Friday, July 30th 3:45pm

There's something about walking next to gigantic power lines that changes your perspective on things. Not just because of the fact that they're as tall as three story buildings but that weird little buzzing sound from above really gets you to think about just how small you really are. How safe is it? Don't ask me I'm no engineer. I only ask because it is so different here from what the majority of the city is like. There are miles and miles of football-field wide cutouts of the forest housing these large metal structures that extrude out of the ground. It supplies large amounts of power to the surrounding community. A perfect representation of an important staple of society. Not only the physical aspects of such a monument but also what it actually provides. It would be quite ignorant for one to believe that electricity is not capable of benefiting man-kind. I just happen to be asking is it? And in what situations? What I do know is that the electricity coming from those wires is not being generated by the most sustainable sources.

The future holds two new nuclear power plants for the state of Georgia. Even if there are environmentally friendly means of generating energy. There certainly isn't enough of it. Guess it's time to call the power company and see if they're are any solar or wind farms being built. Is nuclear power safe? I don't know maybe. The most I've heard is that it generates lots of energy and they say they can manage the waste. I do know that the plants themselves don't last long; possibly 70 years and that's being generous because I thought it was 50 (correct me if I'm wrong). Not to say that solar panels and wind generators don't break down but they are comprised of fairly simple components. None of which relate to the word radioactive. Don't forget that they also practically pay for themselves after relatively short period of time. Might be another reason corporations/government don't like using them as much. Once that period of time passes it does not become such a high maintenance ordeal in the sense that all debts are paid off and the system no longer involves a bank, or loan, or investor. Something that would generate interest, the bill on top of the bill. Time can only tell if there is hope for sustainability.

2010