Solar Energy

When we traveled to China, everywhere we went, from cities to villages, we saw solar powered water heaters on every roof. It is very amazing that China has utilized solar power so widely and it has penetrated into ordinary people’s daily lives. In contrast, the high set up cost in the U.S still prevents us from using this generous gift of nature. It also makes me wonder how the Chinese are able to drive down the cost so even ordinary families can benefit from solar technology. It is a shame that our more developed country is not as energy efficient as China. It is not surprising to me that China will out run the U.S in the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, we still can utilize the sunlight in our daily lives. I have not used my clothes dryer for years. After laundry, I hang the clothes on a line in the backyard and let them dry in the sun. For darker colored clothes, I will turn them inside out so the color doesn’t fade in the sunlight. Drying clothes in the sunlight not only saves energy, but also kills more germs. Sun dried clothes also smell fresh and feel very comfortable when worn. Whenever possible, I also put my comforters and blankets under the sun for a few hours and it feels so fresh and comfortable when using them at night. Modernization provides convenience but not necessarily increases our quality of life.