Monday, May 16, 2011

100 Percent Renewables: The Resources are There, Says UN Report | Renewable Energy News Article

100 Percent Renewables: The Resources are There, Says UN Report | Renewable Energy News Article

Sunday, May 8, 2011

25 yrs in the making

I recently attended the SC conservation’s groups’ oyster roast. It was a fun event with a great turnout. The food, music and company were outstanding; there was also some adult beverages that I enjoyed as well.

I had a great conversation with an environmental activist who had been at it for a while longer than me.
She said that American’s use too much energy and resources, that nuclear was dangerous and things should be different. I was quietly asking myself how this socialist English boy I thought I was, was ambivalent with almost everything she said. The only way I could explain it was thus;

Feudal societies ruled Europe for much longer than our current form of democracy. Meaning 7ft dudes who were proficient with swords did very well and the rest of us fought over the crumbs. My conversation partner would likely have said nothing has changed except my liege is now a modern day CEO. As a 21st century serf I can’t help but disagree.


Most of us died before age 45 prior to democracy and fossil fuels; entertainment was watching your neighbor getting his hands cut off for stealing royal game or 12hr days fighting the elements to produce enough food to live. Your children could die from cuts, colds, malnutrition or violence and there was little you could do.

Today we use resources because we learned to utilize them. We have created modern life through cheap energy and brilliant engineering not to exploit the world but to lead, who else is creating the future?

We do need activists to stop greed and lethargy in business now more than ever but I do not believe there is an evil capitalist at the helm of earth’s future.
I see it more as a group of people trying to make their way and adjusting every 50yrs or so when and if they realize they’ve made mistakes. Feudalism and over consumption have similar paths, I believe we will eventually get it right.