Buried in the “Spotlight” section of the April 19 BDN was a short blip about Al Gore’s house in Nashville, Tenn. He received approval to install solar panels on his roof, as long as “they can’t be seen by neighbors,” almost as if they are some shameful family secret not to be talked about in polite company.

I am reminded of the solar panels Jimmy Carter installed at the White House – Ronald Reagan had them removed to restore “dignity” to the building. The sight of my own neighbor’s small wind turbine inspired me to investigate alternative sources of energy and led to the installation of an array of photovoltaic panels on my roof. In one year, the panels have filled all my electricity needs and created a sizable surplus which was fed onto CMP’s lines. The panels are visible to passers-by, which I’ve hoped may help others to explore viable energy options of their own.

Our shortsighted and often wasteful use of resources compromises our environment and has led our country into dangerous political alliances and needless, costly conflict. We cannot afford to hide such an important concern away from the neighbors any longer. Whatever one thinks of Mr. Gore’s politics, he is leading by example, and his efforts deserve to be noticed.

Brendan Curran

Hope