Power to the People

Power to the people!  No, this post isn't about urban warfare or even milder forms of civil unrest.  POWER refers, in this case, to the energy that we all consume every day of our lives, derived mainly from electricity, oil and gas.  Now, in previous posts, I have waxed lyrically on the dangers of burning fossil fuels, which is where most of our energy comes from, on climate change.  The excessive emission of carbon dioxide is creating a 'blanket' around the planet, which is causing global temperatures to rise with disastrous effects on the environment.  It is very easy to be negative and become somewhat depressed when articulating the causes of climate change, particularly when we know that politicians the world over, with their short-term agendas, have no real interest in upsetting the fossil fuel bandwagon.

This post is going to be far more positive about the future because I now realise all is not lost.  Take a look at this illustration:

The three squares superimposed on the Sahara Desert, represent the areas of solar panels that would be required to meet the total energy demands of The World (largest square), The European Union (middle square) and Germany (smallest square).  This shows how CURRENT TECHNOLOGY can supply power to the world WITHOUT BURNING FOSSIL FUELS.  I stumbled upon this very powerful illustration when finding out more about DESERTEC.  This is a project supported by a foundation of the same name and the consortium Dii (Desertec industrial initiative) created in Germany as a limited liability company.  The project is creating a global plan for renewable energy particularly by constructing solar installations on sun-rich, almost uninhabited, desert sites.  It makes sense doesn't it?  All our energy originates from the sun, the star at the centre of our solar system, formed over 4 billion years ago, which generates masses of energy by nucleur fusion.  Just look how much energy is available from the sun each year, compared with other forms.

So there we have it, the solution to the world's current and future energy demands is there before our very eyes and it does not require huge investments into new technology.  It's available now - take a look at www.desertec.org.  There are those who say the renewable approach is not viable for economic reasons.  Well I have a simple response to that argument - BULLSHIT!  Money is a wonderful human-made method of doing transactions.  It means, for example, I don't have to exchange a chicken for a pair of shoes.  But it is just a method of doing transactions and shouldn't be used as an excuse for NOT doing transactions.  The supply of petrol has a finite life - maybe 50 years.  So even $1,000 a gallon would not be unreasonable for a commodity where the future demand will far exceed the potential supply.  What does this do for the economic argument for renewable energy?!

Well done DESERTEC and, of course, all the other similar projects.  I now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Power to the people!

Haircut

During the Greek financial crisis we got used to the phrase "Taking a haircut".  The meaning of haircut in this context is a reduction in the stated value of an asset.  The other definition of haircut is, of course, the style in which a person's hair is cut.  Well today I had a haircut, the traditional type not the financial one.  Usually my wife, Sandie, looks after my hair but when, like now, the weather is getting really hot, a trip to the barber is called for.  Here in Turkey a haircut is quite an event and I want to share that experience with my readers.

First an foremost, you mustn't be in a hurry.  If you have the full works, including a shave, then you might need to allocate up to an hour and a half, which includes your waiting time and socialising prior to the operation.  Even a quick trim is unlikely to be completed in less than half an hour.  I guess it took me around an hour this morning for my tidy-up.  If you enter into the spirit of the Turkish haircutting experience, it can be extremely therapeutic and today that was just what I needed.  I usually publish my blog post on a Monday but I missed that deadline this week because I lacked the inspiration.  But whilst sitting in the barber's chair, having my hair cut and washed, ear and facial hairs burnt off, arms, hands and fingers massaged - not all at the same time! - the inspiration came!  Haircut would be the theme of my blog post.

But whilst my mind drifted, particularly during the massaging period, I couldn't help thinking about the two definitions of haircut - financial and original.  How different they are.  The original definition is, of course, the styling of someone's hair and as I have described, it can be a truly satisfying experience, during and after the event.  Whereas the financial definition, if we use the example of the Greek financial crisis, can be very painful.  Assets are sold off at less than their true values to service a mounting debt.  For some reason that has been likened to cutting hair.

There are some who believe the metaphor is based on the weakening effect of the Biblical Delilah's shearing of Samson's invigorating mane.

Samson's strength was apparently in his hair.  Well this morning before I went to the barber, I cut the lawn but gave up after three hours as the morning sun got hotter.  Now that I've had my mane sheared, I feel invigorated and ready for more action!  So the strength wasn't in my hair!!  I doubt this post will contribute to the elimination of the modern definition of haircut but let's hope that the pejorative connotation of the word will not, particularly for those new to the English language, be confused with a wonderful experience.

I'm sitting in the railway station....

Yes I'm sitting in the railway station, got a ticket to my destination (London), but I'm not on a tour of one night stands....etc.  The Simon and Garfunkel song came into my head so it was meant to be the theme of today's blog post.  I'm on one of my visits to the UK when I try to cram as much into a week as possible and today I'm meeting a couple of colleagues in the capital.  The people-watching en route is fascinating.  I'm currently observing a guy at the automated ticket dispenser who has a shoulder bag with 'Homes & Communities Agency ' emblazoned on the flap.  So what's he up to?  Well I suppose the name of his organisation (unless he's borrowed the bag!) gives a clue as to the nature of his work, which sounds as though he might be in the business of helping others.  It's a pity he has to pay such extortionate prices for his rail tickets although no doubt the costs are ultimately borne by the taxpayer.

