From: Neil Blanch (neilb@nswcc.org.au)
Date: Mon Dec 10 2001 - 23:03:02 MST
Greetings all!
re: photochemical advances/photosynthetic efficiency -
It would seem to me that even if (& this is a pretty big if) no one comes up
with a chlorophyll or photosynthesis hack that is able to raise the
efficiency rate from it's current lack lustre performance there are still
uses for photosynthetic energy production by simply putting the damn stuff
to use everywhere. So little of "civilised" landmass is used for energy
production despite the huge demand and by making all our building surfaces
(and buildings themselves) energy producers, even at crappy efficiency
rates, we are reducing our reliance on other, possibly polluting or non
renewable energy resources. I recommend Bruce Sterling's excellent piece on
"Newer York" as published in Wired
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.01/futuretekture.html as a nice look at
how relatively inefficient energy sources (like photosynthesis, heat sinks
and piezoelectric) that are inbuilt into standardised architecture can help
relieve the energy burdens of 21c first world humanity in an ecologically
sound way. The Veridiandesign homepage also has links & articles along these
lines at http://www.viridiandesign.org/. Unfortunately few governments on
any level (local, state, federal etc) and even fewer corporations take long
term habitation planning seriously - one only has to look at the awesome
nightmare of my home town Sydney (motorway exhaust stack & a carcinoma to go
anyone? or would you rather the spectacular array of heavy metals in our
shellfish or dioxin/PCB's/cadmium on the Olympic site?) to see just how
desperately some real thought is needed in urban & rural power integration
as well as overall planning and design.
re: nanotech/society of superabundance -
Granted that there are pretty spectacular money making opportunities in
nanotech and other superabundance technologies in the short to medium term,
but what happens to our economic & societal structures when superabundance
technology is accessible by the majority of humanity/post humanity? These
technologies would seem to spell the end of any current notions of wealth,
something that I can't see those at the top of the economic food chain being
too happy about...
See you in the future!
Neil Blanch (new member)
neilb@nswcc.org.au
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