"To reality, our greatest artwork"

Written by Alexis / 15 February 2009 / Read Alexis's latest blog entries.

If there is one thing that I know we all learned during the Climate Solutions Road Tour, it is that when you have a positive vision for the future, then it is up to you to make it happen. We are all artists, and the reality we create is our greatest artwork. We have a choice every day on what we do and how the world should be. This team of passionate people on the road tour and all those involved along the way saw an exciting new vision. We all knew it was mad, but that spurred us to do even more. Because we realized that it is the crazy ideas that change the world.

I went on this tour in the search for inspiration, not just for myself but for the world at large. We need good stories these days--stories of hope and climate heroes and green successes. This one-month journey was inundated with hope, with joy, with a positive belief that we can make a difference; that we have the solutions to climate change already; and that the greatest solution is our human capacity to take action!

The Road Tour was just a beginning. It was the launch of the Climate Solutions Project and the beginning of an insistence that we focus on solutions and action. There is no reason to continue the way we are. The solutions are all right in front of us today.

We invite you to read through the blog of our adventure of climate solutions discovery; to upload your own solutions videos; and to create more solutions with the Indian Youth Climate Network (www.iycn.in).

For those of you who wondered why and how we did this, I paste below a few wise words that encouraged us. Hopefully they will inspire you too:

To realize one's personal legend is a person's only obligation. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it. -The Alchemist

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." -Mahatma Gandhi

"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music". -Angela Monet

"To reality, our greatest artwork" - Lydia, my mom, an artist

 The Team, Women's Press Club, Delhi by you.

We concluded our tour with a grand finale at India Gate and an invitation to meet the President of India at her home at Rashtrapati Bhavan! 

We are grateful for everything we have learned on this tour and to all the people who have made it happen.

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Climate solutions.. Suggestions for the Site

Submitted by Sunil (not verified) on Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:41.

While I was amazed at the level of self sustaining activities happening in India...it troubles me that I do not have a single site, which helps me build (on my own) a solar plant...(for my home to run some CGL's/LED's or fans and water heaters/cooking systems) OR even a small windmill, which could help in generate and store energy. Any links to people, who have done this, or a website, which shows how this could be done, will be very helpful.. Rgds Sunil

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Building solar and other decentralised energy systems

Submitted by Anna da Costa on Thu, 02/19/2009 - 01:46.

Hi Sunil,

You are so right. We need far more information on how to implement these systems, and sharing this knowledge is something we would very much like to encourage and build through this project.

On how to build a 'solar systems', TH Culhane, Director of Solar Cities has a lot of expertise on this through his work in Cairo. He blogged about it on the following link, and has provided a response to your question below. Thanks so much TH!
 
 
TH: On the blog itself are detailed plans, created by our intern, Cornelia last summer (see the right sidebar of the site) for making your own solar hot water system. The solar electric system is far far far simpler, which is why I didn't go into great detail. Making a solar electric cell or PV panel is beyond the scope of the do-it-yourselfer, of course (requires hi temperature factories, pure materials and cleanrooms) but assembling a solar electric system is as simple as buying panels, plugging them into the charge controller, the battery and the inverter. Done. The link above explains that.
 
There are better sites too, and my very favorite is http://www.homepower.com/home/
 
A subscription to their magazine and the purchase of their videos would give you everything you need to know about setting up solar, wind, microhydro, thermal and other RE systems. They are the very best.
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