When US president John F Kennedy announced 55 years ago this month that “we will go to the moon in this decade” scientists were aghast because the necessary technology did not yet exist. But the Apollo Programme drove progress and less than 7 years later the US “Moonshot” succeeded. When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface he described it as “one giant leap for mankind”.

Now we need another. To stop climate change running out of control and wreaking havoc across the world, we need to leave 80% of fossil fuels in ground unburned and use clean renewable energy instead. And we need to do it in the next 20 years. We need an Apollo Programme for clean energy to power our future safely. An “Earthshot”, if you will.

This time the scientists say it is necessary and possible – much of the technology we need already exists and inventors and innovators are every day testing new ideas. Our political leaders are the ones who aghast and acting like an energy revolution is too difficult, too disruptive, too inconvenient.

If they think climate action is more disruptive than climate change all they need to do is look to Texas and Donegal, in the wake of storms Harvey and Gert, to see the future they are choosing. Thankfully, as Al Gore says, political will is a renewable resource. We have to be the fossil free generation and if we lead our politicians will follow.

Let’s start by making every school in Ireland a “solar school”, with solar panels generating electricity on their roofs. Enough sunlight falls on the Earth in an hour to power the world for a year. And the cost of rooftop solar halved in just 8 years. The latest estimate is 50% of the world’s power could come from solar by 2050. If schools could get paid for the electricity they generate on their roofs, putting up a solar panel would be a no-brainer. You cut your electricity bills and get income from selling the extra power you don’t use. But right now you have to give it away for free to the grid, and that makes no sense.

 

The cost of solar panels fell by more than 75% in 7 years in the US. Total installation costs halved. The amount of solar panels installed worldwide in 2016 was 50% up on the year before.

We’re campaigning for a fair payment for solar electricity to unlock a rooftop revolution. And last year Leo Varadkar signed our petition. Now he’s Taoiseach he has the power to make it happen and we’re urging him to follow through. Add your voice here: https://www.foe.ie/takeaction/run-on- sun/

If we can make every school a solar school it’ll show that the future can Run On Sun. If we manage that then we’ll be doing no less than saving life on Earth, our only home.

For stand.ie by Oisin Coghlan, Director, Friends of the Earth

Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash

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