Re: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps

From: michael (copsR_at_yourdoor.com)
Date: 06/11/04 

Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 13:35:00 +1000

Yeah, reading futurists a decade or so down the track
is usually pretty good for a laugh (how come I'm not
wearing a silver jumpsuit, getting my meals from pills
and holidaying on Mars?) but Savage's stuff is particularly
funny for the contrast between the scope of his vision
(1000 years) and how quickly it passed its use-by date
(less than 10). Even Hitler's modernist vision of a
'thousand year reich' lasted longer than that.

I'd like to see some of the people who predict utopian
technological futures a generation or so from now (never
mind a millenia) begin by explaining how we are going
to avoid the crunches in resources, social capital and
ecology that are set to trash this civilisation by the middle
of the century. Then maybe I'll be willing to take a peek
through their rose coloured telescopes with anything
other than cynical mirth.

Savage's OTECs sound pretty damned dubious to me.
Haven't bothered to do the math but my gut instinct tells
me that the energy gained wouldn't exceed the cost of
pumping the water up from the depths in the first place.
In any case, in the absence of socioeconomic analysis
its just another utopian fantasy solution to our energy
problems in the tradition of nuclear power, fusion,
solar energy, geothermal, wind turbines, tidal generators
etc, etc, etc. None have been shown to be economically
viable on a scale that might really deal with our civilisations
addiction to cheap, portable, unsustainable energy and -
more importantly - none of the futurists seem to feel the
need to explain how decisionmaking powers are going
to be wrest away from those with such a strong vested
interest in our continued addiction until its too late anyway
(e.g. the oilman cabal currently in control of the US empire).

michael

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps
    ... reading futurists a decade or so down the track ... Is he the guy that used to stand on the corner with the silver suit on? ... > its just another utopian fantasy solution to our energy ... > interest in our continued addiction until its too late anyway ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Lovolution Around the Sun
    ... Lovolution Around the Sun ... A commentary of Harvey Wasserman's Solartopia ... his generation made a big mistake in rejecting the use of nuclear power. ... clean energy without destroying the biosphere. ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: America 2042: White Minority, the legacy you have left your kids
    ... fossil fuels to nuclear power - so that we can have plentiful energy, ... Since we don't yet have fusion power, nuclear power - with the Thorium ... Many cultures and languages, with speakers of all languages being as ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Nuclear power vs. coal
    ... Secondly, these fuel rods are far too radioactively "hot" and heavy to be managed by terrorists who have not proven themselves to be very adept at dealing with the 20th century, much less the 21st century. ... drivel is all you Greenies have to offer when it comes to nuclear power. ... On a per-kilowatt basis, current nuclear power plants are far, far less expensive to maintain and operate than any other kind of power plant in the world. ... subsidies and advantages to undepletable energy from direct solar, wind, wave, falling water and biomass wastes and a new energy picture emerges. ...
    (rec.motorcycles)
  • Re: If I Was US Minister of Energy
    ... Recognizing that speculation on oil has run up the price...and ... About 80% of any highway construction ... Form up a bidding process to allow increase of nuclear power. ... The US Department of Energy should be throwing huge amounts of money ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)