HERE COMES THE SUN!
This story truly appealed to my Vitamin D starved sensibilities. Thanks to modern technology, a Norwegian valley town will get direct sunlight for the
first time in years [and you think you have problems], thanks to three giant mirrors placed on the mountaintop. The industrial town of Rjukan exists within a very deep valley and gets no direct sunlight from September to March. [The thought
of that literally makes my insides weep]. In the past, when people wanted
direct sunlight, they would have to take a cable car up to the top of the
mountain for any access to direct sunlight. I don’t know about you, but this
would be about the time I’d be looking relocate.
After years of throwing around ideas, in the shade, it was
decided that with the aid of helicopters, three enormous mirrors (their fancy name: heliostats) would be
placed 450 metres above the town so as to reflect the sun directly into the
town’s main square. How much do you want to bet there will be a lot of ‘square
parties’ this year in Rjukan. "Bust out the wine, put away the vitamin D, we’ve
got some sunlight celebrating to do!" A local resident thought up the plan and
won funding for it (about half a million pounds) in order to realize the
residents' dream. Apparently, the idea was thought of over 100 years ago (yes,
you heard me), but apparently the lack of sun starved the people of their
decision making power. Okay, fine, they also lacked the technology back then,
so instead the town opted for the cable car. But the fact that it took this long speaks
volumes to what I’ve been saying all along – take away the sun and you take
away one’s will to live! Yes, I’m dramatic, but I live in England, and we often
go weeks without proper sunshine. It can turn you into a powerless slug, I assure you.
In the case of these mirrors, they are controlled by a
computer to determine the best angle to direct the sun’s path right onto the
town and have been equipped with solar panels to wash and move the panels into
proper position when need be. All in all, it’s a well-hatched plan, environmentally conscious plan with a
positive solution for these poor sun starved residents. The town’s website now
applicably states that ‘the square will become a sunny meeting place in a town
otherwise in shadow.’ All I can say for the people of Rjukan, is at least there
is sun in the sky to direct somewhere. As winter descends upon England, I tell myself what I always
do each year winter knocks on our proverbial doors: California is only a plane ride away. Thank god
for that.