Energy Wars and Destruction

At heart this problem is the result of economics. We live in a world where the struggle for profit trumps most other options. In our economic system, whoever gets to market quickest and cheapest wins the game. Governments and corporations are struggling to gain as much as possible, as cheaply as possible. There are few values in the marketplace other than the profit which all players understand.

So our energy options and energy futures are not being driven by concern for the health and well being of any of the citizens of the world. Our world is spinning out of control wobbling ever more to a topsy-turvy condition. Be it wars over energy resources, climate destruction, aberrant virus, water depletion and contamination or water wars, our national and world economies are driving us to disaster.

Like it or not, our path out of these armageddons is through global communication, cooperation and coordination. These are the values that must replace the quest for the most dollars. Our world has shrunk and the impacts and influences across all these crisis areas extend to all humans and all planetary systems. Nationalism is a dead end street. Unrestrained capitalism is a dead end street. The sooner we as a race recognize this very basic conflict of interests that appears to rule our world, the brighter and more intact we will come out the other side.

And as far as energy is concerned, I have learned clearly and firsthand how contrived the situation really is. For the past 20 years I have lived and run a business on solar power. I live in an area with moderate solar potential and derive about 90% of that energy from the sun. I am not hooked up to an electric grid. The system is very basic with most components lasting decades. I have not paid an electric bill during this period of time, and during operations I produce practically no environmental contamination. This is easy to accomplish. Imagine if $100 billion that it might cost to develop a new energy field were directed in this direction. Unfortunately (fortunately?) there is little profit to energy producers from my operations after installing this system. Not much incentive. So it is incumbent upon each of us, to communicate, cooperate and coordinate with our fellow humans, tighten our belts and build the future on vision not profit.