So, What’s Next?

That’s always an interesting – and necessary – question. Time marches on and progress or lack of it leaves a mark. It’s all up to the human race to provide the answer; well, most of the time.

Of course, nature has its way whether we like it or not, but in many cases we are able to use nature’s functions to our advantage and occasionally for our survival. All of which leads to the questions, “What have we learned?” and “How will we use this knowledge?”

It wouldn’t hurt to start with another question: “What happened?”

In a few words: The Industrial Revolution - generally considered to have happened between 1820 and 1870.

Using a few more words, consider it the conversion of the “western world” from an agrarian world to an economy based on human labor and fueled by energy from the ground and rivers. One source uses the analogy of “a change from hand and home production to machine and factory.”

And what happened was that all the new activity required major uses of energy that in the past had been ignored, unknown or underdeveloped.

And now the world ecology is in shambles. In varying degrees from “fair” to “very bad” everywhere you care to look. And there is only a beginning to the recognition of the problem and the need to make corrections.

Granted, some major corporations in the US are making promises to “contribute to the greening of America.” And some world governments are beginning to enact laws that will limit the use of contaminating fuels. These are good signs but, again, only a beginning.

So what’s to be done? Must humanity revert to an agrarian society? Close the factories and resume the hand-making of needed products? What about heating homes in the winter? And cooling needed areas in the summer?

What about transportation? Can we only travel as far as our horses can carry us? Or bring our meager products to town in horse-drawn carts?

Actually, none of the above.

Our regular readers, and students, have seen our clear vision of a clean and green future based on water power providing clean, efficient electricity to provide all the human needs now provided by the fossil predators and their supporters.

Be of good cheer! The realization of our vision is not impossible and can be achieved within the next thirty to fifty years – BUT we must get started now!