Between red flags
And rough land,
where the echo of iron
Press Earth’s meat,
Rest the Earth –
Sustained in the pause
between swings,
In applause
that fades.
Under careful layers
The Light Wait,
retained as the sun
It didn’t take place here
As if the air could be silent
for the design of a game.
Up, in drift
of cloud and breeze,
A change meets –
lift
What has always been
To carve new arches
of inactive grass,
And let the sky
Find your place.
This poem is inspired by Recent researchwhich has found that countries like the United States and the United Kingdom use more land for golf courses than for wind or solar energy.
The use of the Earth plays a crucial role in the decision where to place renewable energy facilities, which often leads to debates about competition with other demands of the Earth. At the same time, vast land areas are reserved for activities such as golf, which are generally enjoyed by a relatively small portion of the population but have a considerable environmental impact. This raises questions about whether current Earth’s use options reflect the pressing need to address climate change and transition to renewable energy sources.
This research emphasizes that in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, significantly more land is dedicated to golf courses than to renewable energy facilities. The study reveals that the reuse areas currently used for golf could support the installation of up to 842 GW of solar and 659 GW of wind capacity in the ten countries with most golf courses. In many of these nations, this potential exceeds both current renewable energy facilities and future projections. These findings suggest a powerful opportunity to rethink the priorities of land use, which could accelerate change towards renewable energy and contribute to a more sustainable future.
#Greening #Fairway
