Two recent developments, years in the making but only recently come to fruition, are offering humankind the possibility of nearly-free power!
Yes, that's an exclamation point at the end of the first sentence, because these two alone can power humanity into the next century WITHOUT using petrochemicals or producing harmful waste, including potent radiation hazards associated with nuclear power. They're both clean and they're both nearly ready for mass-production... well, ONE of them is, so let's start there.
The first technology of real promise is one that uses genetically-engineered algae to produce oils, whatever oils you want, and it's happening now! When we say 'whatever oils you want' we mean we can get oils like soy-bean oil, by the ton, to produce artificial foods, food additives, paint additives and other industrial and food needs, AND we can get diesel, jet-fuel and kerosene from these little green plants!
When you see how the algae is incubated in long, interconnected polyethylene packets moving up and down on a belt, its easy to see how scientist Glen Kertz is able to state coolly that he 'can produce about 100,000 gallons of algae oil a year per acre, compared to about 30 gallons per acre from corn; 50 gallons from soybeans.' In fact, one ten-mile by ten-mile square in northern, sunny New Mexico could produce enough biodiesel for EVERY car, truck, airplane and home/industrial heating system in the whole of North America!
And if THAT doesn't rock your boat, there's the other technology about to leap into prominence, and that's the PolyWell Fusion system: 'Cold' Fusion for City and Home!
This technology received some good news earlier in the year when tests confirmed it can produce energy safely, and now steps are about to be taken to muster a global 'EMP', (Energy Manhattan Project) to make America energy self-dependent within 5 years, and with virtually NO noxious emissions, either!
When these technologies become widely used (and make no mistake about it, MANY companies, teams and individuals are competing and cooperating right now to bring more of these and other revolutionary energy technologies to fruition as quickly as safely feasible) they will change the personal, social and political landscapes radically! All the changes will better the world, but some of them may be rather uncomfortable for some people!
Unlimited electric power with a PolyWell fusion-generator, and unlimited food and oil biodiesel supplies are what these two technologies will, alone and unaided, produce for humankind. The implications for individuals are manifold, and pleasant to contemplate.
Remember, this is speculation, so read it with your mind open, for none of this is written in stone tablets anywhere, but the cost of imported oil will go down and America will need less of it when we have a huge supply of cheap biodiesel to use instead. Having all the electricity we want means that we individuals can run our electric cars for close to nothing but the cost of plugging them into our personal or community PolyWell grid and recharging them.
Politically, things will change drastically when America no longer sends hundreds of billions of dollars to people who both believe themselves too exalted to WORK at getting the oil out of their ground and at the same time feel themselves of such exalted, elevated religious status that they can fund teams to assault, maim and kill the kaffir unbelievers whenever possible.
Culturally, many of us will have a leisure and intention-focused life, doing what we WANT to do in service of our fellow humans, instead of using so much of our lives to earn a living. We'll be free to study the lives, languages and loves of other cultures and peoples as well as provide for their welfare and education.
A Persian nobleman in the nineteenth century said, "I have given power to the people." Looks like that could be coming true!
What do you think would change in YOUR life...