Terrier's thoughts on green energy

By: Daisy

Walking through the historic Malcolm Preserve in the town of Carlisle, Mass., with my human friend Rich today, my thoughts turned to the issue of alternative energy.
"Green" energy such as solar, wind and water power is a hot topic. And why not? Gas prices are up; they stood at $3.80 per gallon of unleaded when I sat in the back seat of Rich's Corolla and watched the gas-station attendant fill up the tank yesterday. And the environment is down; all these motor vehicles spew harmful fumes into the air my sensitive canine nostrils breathe.
So it was nice to get a breath of fresh air in the Malcolm Preserve. (It was hot, so I panted out much of that air while hiking.) I sniffed fallen tree branches; navigated moss-covered stones across a brook; and exchanged greetings with a friendly black Lab mix named R.J. (I admit, we got there by car.) And I wondered, wouldn't it be nice if the same natural forces that power our environment could also fuel our economy?
It is good that Sen. John Kerry and Energy Secretary Steven Chu held a summit on this very topic at the Museum of Science in Boston Monday ... and good that the Massachusetts Legislature wants state utilities to use more renewable energy. As a dog who's affected by the sun and wind (and sometimes water) each day, I want to add my own thoughts on green energy.
SOLAR POWER
The morning sun causes me to get up from my doggie bed and stretch ... and it is not a stretch to say solar power is taking root here. A company called SunCatalytix, which got started at MIT and which Kerry and Chu visited Monday, is using sunlight and water to create what the Boston Herald calls "affordable solar energy." Yet I wonder just how powerful solar energy really is. It tends to have a de-energizing effect on me. After our hike on a sunny morning, I had to take one nap when we looped back to the parking area ... and another when we got back home.
WIND POWER
Massachusetts already has lots of wind turbines. I can see them from the car window on Route 93 ... and from the heights of Mount Wachusett. (I usually look for more interesting subjects, like birds or squirrels.) We could have wind turbines on Nantucket Sound through the Cape Wind project, and more tax credits for wind-energy providers thanks to Sens. Kerry and Scott Brown. I myself can attest to the might of wind power, as a mere breeze on my second nap today was enough to ruffle the fur on my shaggy winter coat.
WATER POWER
It is awe-inspiring to see the waterfalls of western Massachusetts with my human friends Rich and Laura. In the wilds of Bear's Den, New Salem, we watch torrents of water splash into a pool with a mighty roar ... while I stand sentinel for any actual bears that might prowl these woods. (Beware my fierce Westie bark.) Farther north, near the New Hampshire border, are Doane's Falls, which power past what look like relics of an old mill. So in a sense, water power would borrow a page from the past to create a cleaner future.
NUCLEAR POWER?
I must add that under no circumstances will I support nuclear power. We have the terrible reminder of the Fukushima tragedy in Japan, just over one year ago, to remind us of the dangers of nuclear energy.

Daisy is a 9-year-old West Highland white terrier living in Cambridge, Mass. Her column appears regularly.