What the American brings to Iraq after the war: solar lights

Many people have criticized the United States for invasion of Iraq. But they did some very useful things. We could take the street light of Iraq for an example. In 2004, the streets of the Iraqi city of Fallujah erupted into the worst fear. fear the American forces had: house-to-house fighting. The entire streets are in ruins, much of the city’s infrastructure destroyed or damaged, and a city of more than 200,000 deserted. All construction should be start over when the Fallujah’s residents return.

How to settle down the entire residents in quite short period is a main problem for the American occupying force. The answer is very easy: Solar powered street lighting. It’s really amazing.

Word had come from Afghanistan about the turnaround solar had made in a province on the Pakistan border that serves as a funnel for Taliban sympathizers. To win hearts and minds, the U.S. Army tried rebuilding the war-torn town of Orgun-e with improvements ranging from cobblestone streets to solar-powered street lights and audio speakers for the local mosque.

Employment rose. Coalition forces feel more secure while patrolling at night. People go out after dark. Shops stay open after the sun sets. In addition, Iraqis now run the project. Early on, the Solar Electric Power Company, the Florida-based solar firm that has provided the technology, trained a local electrical contractor in assembling the devices.

Solar street lights is not just confined to Fallujah. By the end of this year more than 27,000 lights will line the streets and roadway in the rest of Iraq.

When someone shot out two of the lights and their panels, the military learned how much the citizens of Fallujah valued them. A town meeting was called. The people requested their replacement. “We will guard them ourselves,” the people promised.

solar street light are not God. But they do meet our needs. They create job opportunity, good environment and safety without monthly electricity bill and construction of complex Power supply network.

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