Energy Independence Day

It's finally today. The newest summer holiday -- Independence Day. No, not American Independence Day, but a day that celebrates our freedom from the energy constraints of the past. This day, first celebrated last year, is when we broke the magical 50. 50 percent of all of our power is sustainable. To celebrate, as odd as it sounds, all non-renewable power plants shut down, and the energy from the renewable ones powers only emergency services. It's a day to go outside and just revel in the world's beauty.

Just like the 'other' Independence Day, we have our fireworks. No, they don't explode, in the typical sense. We celebrate today with a flower. The Bee Balm. Bee Balms are perennial flowers that, in fact, look like little fireworks explosions. We use today to spread their seed and savor the fruits of their harvest. Their leaves can be steeped for tea, which we sweeten with honey.

Honey, that resource that almost left our planet forever. Whether it was through inbreeding of hives, pesticides that made plants toxic, or desertification, bees almost left us completely, once Colony Collapse reached a critical mass. A mass-planting of this wonderful flower was undertaken, however, and it became a symbol of our return to nature, of a sort. The proliferation of the bee-attracting flower helped the insects rebound, and now hives are back to pre-2000 levels once more.

Of course, people flock outdoors naturally, since we've no electrical devices of note to distract us. Some still use radios, and there are a series of self-powered radio stations, especially WAIR, who uses a wind-turbine mounted to their antenna. Mostly, though, we cook out.

Now, I know what you're going to say: "But how is cooking out environmentally-friendly? You either use wood or fossil fuels." Actually... the kinetic grill is the most widely-used appliance, now. It powers both an internal oven and external stove, much like a typical electric range. One of the true graces of it, however, is that it is modular. It can be connected to dance floor generators, stationary bicycles, and even turbines, watermills, and solar panels. In other words, you pledge to use your own sustainable means for cooking. Alternately, people who can't afford pedal-power utilize one of the recycled solar stoves made available by recycling centers and waste treatment around the country. The latter are often handed out at homeless shelters and food pantries.

It's a glorious celebration where we all come together and celebrate one of the loftiest goals of our generation -- saving our planet and ourselves at the same time.

Bee Balms: (http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/bee-balm/)
Colony Collapse Disorder: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder)
Pedal Power: (http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/human-powered/pe...)
Recycled Solar Cooker: (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10219635-1.html)