place it, say up to ten acres.

I was discussing my initial investigations with some fellow citizens, and two people pointed out the “ugly” trade-off I was proposing and which they were unwilling to support.  Don’t, they as much as said, trade land for electricity production.  Good point.

Sustainability, by definition, embraces a comprehensive balance.  We need the undeveloped, open spaces, and we need to end our dependence on fossil fuel-powered energy generation.  We must have both clean, renewable energy, and permanently protected natural spaces.

In my excitement to find a good spot to plunk down a fresh batch of solar panels, I lost sight of this.  You could say I temporarily lost my balance.  Not good.  Gotta watch it.

Perhaps we are conditioned, somehow, to seek simple answers, to solve  problems with single-factor solutions, to answer questions without considering context.  I am working to overcome this ingrown tendency.  I tell myself I largely have, but today I fell into that old mental trap: see a problem, find a solution, move on.  Job “well done”.

Nope, no way.  Not any more.  It’s a new day.  Connection is all.  See the system.

Ralph