Energy, Upward mobility, and the washing machine.

johnson1010 · Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:46 pm

This is a good video dissecting some of the issues we will face with
increased energy demand, and the potential that has for revolutionizing
the lives of the poor.

http://www.wimp.com/magicmachine/

Dexter · Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:54 pm

Saw that, very good video. Rosling's other videos, which you can find on TED and YouTube, are also good.

DWill · Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:09 am

Jared Diamond raises similar questions in Collapse. The big unknown is whether the transformation to green energy for everyone that Rosling talks about is feasible, but we don't seem to have any choice but to try. We'll also need to talk about many other uses of energy, including one that we all love--computers. It won't be just a matter of switching sources, but of reducing our use of machines that require energy. For example, get rid of the dishwasher in order to make room for the more essential clothes washer; get rid of the energy hog 40" TV and go back to a 19"; reduce the average floor space of a detached home by 50%.

In Sweden, they've found that people switching to hybrid, electric, and alternative fuel cars has increased the miles that drivers put on. It's cheaper to drive, plus drivers don't feel as guilty about driving. Calling a private automobile "green" is a bit bizarre in the first place.

geo · Sun Mar 27, 2011 1:25 pm


	DWill wrote: Jared Diamond raises similar questions in Collapse. The big unknown is whether the transformation to green energy for everyone that Rosling talks about is feasible, but we don't seem to have any choice but to try. We'll also need to talk about many other uses of energy, including one that we all love--computers. It won't be just a matter of switching sources, but of reducing our use of machines that require energy. For example, get rid of the dishwasher in order to make room for the more essential clothes washer; get rid of the energy hog 40" TV and go back to a 19"; reduce the average floor space of a detached home by 50%. In Sweden, they've found that people switching to hybrid, electric, and alternative fuel cars has increased the miles that drivers put on. It's cheaper to drive, plus drivers don't feel as guilty about driving. Calling a private automobile "green" is a bit bizarre in the first place.

This book seems to have had quite an effect on you, DWill. Have you read Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel? I just picked up a copy at Barnes & Noble.

DWill · Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:51 pm

Nope. That one is on the list. National Geographic did a documentary based on Collapse, with Diamond as host. It's a little on the melodramatic side but worth watching. A few of us at my job (incl. saffron) read the book. Our running joke was Diamond's occasional statements of hopefulness. Taking the enormity of the situation he presents, it's hard really to be hopeful.

geo · Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:52 pm

Here's another Diamond book that looks interesting.

The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal

http://www.amazon.com/Third-Chimpanzee- ... 809&sr=1-4

Research biologist (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands) Diamond argues that the human being is just a third species of chimpanzee but nevertheless a unique animal essentially due to its capacity for innovation, which caused a great leap forward in hominoid evolution. After stressing the significance of spoken language, along with art and technology, Diamond focuses on the self-destructive propensities of our species to kill each other (genocide and drug abuse) and to destroy the environment (mass extinctions). He also discusses human sexuality, geographic variability, and ramifications of agriculture (metallurgy, cultivated plants, and domesticated animals). Absent from Diamond's work is the role religion plays in causing both war and the population explosion as well as long-range speculations on the future of our species. This informative, most fascinating, and very readable book is highly recommended for all libraries.

Edit: Sorry, Johnson.

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