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Steampunk would finally become real

• fixermark 12y ago
  There are some Amish communities that take advantage of pneumatic power. Pressurize a bunch of air, and you have a ready supply of energy to drive turbines that can do the work that on-grid houses do with electrical appliances. The only downside is that you do the pressurization by going out back and turning a big crank for awhile. It's not precisely steampunk in the sense that you don't have too many sentient barrels running around, but it's impressive.
  • cpr 12y ago
    At least in the Ohio Amish communities (in businesses), I believe they actually use diesel-driven air compressors out back. They're not averse to fossil fuels, because you have to pay for them as you go. Getting on grid means you're going into debt for a month at a time. That's at least a big part of their aversion to electric.
    • lmm 12y ago
      Is it really just that? Plenty of poorer communities already have prepaid electricity (put coins in the meter). Surely someone would be willing to sell them some at a small markup.