Science Guy Meets Shieldflower

The great event commemorating the technological advancements in the battle against climate change is scheduled to take place in Pleasantine, a pristine mountain town located only 50 miles from the hustling and bustling smart-metropolis of Bowersburg with clean energy made by the best minds in academia. This site was chosen for the great event because it is the proposed site of a massive, multilayered, renewable power plant that will save the world while providing an endless supply of power to meet the needs of the people. The speakers of this great event include some of the most ingenious scientists and engineers in the battle against climate change. The keystone speaker will be Dr. Guy, whose impeccable understanding of everything technological cannot be matched. Dr. Guy will discuss the latest breakthrough in solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels.

On the day of Dr. Guy’s birth, his parents felt so confident about their son’s future prospects that they named him, Science. Thus, he would be forever known as Science Guy. Science Guy has dedicated his entire life to battling the negative ecological effects of bad technology.  His superior understanding of the dichotomy of humankind and nature has enlightened him to the secrets of the super techno-utopia. In the prime of his life, Science Guy feels confident that with his witty speech he will present during the event, he will convince the people to accept his plan to turn the entire world into a beautiful paradise of clean, renewable energy.

For over a half of a century, Shieldflower has prepared for her chance to change the world. Born the child of flowerchildren, Shieldflower lives on her love of the laws of nature and fights for the rights of all Mother Nature as if she were a desciple of God. If only she can open the hearts and minds of those  whose lust for luxury has turned them into litterbugs, then the world would realize that human beings are a part of nature. We are not apart from it.  Thus, the bugs would litter no more. Brought forth in this world during the psychedelic revolution of the 1960, Shieldflower holds the virtues of nature in the deepest respect and highest regard. The touch of silver in her long, healthy hair exposes more of her wisdom than her middle-age. Her level of energy and youthfulness intertwined with the wisdom of age proves that the hippie-path is the stoic way to go. Shieldflower was destined to change the world, and on the day of the great event, she would raise her voice against the technological death and destruction to the flora and fauna who dwell in the lands that might be put to waste by the likes of Science Guy.

On the day of the great event, Science Guy awakes and, with the snap of his fingers, activates the artificial intelligence of his smart house. Breakfast cooks, coffee brews, the tub water runs, all thanks to smart technology powered by clean, renewable energy. Such smart technology frees Science Guy from the simple duties of life, allowing him more time to calculate and devise more technology to save the world.

On the day of the great event, Shieldflower awakes, stretches, walks over the open window and blows a kiss to the wind. Feeling very aware of her part within nature, she inhales a big breath of fresh, mountain air, says “Good morning!” to the flowers and trees and the birds and the bees then, “Good Night!” to the moonlight as it melts into the summer sunshine. Such heightened awareness of her place within nature frees her spirits to know and become one with the universe and the nature of things.

Science Guy mounts his biofuel-powered helicopter as if it were a chariot and indicates to the piolet that he is ready to fly. The piolet and Science Guy ascend into the sky. Shieldflower mounts her woman-powered mountain bike as if it were a magic broom and puts her passion to the pedals. Off they go to their meeting place, two different people with two different dreams,  from two different places and two different means of transportation; Shieldflower peddling up the hill; Science Guy soring through the sky.

Upon landing, Science Guy steps out of the helicopter, checks his smartphone/wristwatch on one arm and his Fitbit on his other arm then greets the organizers of the event who have been eagerly awaiting his arrival. Ten minutes later, Shieldflower arrives on her mountain bike and struggles through the crowd to get to the front of the speaker stage where she will make her move.

A voice over the intercom coming from a man standing on the stage shouts, “Introducing Our keystone speaker, Science Guy!”  As Science Guy confidently takes the stage, he gazes into the audience because he knows that they know that he knows what he is talking about. He begins with a discussion on the advancement of solar panels:

“Today, my fellow citizens of our planet, we have mastered the efficiency of solar power through solar panels that collect the energy from the sun and bring you clean, renewable energy that will satisfy your thirst for energy for millions of years to come. With today’s solar panels, we can harvest otherwise wasted solar energy by simply placing solar panels as far as the eye can see.”

Everyone claps and shouts out praise for Science Guy – everyone except for Shieldflower who knows what Science Guy will not tell the truth, for if the people knew the truth, they would surely reject his plans to turn the forest into another ugly scar on the land.

