Over the last few months, I've uncovered a disturbing trend in the green media world. No, it's not a sci-fiSoylent Green type conspiracy where the dead are used to feed our energy addiction. It's that we're all obsessed (myself included) with death -- seehere, here, here, and here. And why is that? Maybe because we hope to find a way to become helpful to the fight against climate change, even after we've taken a dirt nap. Just like those residing in this Spanish cemetery.After conducting an exhaustive search, the town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet couldn't find a suitable piece of ground to carry out their renewable energy plans, so they decided to build a giant solar array over the town's 4 square kilometer cemetery. At first, there was indignation, but after an awareness campaign, the complaints have for the most part subsided. Instead, many even feel proud that the cemetery is now part of the town energy network.
It's nice to see that solar power is being used for more than just those ridiculous solar powered tombstones. Santa Coloma de Gramenet's solar park includes 462 panels, perched atop the cemetery's mausoleums, where residents are buried 5 deep. Each panel is place at a low angle to remain as unobtrusive as possible.
So far, the panels cover only 5% of the cemetery's surface area, and collect enough energy to power 60 local homes, but officials hope to triple the output in the coming years. According to Esteve Serret, director of the cemetery's management company:
"The best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations. That is our leitmotif."
[via Treehugger]
No comments:
Post a Comment