It’s Sunday. And it’s also Sun Day, a day of action celebrating the power of something that has the potential to create a fairer and more just world—clean energy.

Welcome to the 130^th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a simple living challenge for the week. Along with celebrating Sun Day, this week’s edition looks at facts about the Bahamas, electric locomotives that can withstand Canadian winters, and the word’s first second-hand shopping mall.

On my mind this week: Happy Sun Day!

Happy Sun Day! Spearheaded by climate activist Bill McKibben, Sun Day is a day of action to celebrate clean energy. This day matters in 2025 more than ever before.  

Solar energy is an area with much innovation and so much promise. Yet, many governments continue to invest in fossil fuels while killing initiatives that would speed up the transition to green energy. You have to wonder why. As I often say when things don’t make sense, “Follow the money.”  

Solar energy isn’t a new thing. In fact, the first solar cell dates back to Bell Labs in New Jersey in 1954. What has changed in recent years, though, is a reduction in the cost of solar panels to the point where they now make sense for widespread use.

Despite the resistance of the US, and to some extent, Canadian governments, there is much innovation happening in the area of green energy. In previous editions of The Sunday Spark, I’ve shared many nuggets of learning related to solar energy. From solar panels on railway tracks, to better wool production from sheep who graze on solar farms, to solar panel windows, there is a lot to celebrate.

So, why the resistance?

Generating energy from the power of the sun is the great equalizer. The beauty of solar power is that, unlike fossil fuels, everyone everywhere has access to the sun. Widespread adoption of solar energy would mean a handful of countries no longer control the energy supply. Countries and individuals no longer dependent on oil-producing countries for energy, gain freedom and control over their own destiny.

And that is exactly why governments are caving to the fossil fuel lobby. Like too many things in our unjust world, it comes down to greed and power.

Why wouldn’t we want to live in a fair and just world where everyone has equal access to life saving energy? As I said earlier, follow the money. If everyone has access to inexpensive energy, who stands to lose?

How you can celebrate Sun Day

Visit https://sunday.earth to learn more about Sun Day and how you can celebrate. Here are a few ideas:

• Join one of the many events happening today.
• Watch the enlightening 30-minute documentary, The Light Won’t Dim on YouTube.
• Create a sun and add it to the website. Here’s mine. I’m no Picasso but my idea is that solar power is a reason to smile.

Blocking the transition to solar energy perpetuates inequities between rich and poor nations and individuals. Despite the resistance, many countries around the world are reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. We can only hope there is enough momentum that it’s too late to turn back the clock.

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights of the week gone by:

• We enjoyed a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas. It is a mammoth ship. I’ll share my thoughts on the greenwashing and environmental impact of cruising in an upcoming post.
• The reason we went on the cruise was to gather with some of my Queenies. Now that the North American Queen convention is no more, we have to find new ways to get together to celebrate our love of Queen. It was terrific to see old friends and make some new ones.
• Our daughter Laura was back in Ontario to attend a concert in Toronto. It was terrific to see her, even if only for a few hours.

Things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:

Bahamian facts

We went on a tour of Nassau and Paradise Island on one of our ports of call on the cruise. I learned a few interesting things about the Bahamas:

• The country is made up of over 700 islands, but only about 35 of them are inhabited.
• The Bahamas became an independent nation in 1973.
• Because they are still part of the British commonwealth, their government is like Canada’s. They have a Prime Minister and a Governor General who is the King’s representative.
• The Bahamian dollar tracks 1:1 with the US Dollar.
• It’s a very colourful place. Government buildings are painted pink. Schools are yellow, and police stations are green.

Electric locomotives withstand Canadian winters

One of the main arguments against electric vehicles is that they won’t withstand our harsh Canadian winters.

This week, a new kind of electric-powered locomotive designed to handle temperatures up as low as -40C was unveiled near Edmonton, Alberta.

Cando Rail & Terminals retrofitted a former diesel locomotive with a lithium-ion battery and tested it over the past year in the Winnipeg area. The locomotive was able to tow up to 50 full railcars in conditions colder than –40C.

(Source: CBC What on Earth)

The world’s first second-hand shopping mall

Thrift store shopping is an excellent way to reduce our environmental impact. The the ReTuna shopping mall in Eskilstuna, Sweden is the world’s first shopping mall to sell only second-hand and repurposed goods.

The mall’s stores sell everything from fashion, sports equipment, household items, children’s toys, to antiques. There’s even an IKEA second-hand store that sells previously used and repaired furniture.

Residents can donate unwanted items at a dedicated drop-off point called The Return. The items are then sorted and redistributed to the mall’s retailers.

(Source: The Conversation)

This week’s simple living challenge – Review your subscriptions

Simplifying life is a big part of living more intentionally. With that in mind, I kicked off the year with 52 ways to simplify your life this year, including a downloadable checklist of weekly tasks.

This week’s challenge is to review your subscriptions, including newspapers, streaming services, TV and phone services, and other recurring costs. I recently completed this exercise and saved a lot of money.

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I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.