Avoiding Hypocrisy In Your Pro Solar Energy Philosophy
One of the greatest difficulties with adopting a green energy policy for your family is that the issue is frequently more complicated than simply choosing to support solar energy. Use the tips below to use your commitment to the environment and solar energy as a means of encouraging your family's commitment to education rather than creating a situation where you appear to say one thing and do another.
Teaching commitment to an idea without adopting it is possible and is frequently the case with solar energy. Explain your commitment to solar energy even if it's not used in your home by discussing other factors that influenced your decision such as cost. You can further illustrate your point by including some less expensive solar energy element into your home such as deck or garden lighting.
Clip out news articles about solar energy developments including those that discuss non-scientific aspects of solar energy such as funding or imports to keep solar energy as a recurring topic of discussion in your household. It's important for children to understand that there is usually not a simple answer to important issues.
Use solar energy as an opportunity to discuss unintended consequences such as pollution that's created from the manufacture of raw materials or disposal of products using solar power. Ask your child to think of examples of other good things that sometimes have negative consequences such as creating a compost pile in your yard that also creates a bad smell or attracts pests.
Ask questions to introduce new aspects of learning about solar energy such as, "Which do you support more, solar thermal electricity or photovoltaic solar energy?" Or, "Does the water usage by solar thermal plants make you worry about water conservation?"
Do not demonize specific industries such as those that produce fossil fuels or those that use dangerous raw materials. Consider the use of environmentally unsafe materials in everything from medical devices to medical equipment to the manufacture of pharmaceuticals before you create a bias against all dangerous substances for your family.
Do not criticize all governmental involvement in your life regarding taxes or laws if you're supporting solar energy in your household because solar energy is largely dependent on government support both in terms of policy and funding in order to advance in our society. Explain how the government helps a lot of businesses such as small businesses by letting them pay less money in certain ways.
Use a discussion of the solar industry as an opportunity to discuss how it can support the American economy by creating jobs in the US. Challenge your child to find "Made in the USA" labeling on various products in your home. If your child asks you about all the "Made in China" labels on your home products, discuss how cost is a consideration and how it saves your family money to purchase such products, which is also important for your family.
When you're committed to solar energy you'll want your family to understand your commitment in a realistic way. Use the suggestions above to clarify your commitment to solar energy without sending mixed-messages to your family.
