Two Birds

     I remember this little toy I had as a kid. A dinky electric generator attached to an axle that had a rubberized washer against which I'd run the edge of, say, the dining-room table, or desktop. This made the generator spin, of course, and the light attached to the generator would glow. It provided plenty of diversion for me in my 50's childhood.
     I thought of this toy as I was pondering our nation's energy dependence on oil...mostly foreign oil...and how we seem to be backed up against a cliff in regards to just how dependent we are. The statistics are staggering. We use 25% of the world's energy while producing only 2%. Doesn't take much calculating to get a visceral feel for our addiction. I call it an addiction because, like a drug addict, we can't seem to find the will to change the numbers. I'm not naive enough to think it would be easy, but since when has anything of real value been easy to acquire. My dad gave me his Olds 88 and even though it was a great gift, it was hard for me to conjure up the sense of duty to maintain it the way I would've had I paid for it myself. (It took until I turned 30 before this thought crystalized in my head!)
     Back to the toy. I thought of the toy in a much grander version and pondered ways to kill two birds with one stone...not literally, but in a symbolic way...two endeavors that tackle separate needs while locked together.
     In my local YMCA I am mesmerized by the constant stream of exercisers enter and head to the treadmills and steppers and stationary bikes. They do themselves a service that will aid them in a multitude of ways. Are they vain? Maybe. Are they rehabbing? Could be. Are they aware of the aging process and, therefore, doing what they can to slow it? Possibly...but whatever their reasons they show up and do the work...the work that I believe can be put to an even more useful application.
     Imagine all that torque, all that constant rolling, spinning, twisting action, being harnessed and applied to electric energy generation! Sure, it seems far-fetched, but since when is far-fetched a reason for defeat!? I don't think it's far-fetched to retro-fit a gym so that each machine is connected through gears and rods to transfer the requisite manpower needed to turn a turbine that generates electricity. How much electricity? It depends...but just think about the excitement that would be created when the Y tells it's members that their exercise will not only be for their health, but might also, say, power their community's street lights, or a sector of the power-grid! It only takes a small success in this field to send the message that others can jump on the bandwagon and add their own sweat to tackle energy independence in their own neighborhood. How many gyms are there in Nashville...Tennessee...the South...across the nation?
     It's a big problem, our national health...and so is our energy situation. Two huge issues that people are struggling with. Two albatrosses, if you will. But these nasty birds can, and must, be defeated.
    Something as simple as that toy I played with as a kid might tie these two issues together and provide a chance to take charge of both.