Science Guy turns the topic of his speech to wind power. He explains to the audience:

“Today, my fellow citizens of the world, we have discovered a method that makes extremely efficient use of the wind, another form of clean, renewable energy to satisfy society’s hunger for power. With the wind turbines of today placed all over the fields, we will maintain a steady supply of power to last until the end of time. No longer will we have to worry about the climate changing because of our endless thirst for dirty energy. We will have plenty of energy and clean air, too.”

Everybody claps as Science Guy pauses and relishes in the enthusiasm of the audience who believe every word of his speech – everyone except for Shieldflower who knows what Science Guy refuses to tell the people regarding the death and destruction to the forest habitat. If the people knew the true destruction of the wind turbines that will be scattered all over the land, the people would not accept Science Guy’s plan to turn all of Mother Nature into a humming and buzzing sea of wind turbines, all for the sake of humanity’s lust for luxury.

Science Guy, next, begins his discussion on his favorite renewable energy, biofuel:

“The power of the plants in the form of biofuel will move our cars, truck, boats, trains, and even jet airplanes. Travel will be unlimited with the technological advancements of biofuels. My own helicopter sores through the clean air on fuel made from the same types of plants that absorb the gasses that cause global warming in the first place. Thus, with biofuel, we will never have to worry about how much air pollution we create. Biofuels are a carbon-free, endless source of energy that will power our cities for ever and ever.”

Everyone in the audience claps as Science Guy pauses for his applauses – everyone except for Shieldflower knows what neither the audience nor Science Guy knows. Shieldflower knows that the production and loss of habitat caused by the production of biofuels will ravage the entire ecosystem with death and destruction.

After Science Guy finishes his speech, he addresses the audience, asking if there are any questions. Immediately, Shieldflower throws up her hand to get her chance to speak. Science Guy asks, “Yes, ma’am, do you have a question?” Shieldflower whispers, but no one can hear her. “Please speak up, ma’am, we cannot hear you”, says Science Guy in a confident voice. Suddenly, Shieldflower jumps up on the stage and approaches the podium where Science Guy stands, shocked by Shieldflower’s audacity. She begins to shout at Science Guy, telling him and the audience:

“Science Guy, you think you know it all, but you do not know the pain and suffering your solar panels will cause to the migrant waterfowl who will mistake the large solar panel farms for natural sources of water upon which they instinctively land and parish. Did you know, Science Guy, that the production of solar panels will cause water pollution since the production of the components of solar panels requires water. Did you know, Science Guy, that hazardous chemicals are the byproducts of your biofuels? Those toxic chemicals include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and acetone.”

The mumbling of the audience rang with disgust when they herd Shieldflower’s speech. “Yuck”, “That’s gross”, “That’s terrible”, “Poor birds”. Shieldflower had turned the audience against solar panels, thus saving the flora and fauna from the destructive lust for luxury. But Shieldflower was not through:

“Science Guy, did you know that birds and bats collide with wind turbines when they instinctively fly into the blades of the turbines to their unnatural demise? Did you know, Science Guy, that the wind turbines generate unnatural noise pollution and disrupt the natural harmony of the environment? Did you know, Science Guy, that the same wind turbines that mean to reduce the gasses that contribute to climate change produce those same gasses through the production and transportation of the components and turbines, themselves?”

When the audience heard Shieldflowers’ assertions, they, again, responded with disgust. However, Shieldflower was only getting started, for her passion for all things natural inspired her to shout out even louder. She continued in her rant:

“Did you that the production of the biofuel you burn in your high-tech helicopter produces enormous amounts of destruction to the habitat of those living spirits who will parish inside of your unnatural farms of biofuel crops.  The deforestation and resulting loss of flora and fauna to appease the ever-growing demand for energy will kill ecosystems that have survived and thrived for thousands of years.”

Shieldflower then turns to the audience and shouts:

“Our only hope for this world will come from the complete abandonment of all forms of technology and a graceful return to a lifestyle of peace and harmony with our brothers and sisters of the forest.”

Upon hearing the Shieldflower’s shouts for a complete abandonment of all technology, the audience booed and hissed with disapproval. The audience was moved with empathy for the flora and fauna that Shieldflower defended, but not moved enough to become willing to give up their lust for luxury. Thus, neither Science Guy nor Shieldflower was able to change the world.