PLATFORM : Technology Is There

My father’s an engineer and he taught me about science and how wonderful technology was, and the future looked very bright. It never occurred to me that when (America) developed these technologies we wouldn’t use them. And that’s exactly what’s happening. It’s because things that are already in production are much cheaper.

My solar-powered airplane is only practical right now for sporting use by an expert pilot. But the fact is that I could build it in my garage, using technology that is at least 15 years old.

If we covered less than 1% of our desert with solar cells, for example, then we’d be completely energy sufficient. Of course, 1% of the desert is many square miles, and we don’t have the production facilities for that.

I just really wish there was something I could do to wake up the United States to exploit some of the technologies we have. This was the purpose of the flight I made.