We find ourselves asking that question over and over. How can we help Muskoka’s environment? There is one main thing that in my opinion will help us the most: solar thermal power.

Yes we can be recycling, biking and walking to work; but what about the people that just won’t do it. They either think that it is a waste of time, or they are just too lazy to even care about it. These people could be living down your very street or they could even be your neighbours.

Now, solar power can be expensive and take up some amount of space, but in the long run, it’s going to help the greenhouse gas emissions.

How do the solar panels work? The solar power panels can be sized to meet any power requirement and they can be modified to meet our changing needs with pollution. Solar panels have few environmental impacts from manufacturer and the construction materials. The ways that these panels work are parabolic trough or mirror arrays focus sunlight onto a contained working fluid, usually molten salt.

So what do you think? Do you think that we should just sit back and watch our world deteriorate in front of our eyes, or should we take a stand and stop it? You be the judge!

Elizabeth McCorriston

Grade 7, 13 years old

K.P. Manson Public School