That guy is just one example of a growing number of people who are surrounding me, all going somewhere and like me, have airs of purposefulness and determination.  No one looks bored out of their minds, even if that's how they really feel!  By the way, none of the travellers appears to be "on a tour of one night stands....".  Sorry Simon and Garfunkel!  The lady seated nearest to me in the waiting room is reading the type of newspaper that has more pictures than text and appeals to people with right-wing political views.  A train has just arrived and the guy from the Housing & Communities Agency, together with two colleagues, has got on board.  People are still arriving at the station for the next train to London, which I will be boarding.

Now the UK is a developed country, which is going through interesting economic and political times.  When I look at this microcosm of the British population on the railway station, I have to ask myself, has society got it's priorities right?  Is the shuttling of millions of people around the country, each and every day, at vast expense to individuals, companies and taxpayers, as well as, of course, the environment, in the best interests of society?

....Well, ten hours have elapsed since the last paragraph and I'm on the return journey.  I've had two interesting meetings in the City plus a lot of hustle and bustle, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  London is a great city, with a cultural diversity that is invigorating.  My meetings were mentally stimulating and thought-provoking.  So have I made a positive contribution to society today?  It's debatable.  But thank you Simon and Garfunkel for being the inspiration for today's post.

Homeward bound!

The Human Footprint

The picture says it all.  The ingenuity of the human species is beyond doubt.  The results of our achievements are all over the world.  There isn't a part of the world that we haven't occupied or visited.  But one unfortunate downside of our intelligence and ingenuity is arrogance.  Many of our species have almost a complete disrespect for the one thing that is responsible for our achievements - the planet.  A planet that we share with millions of other species.

Now I have published a number of posts about climate change, particularly after I participated in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the subject, earlier this year.  Our carbon dioxide polluted atmosphere is a fact, not theory!  It can be measured at over 400 ppm and the destructive results of global warming are already being experienced.  But this blog post is not about climate change, it's about waste and more particularly, the disposal of waste.

As we walk through any countryside, it is highly likely that human disposals will be encountered.  Now if it were banana skins or apple cores that wouldn't be a problem, since both are biodegradable.  But when it's plastic bottles, plastic bags, aluminium cans, cigarette packets, etc, not only is it unsightly but the human act of dumping rubbish is totally irresponsible because of the damage to the environment.  What is really astounding is that the disposal of non-biodegradable rubbish is as a result of conscious human actions.  Now I know that many countries are making sizeable investments into waste management, including recycling.  There are also many examples of volunteers scouring the countryside and collecting waste.  But why is the rubbish there in the first place?  It is because many (and thankfully not all) individuals don't care.  They think solely of disposing their rubbish, wherever they are, regardless of the long term environmental problem they are creating.  Now I'm sure there is a Pareto principle at work here, with maybe no more than 5% of the population causing 95% of the problem but I have no real data to back that up. There is also undoubtedly learned behaviour involved.  When Dad throws an empty packet out of the car window, why wouldn't his children observing the act, think that's the right thing to do.

So that's it, I've got it off my chest........TAKE YOUR RUBBISH HOME!

The Ubiquitous Charger

We see them here, we see them there, we see them everywhere - battery chargers!  Phones, tablets, notebooks, torches, drills, .... etc, etc, need charging.  But do we have just one type of charger?  Oh no, there are different connectors, voltages, power requirements, which means there is a plethora of types of battery charger.  For many people it becomes a logistic nightmare to ensure their gadgets are charged when they need them.  Even the more organised who make sure they have routines to try to ensure they are never without juice, can be caught out by a power cut or charger failure - they don't last forever!

Battery performance has increased six-fold in the past century, whereas performance of the electronics they power has increased 10,000% in the past 35 years.  This means that as computing technology, in one form or another, takes over our lives and demands more and more electrical power, battery technology struggles to keep up with it.  So despite having automated lifestyles, we still have to remember to charge the bloody batteries!  Also, for the environmentally-conscious amongst us, just feel your charger when one of your devices is being charged.  It gets warm, which means some of the electricity being consumed from the grid is being wasted to produce heat.  So we are burning more fossil fuel and creating more carbon dioxide emissions than we need to.

OK, I've had a good moan so what's the solution?  Well I've no doubt that battery technology will improve and there are also some attempts to standardise on phone and tablet chargers with the move towards the 5v USB standard.  But there is something that all of us can do immediately to reduce the consumption of electricity from fossil fuels - use the sun!

I don't want this blog post to be an advertisement for solar-powered battery chargers, but there are plenty on the market.

The manufacturer of the one illustrated here, claims it will charge many of the popular phones and tablets.

I am sure technology will come to our rescue eventually.  That said, I have no doubt the ubiquitous charger will be around for many years to come!