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I think nuclear power has a long way to go before it will ever become non-useful to the species, which is to say I'm pro nuclear-power, generally. I think its

I think nuclear power has a long way to go before it will ever become non-useful to the species, which is to say I'm pro nuclear-power, generally. I think its better for the Earth that we localize massive power generation around a relatively small area, rather than systemetize energy transfer into, almost, everything we do with Oil, for example. Transferring energy instead of making it and using it where its needed, seems to be one way we can reduce the overall footprint as quickly as possible. Nuclear power requires not nearly as much massive support infrastructure as coal and oil, I feel. Sure: quite some, but with micro-reactors on the horizon, this may also miniaturize. But what I really think is we should be focussing the effort on local energy need, far more seriously. Like, establish real neighborhood energy systems that use the energy that is in the neighborhood - if its solar, solar. If it is thermal: thermal. If it is wind: wind. If there are none of the above sources available for your house: MOVE! All of the tech exists for an average house-hold to step off the grid, and it really is mostly a matter of minds being changed about the 'culturally acceptable reality' of how we manage our energy-driven lifestyles. I, for one, welcome the day when I can compute without having to ever once plug my laptop in, because its case is in fact no longer a dull grey oil-debt, but rather instead a highly efficient solar panel, and I look forward to using a 'slow system' if the CPU itself has evolved into an extremely lean - yet fully functional - current sink that gets along with whatever sunshine is available. I yearn for a complete dirth of chemical-derived power for my computing needs. Hopefully, the day will come when stepping off the Grid is as easy as, once, the revolution that occurred when millions of us were suddenly able to carry around 20,000 songs in our pocket, access any knowledge, anywhere, and talk to anyone we chose to, any time, at a flick of a swish ..

LordIllidan 13y ago
Wouldn't you still need a battery for the times when sunlight isn't shining on your laptop? And - does anyone really use their computers in the sun? Other than that, I do agree with you that neighbourhoods should use local energy - but can we rely on purely natural energy? The wind doesn't blow all the time, the sun doesn't shine at night, and thermal energy isn't always available.
- primitur 13y ago
  A super-capacitor, which may simply still be called a 'battery' (accumulator?) in the grand scheme of things, sure.. oh and I do not deny the chemistry in the chips, just that the entire consumption of it, as it stands right now, is the issue. Once I have a machine, I don't want to have to keep adding things to it: batteries (energy) included. So I lust for the solar-powered mini-PC's that seem perched out there on the horizon. This is why I say we must combine the effort to reduce the grid dependence by enduring mobility. Yes, the Planet has a non-uniform distribution of most resources, but the big fat problem with our energy use today is that we stay in place to use it. Indeed, cities do have to consider their location on the planet in the grand scheme of things; the means by which these cities expand/contract/endure/reduce is entirely an energy business. My feel, is that any cultural event which occurs to reduce the dependence on a long-distance chemical eco-system, is going to be a way out of the mess. If computers can rapidly leap to the point where the Grid connection is made irrelevant, because computing is happening with the energy resources available to us in the near spectra, for free in the sense that we are not stuck in produce/consume loops everywhere, then we will have ourselves a lighter time of the days ahead. I'd be quite happy to return to 8-bit computing if it was on a small device that harvested my daily jogging routine. Go for a jog, check e-mail. Finally a proper user interface.. ;)

LordIllidan 13y ago

Wouldn't you still need a battery for the times when sunlight isn't shining on your laptop? And - does anyone really use their computers in the sun? Other than that, I do agree with you that neighbourhoods should use local energy - but can we rely on purely natural energy? The wind doesn't blow all the time, the sun doesn't shine at night, and thermal energy isn't always available.

primitur 13y ago
A super-capacitor, which may simply still be called a 'battery' (accumulator?) in the grand scheme of things, sure.. oh and I do not deny the chemistry in the chips, just that the entire consumption of it, as it stands right now, is the issue. Once I have a machine, I don't want to have to keep adding things to it: batteries (energy) included. So I lust for the solar-powered mini-PC's that seem perched out there on the horizon. This is why I say we must combine the effort to reduce the grid dependence by enduring mobility. Yes, the Planet has a non-uniform distribution of most resources, but the big fat problem with our energy use today is that we stay in place to use it. Indeed, cities do have to consider their location on the planet in the grand scheme of things; the means by which these cities expand/contract/endure/reduce is entirely an energy business. My feel, is that any cultural event which occurs to reduce the dependence on a long-distance chemical eco-system, is going to be a way out of the mess. If computers can rapidly leap to the point where the Grid connection is made irrelevant, because computing is happening with the energy resources available to us in the near spectra, for free in the sense that we are not stuck in produce/consume loops everywhere, then we will have ourselves a lighter time of the days ahead. I'd be quite happy to return to 8-bit computing if it was on a small device that harvested my daily jogging routine. Go for a jog, check e-mail. Finally a proper user interface.. ;)