Beware the vampires. Energy vampires are sneaky power-suckers that utilize energy even when you think they’re not. …
The future must be less complicated.
Nate Hagens’s excellent podcast The Great Simplicatiion says it all.
It is:
…..a podcast that explores the systems science underpinning the human predicament. Conversation topics will span human behaviour, monetary/economic systems, energy, ecology, geopolitics and the environment. The goal of the show is to inform more humans about the path ahead and inspire people to play a role in our collective future. Guests will be from a wide range of scientists, leaders, activists, thinkers, and doers.
We have spent the last century harnessing enormous amounts of fossil energy to build a world of complexity like nothing seen before. In the coming century, humanity will experience A Great Simplification, beginning with the onset of financial and economic turbulence, followed by contraction. The ensuing simplification will be among the most significant events ever experienced by our species.
Those who look through a systems lens can serve as early visionaries of a simpler life with new ways of relating to technology, to consumption, to each other and to Earth’s ecosystems.
Our system – and the components, processes and interactions that comprise it – is incredibly complex. On this podcast, we will try to ‘simplify’ the ‘great’ issues of our time to expand the number of people making sense of our reality.
In looking for ways forward we have ignored the need to simplify. Today’s supposed solutions are more complicated than what they replace.
Let’s cut to the chase.
Cut through all the jargon and clever ideas, which aim to save the world and painlessly maintain our present luxurious lifestyle.
The world consumes too much energy.
It is quite simple. We must reduce the amount of energy we use. Throughout the world and as individuals.
For example, we must aim to stop:
- Building and installing photovoltaic devices to catch energy from the sun. Their construction and maintenance use fossil fuel energy and save none. We may save money buying PVs, but don’t kid ourselves that we are saving the world.
- Building and maintaining wind turbines and wind farms for the same reason.
- Any kind of construction which directly or indirectly uses energy.
- Using technology. Computers, TVs, washing machines, cars, et al.
- Traveling on machine-driven vehicles, locally and long-haul.
- Buying mass-produced food.
- Throwing things away
Please note that I said, “aim to stop”. Which is a process. Not an ending.
Everything we do involves using energy.
With these aims in mind, each time we make a decision we should think outside our digital boxes.
We must start thinking of the future as an evolving process. Towards ends which may never be reached. That doesn’t matter. The path we are on is all important.
If we are to survive we must use less energy.