The New Reality

[Sam Carana]

Friends! As we enter this new era, we face the giant task of
transforming society, by changing the very fabric of our economy, all
in a mere decade. That fabric is energy, currently supplied largely
by fossil fuel and by nuclear plants. Over the next few years, both of
them will have to give way. Renewable energy will become the major
source of energy, in particular concentrated solar power, passive
solar, photo-voltaic, wind and geothermal power.

Changes so massive can barely be described in a few paragraphs. These
changes will touch every common aspect of life. New construction
methods will make better use of passive solar energy. Where
installation of, say, wind turbines or solar facilities can actively
supply electricity, this energy will be used on-site and stored there
for later usage. At the same time, all these sites will also connect
to a network that is fluid, storing, drawing and supplying electricity
in an interplay between availability and willingness to pay.

New cars, trucks and buses will have electric motors and run on
electricity stored in batteries, complemented with hydrogen where
needed. New mowers, power tools and instruments will all have
lithium-
ion batteries.

Over the next few years, the biggest names around us, in industries
like oil, energy, cars, retail, transport, farming, manufacturing and
construction will have to adapt to this new reality or rapidly cede
market share to companies that do.

That is the new reality. Will it be possible to make these giant
changes in so little time? Within only a few years, we'll look back
and remember this question, when a child asks us: "How could you get
lost with a GPS-phone and a GPS-camera in your pocket?" Indeed, we'll
look up and notice that the sun was shining in our backyards and that
the wind was blowing all the time. And we'll answer that child with a
smile, saying: "You're right, they were there all the time - so stupid
not to use them!"

Cheers!
Sam Carana

Earlier published at:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977202544&grpId=3659174697251280