10.25: SunDay

Climate News 10.25: September the 21st was a Sunday. However, it was also SunDay.

SunDay is a climate organization focused on finishing the transition to solar energy. The project was started by Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and author. SunDay was “a day of action on September 21, 2025” (www.sunday.earth) and is all about pushing for solar power, which is now the cheapest form of power in the world, and will create many new jobs.

SunDay led way to over 450 events across almost all 50 states. SunDay was a demonstration of how we can renewably power our energy-intensive world. One goal for SunDay was support for balcony solar, which is currently illegal in every state but Utah. Balcony solar is a cheap version of roof solar, and this is how it works: First, you can go to a local hardware or general store and buy a panel. Then hang it on you balcony, plug it into any normal outlet with an inverse adapter, and that one panel can produce 20-25% of electricity an apartment uses. These panel are specially designed to hang from balconies and are a cheap way to use solar power without having to get roof solar. There is now a push to legalize balcony solar for the rest of the country, starting even at the municipal level.

One example given by Bill McKibben that I found astounding was one that farmer told him. So, there is an acre of land. In a year, enough ethanol can be raised to power a Ford F-150 for 25,000 miles. However, with an acre of solar panels producing power for a year, you could power a Ford F-150 Lighting (the electric version of the same vehicle) for 700,000 miles. That is an increase of 675,000 miles. With no emissions. That is a range increase of 2700%. This means it would take 28 acres of ethanol to match the production of 1 acre of solar array.

On top of all this, solar power is now the cheapest form of energy in the world. The cost of solar has now declined close to 90% percent since 2010. It is incredible how rapidly solar has overtaken oil, gas, etc. to become the cheapest and most reliable form of energy.

All in all, now solar is the best form of energy in almost every way imaginable, and projects like SunDay are vital to making this transition, and informing people about solar power. Renewable energy is the best way to power our future, and we must push back against efforts to stop solar and wind projects, and support the building of new solar farms, creating energy, and jobs at less cost than ever before.