Does your favorite local, farm to fork, organic, sustainable café have solar panels? Would you like them to? Do they know you would like them to?
I live in Sacramento, and recently learned that none of these places have solar panels. Not Seland’s, not Café Bernardo, not Star Ginger, not Burgers & Brew, and not Dantorel’s. Each of these is a successful business, they have roofs with plenty of sunlight, and, with the possible exception of Burgers & Brew, own their own building. Most importantly, they have the kind of clientele which would care about that sort of thing.
What does that add up to? Opportunity. We have the power to lean on these places until they put up panels. We can do this across the country. We can add thousands of panels to the grid. We can decrease the carbon footprint nationally. All we have to do is let them know.
If the owner refuses, we can stand in front with signs reading “Ask the manager why they don’t have solar panels!” When business drops off, they’ll put them up. Then move to the next.
If you can’t see their roof, I’ve got two words: quad copter.
This could be extended to any business which depends on a progressive clientele: gyms, hair salons, massage parlors, nail salons, organic markets, etc. It may be a harder sell for office buildings, government buildings, warehouses, apartment buildings, churches, fast food, etc.
Bottom line is, we on the left make up about 40% of the population, if we exert our economic power we can force a lot of places to put up solar panels, increase green energy output, and slow climate change. We don’t have to wait for any government authority for this; we can do it now. If every sunny roof had solar panels we’d be off fossil fuels completely (maybe, I haven’t actually crunched the numbers).
Please note, I’m not suggesting we target anyplace that’s struggling or which is heavily shaded. Also, if they don’t own the building it may not be up to them.