{"id":2064,"date":"2011-05-06T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-06T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/05\/what-do-the-indigenous-think-about-solar.html"},"modified":"2011-05-06T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-05-06T17:00:00","slug":"what-do-the-indigenous-think-about-solar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/05\/what-do-the-indigenous-think-about-solar.html","title":{"rendered":"What do “the indigenous” think about solar?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a facebook conversation, someone said solar was useless because
\nwe should all live like “the indigenous” used to.
\nWell, let’s see what some of “the indigenous” think about solar power.
\nZachary Shahan wrote 13 January 2010 in CleanTechnical,
\nNative American Tribe Going for Solar, and Money<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\nThe 3,000 members of the Jemez Pueblo tribe in New Mexico are looking
\nto build the first utility-scale solar power plant on tribal land. They
\nare also looking to make some money on it.<\/p>\n

\nIt is no secret that Native American tribes are more likely to be
\npoverty-stricken and they generally have more than twice the unemployment
\nrate of the United States. Former Jemez Pueblo governor James Roger
\nMagdalena says, \u201cWe don\u2019t have any revenue coming in except for a
\nlittle convenience store.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nIt is estimated this solar power plant could generate $25 million over the
\nnext quarter century and help create a sustainable revenue for his tribe.<\/p>\n

\nMr. Magdalena sees the environmental changes\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\nthat need to occur around the
\nworld and sees the economic potential in these changes as well. For his
\ncommunity, he says, \u201cIt\u2019s very critical that we become innovative,
\ncreative, that we come up with something that will last generations
\nwithout having a devastating impact on the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nThis project is supposed to include 14,850 solar panels on 30 acres. The
\ncost of the project is estimated at $22 million and will be financed
\nthrough various government loans, grants and tax credits.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They are doing something about climate change:<\/a><\/p>\n

\nThey take
\n
\nthe long view of sustainability:<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\nJames Roger Madalena, a former tribal governor, was quoted in the
\nChristian Science Monitor (2010): “It’s very critical that we become
\ninnovative, creative, that we come up with something that will last
\ngenerations without having a devastating impact on the environment.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And here’s something other communities could use as a model:<\/p>\n

\nIn planning for the long-term capacity of its tribal renewable energy workforce, the Pueblo is integrating renewable energy into the school curriculum:<\/p>\n