I like direct action, positive protest that has immediate, practical, social and economic use.
That’s why I say, Solar IS Civil Defense – light, phone, battery can be supplied by a few square inches of solar electric panel. The solar bike lights on my backpack over the last decade have proven the concept to my satisfaction (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/30/352476/-).
Light, phone, battery are also entry level electricity for the 1.4 billion or so of us around the world who don’t yet have access to reliable electric power. Emergency preparedness at home, entry level solar power to the people who’ve never had it is essentially the same thing.
Bare minimum solar electricity for all, as long as the sun shines and the batteries hold out, is technically and practically feasible now.
It is rapidly becoming affordable too.
I know of one company that is reaching the price point of $1 per unit production costs for solar rechargeable lights (http://www.thriveenergy.co.in) and believe that there are others that are doing the same or better. That’s $1.4 in production costs (or less, given economies of scale) to supply everyone among the presently powerless or $200 million if we start with one solar lighting system per family at a global average of 7 people per family.
How much more for delivery and setting up the infrastructure? The Dominican Light Project (http://www.esencialessrl.com) is beginning to provide solar lights for every family in the Dominican Republic at a proposed cost of $5 each to the customer’s door. They raised some of their money through crowdfunding (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dominican-light-project-by-esenciales-j-s-srl–2#/)
Bare minimum solar electricity for all, as long as the sun shines and the batteries hold out, is not only technically feasible but also affordable and practical now.
in 2015, the world’s military forces spent $1,676.0 billion or $4.59 billion per day
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
2016 USA Presidential election spending to July 22, 2016:
Amount raised by candidates: $904 million
Amount raised by Super PACS supporting them: $492
Source: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/
Just for reference.
Conceivably, there could be an ad hoc popular movement for crowd funding the end of electrical energy poverty within the next 3 to 5 years. A day of what we spend on warfare or a US Presidential campaign could give everybody who needed a light, light.
This is solar electric power to the people.
Now, add a bicycle or a hand-crank and you have two reliable sources of electricity day or night, by sunlight or muscle power.
See http://solarray.blogspot.com/2004/12/three-solar-projects.html
Here are a few solar lighting buy one, give one programs:
One Million Lights
http://onemillionlights.org/donateshop/
WakaWaka
http://us.waka-waka.com/products/
Buy One Give One for Malawi
http://www.voltaicsystems.com/blog/buy-one-give-one-for-malawi/
LuminAID Portable Solar-Powered Inflatable Light
https://luminaid.com/
and
10 Inspiring “Buy One Give One” Projects – Mashable
http://mashable.com/2010/11/07/buy-one-give-one/
