Rectification: Trump’s SolarWall certainly no ‘Dutch idea’

Donald Trump has announced that the controversial wall on the southern border will be a ‘SolarWall’. The wall will generate income via photo-voltaic solar panels, lessening the burden for Mexico to pay for construction.

Rectification, June 22, 2017:  Earlier this month we suggested that Donald Trump’s idea for a solarwall originated from our article ‘Trump’s Wall will be the greatest green Wonder of the World (February 4, 2017)‘. This has been a misunderstanding. During a rally in Iowa, Trump cleared the confusion once and for all: The idea for solar panels on the border wall, including the hashtag #solarwall, originated from his own creative mind.

‘Dutch energy blogger inspired Trump to build his solar wall’

Update  June7, 2017: Advised by Dutch renewable energy blog WattisDuurzaam.nl (WattisSustainable.com) Trump has revised his design for the Mexican border wall. The 1.000 mile long wall will not only keep the baddies out but will generate solar power as well.

It is not yet clear how much renewable energy the solar wall will generate, and how this will affect the financial obligations of Mexico in relation to the construction costs. Furthermore, it is not yet certain if Donald Trump is willing to implement other sustainable concepts proposed by WattisDuurzaam in the letter dating from February 4, 2017.

Our original letter addressed to Donald Trump below (February 4, 2017):

Trump’s Wall will be the greatest green Wonder of the World

Letter to President Trump: Dear Donald, you have an open mind on climate change. That’s great, we do too. We see tremendous opportunities to turn your biggest campaign promise into a climate and cashflow positive reality. Big time.

Walls are great structures to keep the baddies out. But they are also great tourist attractions. Just ask residents of Berlin or Chinese people near the border with Mongolia. America can only be third. It’s true.

The dishonest press here in Holland is unsure if you have really divested of your hotel business. Nevertheless, I am certain your close ties with the new owners and your experience in tourism will come in handy in the new job. I have absolutely no doubts the great Mexican wall will attract thousands, even millions, of tourists from Latin America. It will be great.

Five great opportunities for a truly great Mexican Wall

But don’t forget, the world is bigger than Mexico. Maybe you have missed the emerging trend of ecotourism. It’s the next big thing. It’s great. I doubt if you serve this growing niche market well with 1.000 miles of boring concrete. Especially since building the wall releases 4,2 billion pounds of CO2. That just won’t cut it for crooked Lonely Planet.

Let me help you build a truly green and mean border attraction. With these 5 alternatives, it will be great. It’s true.

1.Every truly great wall has an even greater moat

The Mexican border is a dry area. Very dry. But it doesn’t have to be. Just decide otherwise. No alternative facts required. Even the most dry Mexican province (named after Paris Hilton’s dog) has fair amounts of rain during three months of the year. If you dig a serious moat along the border, the rain would be entrenched all summer long. And then some. It would make the arid borderlands arable. You don’t even have to worry about the most essential imports from Mexico anymore. Just grow your own taco’s, corona beers and guacamole. Homegrown in Texas. Many jobs! Much tastier!

2.How much wood would a wood chop chop for a wall of wood?

You are a president of jobs. Big time. The wall by itself will be a huge job creator. But imagine replacing concrete with sturdy American wood? So much more jobs. Think of all the new positions in forestry and sawmills. It will be great. Think of all prevented fires. Think about the carbon stored inside the wood. Also great. And another big plus: If in 2021 some stupid democratic president in her first week decides the wall has to be removed again, the wood still has lots of value. There are some crooked folks in Holland more than happy to burn your magnificent wall in coal power plants. It’s sad. It’s true.

3.Forget the Mexicans. Make the stupid sun pay for the wall

Cheapskate Mexicans are just not going to pay for this beautiful wall. Also, forget import taxes, or even tax returns. Make the sun pay for the wall. And then some. And then some more. The sun likes people in the south more. Stupid sun, with it’s “powerful rays”. Therefore Mexico pays only $ 0.04 for every kilowatt-hour of renewable power. A sufficiently high wall, covered with solar panels, will pay for itself and provide cheap power to Texas and Arizona (not to leftist California and New Mexico of course). Better still, it will deprive large parts of Old Mexico of solar energy. They must pay somehow.

4.Olivine, that’s pass fine

If we keep on enriching the atmosphere with carbon dioxide at current rates, we could be toast by the end of the next century. Great news for the producers of Arjen Lubach’s favourite fake-French cheese spread. Not so great for the rest of the world, that is now toast. If you would like to prevent the world’s transition into toast, you could transform the wall into a huge carbon sink instead of a giant CO2 emitter. There are several materials that will absorb carbon from the air, autonomously. Olivine is just one of them. It can be combined with building materials. It’s great.

5.Why build only one magnificent wall? What about two?

With all these benefits and opportunities, it would be a waste to build just one tremendous wall. So sad. I would like to advise you to build at least two. Two gives you double the solar power, twice the jobs, and 100 percent more tourists. The land in between the two walls will become a new National Park. The best National Park ever. It will have ponies. Lots of them. And a water slide. It will make nature great again. It will be called National Pony Park The Two Walls. In light of recent alternative facts, I have already grabbed the Twitter-handles @PonyWallsNPS and @AltPonyWallsNPS by the pony.

PS I could not find any appropriate renders of the proposed wall. Since your mom was an immigrant from Scotland and you have build great golf courts there (with great offshore views!) I figured a picture of Hadrian’s Wall would be second best.

PPS WattisDuurzaam.nl (WattisSustainable.com) normally only publishes in Dutch. There is great content here but I wouldn’t trust crooked Google with translating it. It’s sad. 

PPPS Best of luck with the wall Donald!

Imagecredit: Gage Skidmore, via Flickr Creative Commons (cropped & retouched)

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Thijs ten Brinck

Veelschrijvende ingenieur met een brede interesse.
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