[Paleopsych] Energy Shift: A Partial Overview of Possibilities

[Steve Hovland]

As I recall, many of the nuclear plants that are operating
in the US should have been decommissioned years ago.

They are rotting from the inside and there is a real chance
of having an incident much worse than Three Mile Island, 
if not as bad as Chernobyl.

But recent administrations have allowed them to continue
operating because we can't shut down 20% of our electric
power production.

On top of that we haven't even figured out HOW to safely
take them apart or how to safely store the radioactive junk
that will be left.  We haven't even been able to handle the
spent fuel rods.

It's hard to imagine a bright future for a technology we
can't actually manage.

In their TV ads, we can see the direction proposed by
the petroleum industry: gas, coal, tar sands- the stuff
they are familiar with.

In spite of the individual voices being raised in Congress,
the Federal Government is in a state of paralysis and
denial over this.  

On the other hand, there were no imaginary technologies
in the list I wrote.  All of those possibilities were based
on things I have seen one place or another over the
years.

I do not think we should measure our possibilities by what 
we see in the mass media.  And I do not think we should
pin in our hopes on any sort of top-down solution.

>From what I hear, this winter's heating bills are going to
be a wakeup call for a lot of people, and mass consciousness
will be pushed further during next summer's vacation season
when people find themselves paying $3 for gas.

There are many possiblities for doing things differently,
and every idea has it's own advocacy group, which will be
greatly empowered by the events of the next year.

Steve Hovland
www.stevehovland.net


-----Original Message-----
From:	Werbos, Dr. Paul J. [SMTP:paul.werbos at verizon.net]
Sent:	Monday, October 18, 2004 5:51 AM
To:	The new improved paleopsych list; paleopsych at paleopsych. org (E-mail)
Subject:	Re: [Paleopsych] Energy Shift: A Partial Overview of Possibilities

Someone said "Don't worry about oil and gas; the market will probably
take care of it by shifting us to nuclear..."

Having limited time, I could not go over old ground again at length.

But very simply... when we stop being able to afford gasoline for our cars, 
what DOES happen?
Who on this list will really take a rickshaw to work? (Me, I will walk, but 
I know
I am part of a VERY small group that has that option. Something like 4 percent
of the workforce. And the good stores all require driving for me anyway.)

Will private industry truly shine and come up with instant little nuclear 
cars for
people to drive in in the Middle East? It gives new meaning to the idea
of a car bomb... or of Columbine.

Woolsley -- who ran CIA under Clinton -- gave a very refreshing speech on 
this stuff
a couple of weeks ago. See www.iags.org.
We can do about twice as well as he suggests... but his strategy is about 
as hundred times
as real as today's faith-based policy. Faith is fine, but blind faith is 
causing some
difficulties all over the world. If we do not open our eyes -- and accept 
that what we
see is more complex and baffling than what we see with eyes shut -- we may 
feel less
fear but may have more reason to feel fear objectively...

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