[ExI] Wind, solar could provide 99.9% of ALL POWER by 2030

[BillK]

On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Ben Zaiboc  wrote:
> This is my greatest fear (well, this and rabid chihuahuas), that we will learn to make do with less,
> and less, and less, all the way down to the freezing in the dark scenario.  We need expansive,
> /extropian/ thinking, not this defeatist, depressing 'sustainability' attitude.
>  There is no such thing as sustainability, we either expand or contract, win or lose, live or die.
>
> All the more depressing when you realise that there is such a huge abundance of energy and
> material just floating about, doing nothing, begging to be used, yet most people seem to want
> to turn their back on it and slump into a slow extinction.
>

That huge abundance of energy has been ignored because humanity was
given free energy, gushing out of the ground. Naturally we use the
easy stuff first. Oil has driven the last 100 years of 'progress'.

Now we have created a civilisation based on oil, which is becoming
harder and more expensive to obtain. So we have to change and seek out
the more difficult sources of energy.

If we can get unlimited energy, e.g. fusion power, solar power
satellites, etc. then that can be used to create oil and maintain our
current way of life. If we can get only a more restricted source of
energy, e.g. wind power, solar panels, wave power, etc. then life
support takes precedence over creating oil. (Although you might be
surprised how much oil goes into creating and delivering our food
supplies).

Predicting the future depends on the sequence of events. We are
unlikely to be presented with a menu of, say, five energy options to
be developed all at once. It is more likely that an emergency
situation will mean our remaining resources will be concentrated on
delivering one new power source. And the other options discarded for
another 100 years.

If we choose wrong, then the worst fears of 'the sky is falling'
people could be realised.


BillK