Polar Vortex ~ Thoughts About Energy and Changing Weather
A couple and a half years ago I was on a mountain deep in the Pennsylvania woods and while ascending I felt a cold rush of air and looked at he digital readout on the dash and if I recall it was 68, and my girlfriend then witnessed this with me as well.
We were both in shock as a storm was blowing in (which proved quite vicious) and within the next 1/10 of a mile as we creeped and stopped and recorded the temperature we watched in plummet 36 degrees in less then 5 minutes.
Later that night were reports of tornados and we were in the woods and it went from light to a pitch black where I really could not see my hand in front of my face...in all my years I had never truly seen it so dark, and needless to say it was eerie. The howling of wind coming up the mountain really sounded like a Lion roaring in the jungle and as we got to the car and got in to make a quick ext I envisioned sticks and branches flying around through the air, and told Rhonda I hope this is a good decision but I just saw a vision and we need to stay put! She agreed, and as we eventually left after it passed, there were indeed trees down and limbs all over the place.
I will never forget it.
It has left a permanent impression on me and just further confirmed things my gut was already confirming from years earlier, things studying had taught me, and things I had previously observed were clearly demonstrating, and that was that the weather was indeed increasing in intensity, and also no longer fit the modeling as well, as the weather patterns have shifted drastically and can make these shifts more regularly and more often then ever.
Our seasons have become less stable, or less consistent, and this has only been increasing more so over the last few years and at a more rapid progression then ever, at least here where I live and from what i have observed of this entire area.
Forget the phrase "global warming" as what we should say and understand is, "Global Climate Change".
Global warming really is just a phrase not well used that makes reference to the average overall global temperature.
With Global Climate Change, what can be observed is a disruption of the previous and steadfast regular weather patterns, abrupt changes at any given time of any given season, and an intensity of all types of storms.
Causation is important, and understanding it is personal and too often thrown into the political arena and scientific arena and argued.
It is indeed changing, and man looks to have contributed to it. Either way, if man hos not contributed to it, the changes we are making much too slowly need to still be made to achieve cleaner air and finer efficiency, and greater independence as well as decentralizing energy so that we are less vulnerable as a nation and world, to either attack from enemies, or the weather itself.
Conservation is a huge key and starts at home as I am sure most all are well aware, and education and planning are also huge keys, and it is a door we pass through it's threshold that like an apartment in New York city (in a lot of movies...lol) has multiple keys in which to gain passage, as there is not a single answer to the issue, but many, and it starts with a shift in the way we personally think, and how we personally care for the planet, for nature, for the future of our children and loved ones, for other species, ad infinitum.
There is no time left to argue, but there is plenty of time left to do each ones part and help make the shift we need to when it comes to consumption or production, engineering and design, efficiency and better use of technology, as well as power generation.
We are indeed utilizing more and more "Green Energy" alternatives today, but as of yet they are simply supplements that do not even work as well as they could for us because of a lack of better compatibility with the current power grid, which needs to change more quickly for a plethora of reasons. For example, I wish the city I live in could generate it own power for its own citizen on its own grid, as well as be patched into the regular grid if so needed, but that would take, no doubt, 100's of millions if not billions of dollars.
The bonus to the paradigm shift that we are making now is that we will have many bonuses from a single shift, as opposed to just one benefit, and when we further decrease our dependency on foreign oil even more we will be even the more better off for it.
Battery technology is changing swiftly, regardless of what you believe. if it is well studied, you can see the technological changes coming and changing everyday, and that is only a single example of hundreds that can be found at reputable sites across the web, reporting about studies at institutions like M.I.T. for example.
Unfortunately, of even graver concern today are the under reported facts surrounding Fukushima, and the certain threat to all of mankind it poses. One thing I will state from my own personal understandings is this, we do not need any more nuclear power at all, and we need to close many aging ill equipped plants that we do currently have and better invest in long term alternative solutions as we further dive in and define exactly what that will be.
When we each make simple decisions under principles of conservation, we each will offer the ability to choose less power overall and that will save on pollution, better conserve natural resources, and make less of a demand on the grid itself.
I hope we will make solar panels for free and offer kits to households that want to install them themselves. I could wire my home for low draw electrical devices like LED lighting for example and have a small bank of batteries on a separate circuit for those and other low draw devices and have the photovoltaic cells tied to an inverter and for the most part only stay on the grid for my furnace, when not using wood at home myself, and appliances.
If we were all able to better utilize technology like this now at even cheaper or for free, the shift can happen quicker and benefits more rapidly gained.
I am sick of laws and politics, however, if we were even more progressive and streamlined we could mandate all large corporations over a certain size, or earning a certain amount of money as an example, must convert all of their lights, and upgrade all of their appliances such as furnaces, air conditioners, lights, etc, and utilize solar as a supplement, or pay stiff penalties, that would go into a fun for home owners.
The largest drawback at this point is nothing but finances, and that needs to be set aside to a degree while we make these shifts and garner the money later when the marketplaces have expanded even more so and become important to the entire economy for future production and the larger calls for after service.
Why on earth modern society is so stubborn of letting go of an outdated paradigm makes no logical sense, but as time goes past and I age each and everyday, at 46, I see most folks are stubborn to change, even more so when faced with the own demise, just like an alcoholic or drug addict, or if any change is embraced it is often at half measures when only full measures offer any real hope at survival.
There are no easy answers I will admit and do not ever try to portray such an image,but there is an obvious and glaring need to change and change swiftly and efficiently, and i am fearful we are just to ill equipped to do so.
Again, with the threat of Fukushima which is huge, under reported, and alarming and I think a mass extinction event, it may already be too late.
I pray that it is not, and will never give up as long as I draw breath, and in the meantime will voice my opinion as well as promote the change I believe in so deeply.
I have no time for arguing, and really none of us do, however I am always game to discuss this rationally if anyone so desires.
Often it is this candid discussion that further sparks even better ideas as brainstorming so well taught and utilized always does, because we are better off together on the same page rather then divided, as too many folks would rather have us anyway!
That division that is further deepening our country is a serious topic too, but a discussion for another day...as if we do not make important energy concerned changes now, there will be nothing left to divide anyway!!!
RELATED LINKS;
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/news_detail.html?news_id=16404
The Real Facts On Energy Consumption In the U.S.A. ~ The Paradigm Shift As The Result of Global Warming and Current Technological, Engineering, and Scientific Innovation
http://mountainmaryland.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-real-facts-on-energy-consumption-in.html
