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257 comments on DrumBeat: October 16, 2008
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257 comments on DrumBeat: October 16, 2008
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In the USA Presidential debates last night, John McCain indicated he is opposed to the notion of:
"spreading" the wealth around.
That got me thinking.
What is the opposite of spreading well-being to all fellow humans?
Is it "concentrating" and "hoarding" well-being so that it remains in the hands of just a few? And how do those concepts apply to oil?
Is oil a concentration of "well being" or is it a combination of both good and bad? Sure there is the short term burst of concentrated goodness (high energy) when gasoline or diesel is ignited in one's internal combustion engine. But there is also the long term, spread out deposit of CO2 into the atmosphere which arguably "spreads" the opposite of well being, namely, ill-being to everyone around the world. So oil is not a simple substance. It provides well being and it provides ill-being; both from the same instance of use. However the well-being part is "concentrated" into the short term future and its benefits are concentrated into the hands of the immediate user while the ill effects (arguably) of burning oil are "spread" out over a long term time line and also "spread" out spatially and population wise to many people and many places around the globe.
Also, of course, on a macro-economic scale, oil works to "concentrate" money into the hands of a few and to "spread" desperation and poverty to all who became addicted to the short term high of an oil injection. So the notions of spreading and concentrating play interesting roles in humanity's use of the black gold.
Any energy source would be the same, I would think. Energy functions as Maxwell's Demon, to decrease randomness--and increase "wealth" for whoever controls it and increases randomness--and increase "misery" for everyone else.
Energy sources that are less concentrated, like solar energy, should be more "democratic" than concentrated sources because they are more difficult to corral by a ruling class. I imagine that is why solar power has been largely discouraged. Not because it is "expensive", but because it is harder to "administer" and "manage."
Only if you can't store it.
Life became a lot less egalitarian once we started growing food that could be stored: grain.
Ahah! That is how you control sunlight energy. Develop a priesthood to manage agricultural land and water resources, then grain storage and a writing system (just for the priests) to "manage" it all. Before petroleum there was grain and olive oil and wine.
It's still more democratic, because it is still harder to centralize. However -- if you can make agriculture dependent on petroleum -- well, there you have it all.
I dunno. The life of a medieval serf doesn't seem like it was very democratic to me.
thanks!!!!!
What I needed!
And now, with video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAaWvVFERVA
Livestock "on the hoof" is also a great way to "store" food until it is needed.
Don't forget the greatest invention of all: Beer. One can imagine a brand new but leaky clay storage vessel straight from the (wood or charcoal-fired) kiln. It is clean enough to start brewing after a good summer downpour. Next, the pleasant revelations, the visionary haze, the incredibly bad decisions and the ensuing headache that results in a brand new urban culture. Let's call it chip-chop...
The "keep" was originally the place where grain and other food was stored. Obviously, it doubles as a watchtower. The food surplus from agriculture leads to the first civilization, and it's all based on accumulation and specialization. Armies, walls, rulers' tombs and monuments first. Slaves, horses and camels next. The GOP's brand new agenda goes back a very long way.
Agreed. So It's really tough to 'sell' the idea of these very helpful BB's to our neighbors as we continue to reminisce over the age of Muscle Cars and Unlimited Energy.
A producer I work with has proposed making an 'Energy Show' to me today, but I'm trying to unspin some of his expectations of paying for it with the involvement of various Energy Companies that would be profiled and hence, promoted with the program. Even if its Green Energy and essentially positive, it's still ALL pointing towards Bigger Stone Heads, as Leanan would say. Who pays for an episode on 'Negawatts' (Amory Lovins and Grants, perhaps) .. It's not unsolvable, but it's life in a system where the ideas that can get airtime are the ones that have profit-motive behind them.
It reminds me of the arguments the other day about whether 'debt' is money or not. As an artist, I call it 'negative space', as an electrician, I might call it the 'return path' for the current. In terms of our energy use, the power we DON'T use is the essential balance to the energy we DO use.. and the things that DON'T make money are, similarly, a fully essential counterpart to that which fits in the marketplace.
"Who will buy this wonderful Morning?..." -Oliver Twist
I don't know where you are based, but here in Minnesota utilities are now mandated to reduce energy consumption. They are scrambling to find ways to talk consumers into using less. Maybe he should pitch the idea here?
Here in Nebraska, the utilities are also looking for ways to get customers to use less, primarily by becoming more efficient. Course the difference here, compare to the other 49 states is electricity here is a public utility. I find it kind of nice that an investor's profit is not involved.
Funny, we tried to pitch the same kind of show to Discovery Channel as a spin-off to Discovery Planet. They'd have nothing of it. The show was to feature a producer on a stationary bicycle powering the monitor. Free lunches sell a lot better than farming.
While John McCain raised the old red-baiting argument of "redistribution" Obama offered no alternative to the economic growth paradigm. Oh Well!
After the debate Chris Matthews said "McCain looked like a grumpy old guy in a housecoat and slippers telling the kids to get off his lawn".
With less than 3 weeks to go it is clearly Obama's election to lose. Maybe if Chris Hansen of To Catch A Predator caught Obama red handed trying to have sex with an under-age teen it might make a difference. But even then the prospect of 4 years of listening to "grouchy old man" might be too much!
Joe
My mother is 86 and she thinks McCain is an Old Fart! And she's always voted Republican. And we live in Arizona.
Massachusetts residents will have a chance this year to eliminate their state income tax. Which would be almost $4,000 per taxpayer.
Deleted, still showing up in the wrong thread:(
It's not showing up in the wrong thread. You are reading the threads incorrectly.
The discussion here is threaded. Your reply will not be directly under the post you are replying to unless there have been no other replies to that post.
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From Reuters, last night's debate as the candidates left the stage.
hahahaha thx , I needed that one!
The "next" president of the US of Addams family- Is it the same fellow ?
Caption contest: