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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/27/22 5:17 PM, Marcus Daniels
wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a
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<p>If only ubiquitous, inexpensive energy was the solution to (or
the lack of it the root rather than one of the symptoms of) our
overshoot problems.</p>
<p>I believe it is yet another installment in what seems to be a
series of piecewise Sigmoid curves... exponential growth that
gives way to (self-limiting) asymptotic "saturation" which then
yields a qualitative jump to the next paradigm/technology. (from
human power to animal power to wind/river to coal-steam to
internal combustion/turbine to fission to fusion)... each one
with it's "horseshit parable" of unintended (but surely
predictable in some sense) consequences.</p>
<p>We are better at kicking the can down the road or engaging in a
Red-Queen style "race against ourselves" than anything. <br>
</p>
<p>The electrification of many things *does* relieve a bunch of
endemic problems to fossil-fuels whle offering some of the
efficiencies of scale (gas fired turbine is more efficient than an
oversized V8 ICE idling at every stoplight and in the parking lot
to keep the HVAC/Radio running in spite of the losses to
transmission/storage/motors/etc.) and while I might enumerate some
of the more obvious un(der) spoken to problems, I doubt even the
strongest opponents (from the dark-brown right and the bright
green right) can have a good understanding of what
unintended/expected consequences are implied. <br>
</p>
<p>I've become quite the techno/progress-luddite in spite of having
a strong affinity to both. I studied Physics and joined LANL and
worked on myriad projects (still do) with the illusion that if I
helped just kick the can a little harder or help the red queen run
a little faster, it would change the nature of those games
fundamentally. <br>
</p>
<p>I can't see that it has. Musk is trying to kick our cans from
fossil fuel extraction/combustion/spills to Lithium (and heavy
metals) extraction/discarding as well as the can of an out
of-balance biosphere on earth to terraforming Mars (with care and
thoughtful intention and no unexpected side-effects?). <br>
</p>
<p>It is all well out of my control (except my own
habits/consumption/behaviour) but I can't help noting that most if
not all of my "best ideas" have turned out to be variations on
"kick the can" and "red queen". <br>
</p>
<p>Gramble,</p>
<p> - Steve<br>
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