Our Dependence On Electricity

[KmH]

Will get us if we don't come up with, and use, alternatives.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport crippled by power outage

 

[Overread]

The thing is there isn't an alternative that's practical to run alongside electricity.
It's like saying our dependence on water is risky and that we should have something else that isn't water or a water based compound.

It's no secret that if the worlds electricity shut down then modern civilization would shut down as well for the most part.

 

[waday]

It's like saying our dependence on water is risky and that we should have something else that isn't water or a water based compound.

While I understand the comparison, I don’t think it’s accurate. What about: our dependence on cars?

We can live without electricity, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society. We can live without cars, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society.

We can’t live without water.

The thing is there isn't an alternative that's practical to run alongside electricity.

*That we currently know of...

 

[Overread]

Aye there might well be new technologies just around the corner; but right now we can't invest in them for infrastructure because we don't have them to invest in in a direct sense. We can invest in research, but we can't build up infrastructure to support the unknown.

Also somethings just don't work without electricity and its easier to build support into society to support power supply rather than to provide alternate means of living at large. It's far easier to invest in a few generators for the airport to have as backups in case of a major power outage, than it is to invest in a fleet of steam ships to replace the aircraft incase the whole electric grid shuts down.


And lets face it if all the electricity in a nation shut down overnight and was impossible to restore; chances are society is already crumbling beyond a functional level at large; or the country is being invaded and bombed to bits etc....

 

[waday]

I don't disagree that there'd be chaos and likely a large portion of the population would perish due to a number of reasons. However, a portion of the population would still be alive and our species could potentially continue. I mean continue through means of actual sustainability like farming, not through people that hoard cans of beans and bottles of water.

With your water comparison, however, given your same constraints on electricity, if all the water were to disappear overnight, (almost) all life would die instantly.

Ok ok, let's say that all surface and groundwaters would disappear, with no way of replenishing their supply (i.e., no precipitation, snowfall), and that water in our own bodies and other life would stay there until we die. We'd have a matter of days to live.

I'm stating that I disagree with your comparison.

 

[Overread]

Analogies/comparisons should never be taken too much further than originally displayed because doing so typically breaks them. It's purely done to give a similar not identical association.


But if you want to go further sure; if electricity is to modern life what water is to organic life then removing electricity most certainly does kill modern life entirely; just as removing water kills organic life.



Of course humanity can live without electricity; but chances are our populations wouldn't be sustainable at the levels they are when you consider food production; medicine; housing; heating; travel; transport et c.... all rely on electricity. Heck even your car uses it to start the engine.

 

[waday]

Stop changing the constraints to fit your comparisons.

 

[astroNikon]

A billion of these spinning to create electricity should help ...

could make them for humans too

 

[astroNikon]

I always read "doomsday" stuff in another forum about Precious Metals.

But we also have to consider that we are reliant not upon electricity, but really large methods of distribution (electricity, food, money, etc).

The fire I don't think was in relation to a power generation facility, but a distribution facility. Thus if the electricity was provided by Hydro, wind, solar, gas, petro, coal, etc they would still have the same problem.

Back in 2003 I was in the midwest blackout. We lost electricity due to high power distribution wires, not the power generation itself.

The main problems were:
1 - electrical gas pumps no longer worked. So people couldn't get gas pumped into their cars.
2 - grocery stores & homes who had any food refrigerated faced major issues.
3 - of course with no electricity buildings elevators, etc all stopped working.
4 - the phone systems, internet, etc all went dark after a short time.
And it was dark at night.

Of course anyone that has ever camped in a tent should not of had much of a problem.
Those others that camped in a fully featured trailer or more would have a problem, though they probably used them.

The regulations for landing aircraft would prevent many from landing/takeoff. Though in instances alternate airports can control takeoffs/landings. Though in this case the ATL Tower could operate normally; just that the security, baggage & people distribution systems were nonoperational.

Now, imagine if all of our cameras no longer worked because you couldn't charge them.
Everyone needs a backup manual film camera.
Nah, I'll take my chances.

 

[Gary A.]

It's like saying our dependence on water is risky and that we should have something else that isn't water or a water based compound.

While I understand the comparison, I don’t think it’s accurate. What about: our dependence on cars?

We can live without electricity, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society. We can live without cars, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society.

We can’t live without water.

The thing is there isn't an alternative that's practical to run alongside electricity.

*That we currently know of...

I can't live without electricity.

 

[astroNikon]

I can't live without electricity.

shocking ...

 

[waday]

It's like saying our dependence on water is risky and that we should have something else that isn't water or a water based compound.

While I understand the comparison, I don’t think it’s accurate. What about: our dependence on cars?

We can live without electricity, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society. We can live without cars, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society.

We can’t live without water.

The thing is there isn't an alternative that's practical to run alongside electricity.

*That we currently know of...

I can't live without electricity.

Come now, neither grilling nor drinking wine requires electricity.

 

[astroNikon]

It's like saying our dependence on water is risky and that we should have something else that isn't water or a water based compound.

While I understand the comparison, I don’t think it’s accurate. What about: our dependence on cars?

We can live without electricity, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society. We can live without cars, despite the fact that we’d be limited as a society.

We can’t live without water.

The thing is there isn't an alternative that's practical to run alongside electricity.

*That we currently know of...

I can't live without electricity.

Come now, neither grilling nor drinking wine requires electricity.

his wine and steak cooler does ....
he'd have to drink and eat it all fairly quickly.

 

[waday]

he'd have to drink and eat it all fairly quickly.

There's a problem with that?

 

[JonA_CT]

he'd have to drink and eat it all fairly quickly.

There's a problem with that?

I'm not sure...but I think that Gary would probably have enough wine to keep his whole town happy for awhile, and maybe enough food too.