Earth Day

I saw a show on PBS…

weeks ago…

I don’t remember what it was called.

But it moved me to write a quick note myself.

Here’s what the note said:

Wouldn’t you like to be a Samso too?

I can only assume that A Dr Pepper commercial circa 1978 was at the same time running along the back wall of my brain.

In reality, Samso is a small Danish island with a population of a little over 4,000. Samso consists of mostly farmers, that are way smarter than all of us city folk.

Samso is off the grid. It has erased it’s carbon footprint. It produces more energy than it uses, and even sells power to the mainland.

The project started in 1997, with a ten year plan to convert its energy consumption from oil and gas to clean technology. Now here is where I get all misty-eyed, and want to pack up my family and move there. Granted, they are a small island, but they had to all agree to work together. The businesses, the farmers, the engineers, the plumbers- everyone! That’s something even some of our smallest towns and communities can’t seem to get right here in the US.

All the electricity on Samso comes from wind turbines. Most of the heat is solar, and supplied by big ole’ furnaces that burn wood chips, straw, and even sheep trimmings! Some dairy farmers even figured out a way to attach a heat transfer thingy (so not the technical term) to the collection tank that holds newly expressed milk from cows. This thingy prevents the heat from dissipating into the air and instead harnesses it and uses it to help heat their freakin’ homes!

I can’t even think about all the crap that I just throw away, because I just don’t know what else to do with it.

The residents there have also converted their cars and tractors so they run off canola oil. The island’s carpenters have all become experts on converting homes into energy savers. In truth, the people there had to change every aspect of their daily lives in order for the “plan” to work…

AND THEY DID.

Makes me feel a little like a jerkbird for sighing and rolling my eyes when I have to separate my recyclables.

Sure, we don’t buy water bottles, we recycle, I bring my reusable grocery bags to the store, but come on, people- sheep trimmings! Heat from cow’s milk!

Samso island has blown me away. They all take pride in what they’ve done, built, and saved. It took them ten years of working together to do it. I want to experience that.

I want to live there.

But I really, really, really hate packing.

So instead, I’ll think globally and act locally.

Perhaps we could all try to create our own little Samsos wherever we live.

Sing it with me-