Energy

You know how you have those little ah ha moments. You solve some little problem, at least in your mind.

Here's my latest ah ha. Its simple. Its energy. Energy is the deal. Forget about Iraq, crappy repressive governments and their supporters, just forget about all that for a moment.

All corporations and all people, those that have sentient comprehending conscious minds and rights according to our, i.e. the US, Constitution, need to be involved intimately with understanding energy, much better. How much they use, in all ways. How much they need, in all ways. What it means, what is energy. I'm talking about as existing human beings here, working, playing, sleeping, being.

Take a look at all the stuff around you for a second. Everything has taken tremendous amounts of energy to make, transport, operate, repair, move, shift, degrade, replace, reinvent, design, conceive of, all of those objects, and you too. Think of all the showers, food, clothing, education, car rides, plane rides, work, beds, sex, child raising, entertainment, and the objects, all those objects and gizmos, all that breathing, all those flushes, all that need for warmth, or cooling. Even resting you are burning energy, giving off heat, decaying and regenerating. And all of this on gross levels, sun to earth to moon to universe, to the subtle levels, subatomic particles, to string theories. Its energy.

The quest for materialism is a quest for energy. Comparing your car and money to your neighbor's car and money is like comparing your energy to their energy. Its stupid. Your neighbor has enough energy for 30 people maybe you have enough for 4, and you're depressed.

Where does your food come from? Locally grown or is it from New Zealand? Is your car big enough to carry the Knicks around? I look at the size of the cars out there lately and its disturbing, they're monstrosities of consumption, garish, repulsive.

Young, new, and conscientious designers really have one overriding criteria. Is the thing you're designing not just energy efficient but does it make the energy line stay flat. Flat as in its not costing any extra energy. Its completely green. Its tame, its direct.

We begin by examining what it is that makes us content. Can we get by on only enough energy for 1. Its like we are these ravenous beings gorging ourselves on resources, and getting depressed when these resources look modest. Modest is good. The gorging isn't working.