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| early morning rainbow |
Power
comes in all forms. In the air, through a cord or around the corner. Good thing
too. During the holiday season one needs an extra fuse or two to help finish
all that needs finishing.
From hanging
outdoor lights to sharing soup and biscuits with a friend to chatting it up
with strangers while waiting in line at the Post Office, one has to make sure that
the batteries stay charged.
We know
that a lack of electricity really impacts our lives. That was most obvious last
week when we had two days of scheduled electrical outages. Since Algoma Power
had to upgrade some of the lines leading from the hydro dams on the Montreal
River, we were without the juice from 9am till 5pm. Prepared we were, but you
know how early it gets dark. One late afternoon we ended up playing a game of
crib by candle and kerosene light. (I almost
got skunked).
I suppose
that might be how some folks are feeling these days about their power bills.
But what are the alternatives? Here’s an interesting phenomenon Google asked me
to consider.
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| Agawa lagoon |
We all
have a built in energy source. Our own bodies generate electricity. It flows
and moves through our bodies as potassium ions rush through cell walls to meet the
sodium ions. Those two opposites attract and boy oh girl, when they meet is there
ever a spark! Such impulses domino and
before you know it the charges are zapping our systems. Now science wants to
upgrade the harvesting of all that energy.
We’ve gone
beyond wrist watches that charge their batteries when you shake your arm. (ps –
that is called piezoelectricity – electricity from movement). Today’s game is
much more complex. We now are in the age of personal energy harvesting devices
and the internet of things. Experimenters have strapped the devices to people’s
knees, sent them on a walk and pow! The inventions captured enough energy to
power five cell phones. Or, how about this? Put energy harvesting materials
(usually crystals or ceramics) into the floor and voila! Just imagine what a
crystallized dance floor, hockey rink, basketball court, football pitch or
theatre stage could produce.
This insight
into harvesting energy has cleared up some of the mystery around the magic of
walking. When we take a step, the rising and falling of our foot creates an
electrical charge. At the same time we absorb some of the enormous electrical
energy inherent in the Earth.
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| fire tea |
Last week,
before the cold and snow of winter moved in, we walked with some friends to the
mouth of the Agawa River. That day the sun was playing hide and seek with the
clouds. The light would show itself enough to shed warmth and then go back into
a cloud to create a Lauren Harris painting. We walked down the cobbled shore,
came to a familiar spot by a driftwood log and made a small comfort fire. We
needed it. The north wind was being a tease, threatening to force us off the
shore at any minute. Lake Superior had chosen to be calm, sending soft rolling
waves onto the shore. Blue grey snow clouds lined the horizon but the
perfection of the moment remained intact. Sitting on the ground with a log for
a back rest, sipping a cup of hot mint green tea, was so relaxing. The walk to
the river mouth was more than an opportunity for fine vistas and fresh air. It
refilled the gas tank. Or to be more in tune with the current economic and
environmental times, the day supercharged our batteries.
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| watchful |
This week
is a different story. Our old friend Polar Vortex is threatening to plunk onto
our doorstep and steal our energy. Not to be undone by such insistence, I am
going to turn the table and grab some power from the cold. I’ll gather it on sunny
snowshoe trails beside deep blue Superior, under the glow of a full moon on
fresh snow or in the unexpected wonders - like that early dark morning when I
saw two shooting stars chase each other down the handle of the Big Dipper.
The next
time there is a power outage I doubt there will be an energy harvesting device
at my fingertips or kneecaps. For now candles and kerosene are fine to lighten a
darkened room. And until kitchen floors come equipped with piezoelectric
charging materials I think I'll get my energy from tromping around on snow
crystals. I know one can always depend on them to add brightness to the season.
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| that beautiful blue |
Happy
Holidays everyone and may your energies increase with each step into the New
Year.