One of the best articles I have read in some time. Spot on. This is how problems arise. Taking things for granted. When a problem arises we can avoid taking steps to help solve it by again taking things for granted. This time we take for granted that there are people working on a solution, that there is time enough to change later, and that there will be no unanticipated side effects. The last item argues for slow change. Well thought out change. Continuous evolving change. It has to start somewhere. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Like in AA. Then take well thought out steps to face and conquer that problem.
Great points, and glad you like the article! Appreciation and gratitude for the resources that make modern civilization possible is an important factor in preserving those resources so that they may continue to serve us.
The perception of plastic bottles as harmless is a problem I see. So one person can take a drink and satisfy a small fraction of their liquid intake needs for a day, they causally throw out a bottle that is a liability for all for a long time. We need to use cardboard water bottles and of course, durable refillable ones. When I travel I take an empty water bottle with me to the airport and fill it after I get through security.
Yes, single use plastic bottles pollute the environment on land, waterways, and the ocean in vast numbers. What we see in the US is only a small fraction of the problem. Reusable water bottles can help solve this problem, but pricing needs to be adjusted to create an incentive. As long as single use plastic bottles are cheap and abundant, the problem is likely to persist.
If there is an abundance of electricity why does California tell their citizens not to drive their electric cars at times because the electric grid cannot handle all the car charging? I thought this is as good a place as any to ask this question. Lol
There's a few points to address here. Abundance is not a binary yes/no thing, but rather a relative term. Electricity, or the ability to do work to accomplish something we want, is extremely cheap and abundant compared to all of human history. Electric vehicles use much less energy overall than combustion-powered ones, but if grid infrastructure needs to be upgraded to handle the different power distribution. If everyone charges their car at the same time, parts of the grid won't be able to carry that much power. So large-scale EV adoption will require upgrades to America's aging grid infrastructure. It's not that there isn't enough electricity (there's plenty) – it's that large power demands from people using electricity all at the same time can stress the grid. This same effect can be seen on extremely hot days in places like Texas when everyone is running their air conditioning at full tilt. Transmission and distribution lines can't handle those power loads, necessitating rolling blackouts to preserve the integrity of the grid for everyone's benefit. Fortunately, other technological improvements can alleviate these effects. For example, I only charge my EV when I'm producing excess solar power from my panels. If EVs are scheduled to charge when there is an excess of renewable energy available locally from rooftops and small solar installations, EVs can actually be a great way of matching supply and demand of renewable energy sources.
The use of electricity is a problem too. I go by closed stores at night and stores are lit up like they are open. Conservation of energy needs to be applied all through the country.
That's a perfect example of the paradox of resource abundance. Businesses and stores leave their lights on at night usually for security purposes as a deterrent, since electricity is cheap after all. If electricity were more scarce and expensive, different security measures may be used instead.
One of the best articles I have read in some time. Spot on. This is how problems arise. Taking things for granted. When a problem arises we can avoid taking steps to help solve it by again taking things for granted. This time we take for granted that there are people working on a solution, that there is time enough to change later, and that there will be no unanticipated side effects. The last item argues for slow change. Well thought out change. Continuous evolving change. It has to start somewhere. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Like in AA. Then take well thought out steps to face and conquer that problem.
Great points, and glad you like the article! Appreciation and gratitude for the resources that make modern civilization possible is an important factor in preserving those resources so that they may continue to serve us.
GREAT ARTICLE TANNER!
The perception of plastic bottles as harmless is a problem I see. So one person can take a drink and satisfy a small fraction of their liquid intake needs for a day, they causally throw out a bottle that is a liability for all for a long time. We need to use cardboard water bottles and of course, durable refillable ones. When I travel I take an empty water bottle with me to the airport and fill it after I get through security.
Yes, single use plastic bottles pollute the environment on land, waterways, and the ocean in vast numbers. What we see in the US is only a small fraction of the problem. Reusable water bottles can help solve this problem, but pricing needs to be adjusted to create an incentive. As long as single use plastic bottles are cheap and abundant, the problem is likely to persist.
If there is an abundance of electricity why does California tell their citizens not to drive their electric cars at times because the electric grid cannot handle all the car charging? I thought this is as good a place as any to ask this question. Lol
There's a few points to address here. Abundance is not a binary yes/no thing, but rather a relative term. Electricity, or the ability to do work to accomplish something we want, is extremely cheap and abundant compared to all of human history. Electric vehicles use much less energy overall than combustion-powered ones, but if grid infrastructure needs to be upgraded to handle the different power distribution. If everyone charges their car at the same time, parts of the grid won't be able to carry that much power. So large-scale EV adoption will require upgrades to America's aging grid infrastructure. It's not that there isn't enough electricity (there's plenty) – it's that large power demands from people using electricity all at the same time can stress the grid. This same effect can be seen on extremely hot days in places like Texas when everyone is running their air conditioning at full tilt. Transmission and distribution lines can't handle those power loads, necessitating rolling blackouts to preserve the integrity of the grid for everyone's benefit. Fortunately, other technological improvements can alleviate these effects. For example, I only charge my EV when I'm producing excess solar power from my panels. If EVs are scheduled to charge when there is an excess of renewable energy available locally from rooftops and small solar installations, EVs can actually be a great way of matching supply and demand of renewable energy sources.
The use of electricity is a problem too. I go by closed stores at night and stores are lit up like they are open. Conservation of energy needs to be applied all through the country.
That's a perfect example of the paradox of resource abundance. Businesses and stores leave their lights on at night usually for security purposes as a deterrent, since electricity is cheap after all. If electricity were more scarce and expensive, different security measures may be used instead.