Federico Pistono

In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.

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Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. With today's announcement, MIT researchers have hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy[...] (keep reading on MIT's website)

The article is interesting and the future perspectives are certainly very promising, but that's not really the point. Not so long ago I wrote about nanosolar, but we're still waiting for ubiquitous expansion. Why? Technology advances daily. Scientists, besides sporadic cases, research and study for a prosper future, to end poverty, diseases, provide cheap and clean energy, to ameliorate the conditions of the people, fellow human beings. Scientists are not the problem, and they are not the driving force. The truth is, we could discover anything, but without the political will to put these discoveries into action they will be meaningless.

Twenty years before internal-combustion engines were mass-produced, around 1900, electric cars ran wild in the streets of our cities. in 1937 Ford created the Hemp Car, which ran on cannabis fuel. The USDA Bulletin #404 concluded that hemp produces 4 times as much pulp as wood with at least 4 to 7 times less pollution. Henry Ford's first Model-T was built to run on hemp gasoline and the car itself was constructed form hemp. On his large estate, Ford was photographed among his hemp fields. The car, 'grown from the soil,' had hemp plastic panels whose impact strength was 10 times stronger than steel (Popular Mechanics, 1941)^{1 2}.

Henry Ford smashing his hammer-resistant Hemp-car.

Even so we had the technology, we took the wrong path. Or, did we? Actually we were forced by the law to take the wrong path, the path of crony capitalism: centralised power, socialised risks and privatised benefits. By polluting the environment, wasting energy and keeping technological development 100 years behind politician insured a safe place in office. Cannabis, which was used for dozens of things (medicine, textiles, biodegradable plastics, efficient fuel, food) besides the stupidest of all, was made illegal in 1937 to promote NYLON and other oil derivatives ^{3 4 5 6}.

The oil monopolies ware safe.

Does this mean we don't have to progress technology, since we'll never make the difference? Hardly so, that would be an easy way out, an excuse for doing nothing. We need both the technological and the political will, and that starts from every little actions.

You can start by

• asking your congressman to support technologies that bring us out of oil dependency instead of drilling until the last hole in the planet is drained dry.
• vote for politicians who take a real stand in favour of the issues. Check their records, don't believe what they say. What bills did they vote for or what resolutions were they against? Inform yourself and chose accordingly.
• Don't believe what the news say. Look for a variety of sources and make up your own mind. Act consequently.
• Don't think this doesn't not concern you. It does. I use in my tags "save the green planet", but it's almost a joke. The planet will live and will continues to leave once we are gone. If we keep up this rate, it is US who will extinct, the planet will shatter us off, it will get rid of us like we do with an annoying tick. It is US that we need to save. It might take a couple of millions of years for the planet to restore, but who cares? Earth has got time. We don't.

Do something.

1. Truth seeker
2. AutoGreebGlog - a history of hemp cars

3. AutoGreenBlog - Ford's hemp car closer - a greener choice that produces less smoke

4. Bepe Grillo on the subject
5. WikiAnswers - Why is marijuana illegal?

6. Wikipedia's entry on Hemp