Shop Truths, Phrases, Tales; and Outright Lies

[PJs]

Once again Frank you picked up on 2 words of one of my dissertations (hijacks) and pretty much covered the bases ± a skosh. I've pretty much followed the "Systems" approach since reading Capra's "The Turning Point" back in the mid 80's, but only because I read the Kybalion back when I was 16 and got it...and been an initiate ever since. We do as a whole species like to put names to a local habitation but often miss the multidimensionality of all the Bard brought forward for us to ponder, imho. My intent is usually geared toward that way of communicating and you picked it up and ran with it, here on this great forum of Alt Thinkers/Doers. Plus I get tired sometimes of having to explain it, like writing a resume.

You're absolutely right PV is a small subset of the spectrum of physics and the meaning of the term Alt Energy, but it is nice that now after 40 years California is producing about 15% via PV @ <40% efficiency. Then we have the wind farms with another 8-10% and of course Geothermal even smaller. The reason is that electricity has become like our eyes as one of the senses we most depend on. Next fossil fuels has become like a food we consume to be healthy and not only generate electricity but to fuel our travel, ever shrinking the time we have between destinations...at what efficiency? That is except for airports, if only we could bottle that waste of energy, Oh my! Our grid system is now ~120 years old and still using tech from the turn of the 20th century, but now using 750KV-1MV lines to bring Power to masses, but mainly industry...guess what...it's tired and vulnerable.

We've got a lot of new names like Green and Carbon Footprint that do impart some multidimensionality and by some goodness do imply efficiency in a systems view. Unfortunately it's also become a marketing ploy steering the masses for better or worse. Hybrids for instance are an excellent start at a systems approach but what is the difference between those and the 100mpg carb/fuel systems that have been sitting on the shelves at GM and others for years...I'll leave that for you to answer, but it's not just a 14:1 air/fuel ratio under load. How easily is a bush supposed a bear...or vice versa.

I've been looking at, researching the old and new/cutting edge of this stuff since the 60's and a turning point of mine came to mind here. Back in college I used to fill the tank on my TR3 and drive out into the Superstition's till I got to 1/2 tank pull over and sit on the edge (sometimes throw out a bag and spend the night) and look at the wonder of them and the native dwellings in the side of the walls and it dawned on me the life these people lived in these efficient dwellings using economy of energy to live their simple lives without Starbucks and Whataburger. It couldn't have been easy yet it was simple and efficient and probably a bit magical, definitely connected & spiritual. It comes down to me this idea of this (non) economy of scale we hold so dearly to after being primarily a nomad bunch for a 100k years prior to the masses collecting, larger and larger till we have 15-20M people living in 30 square miles all over the planet. It's now a matter of logistics & Duckets to feed, clothe, shelter, and power that many in that small of place...the roads must roll...

More to the point here and to minimize my hijack, what if we started considering combining technologies, say to capturing heat loss for other purposes or took a look at using some of the other forms of energy from the spectrum and nature, exothermic/chemical (like the hugelkulturs or mushrooms), etc. What if we used them together in a larger system to manage Single Family Residences needs for food/water, shelter, heat, electricity...basic needs+, so we could use our new i-Toys (also hopefully Alt designed, maybe even from recycled materials) thereby relieving the OA system to individual sensibilities/responsibilities (semi-scary thought)? My thought are Entropy is, why not use that. The tech is here now to make the whole exterior of your house produce electricity, maybe not efficiently but if we might take a look at thinking out of the box and changing the Paradigm with a longer more dynamic view of entropy, resources, wherewithal, and conscious broad spectrum thinking "we might just find we get what we need".

Whelp you guys wound the watch of my wit and it ticked at least a second or two. In consideration that we really haven't told any outright lies, perhaps food for thought and maybe the shop truth of it is, it's all lies and a beautiful tall tale.

Thanks for being here sharing the tale. ~PJ