Power and Earth

Megalomany isn’t the reason the power systems got a continental spread! They have evolved naturally, based on an increasing demand of energy.

Nuclear Power Plant, France

Their evolution and expansion were a combination of technical and technological developments on one hand, and the urge to generate more efficient and more economic the electricity demanded by the consumers on the other hand. Thus, the power units became bigger and bigger, and more and more efficient and reliable.

Battersea Power Station, London (the dark building with four dark-white towers in the background)

Along with the development of the power systems and the expansion of the power network, also increased the claim of the consumers related to the quality of the energy that they pay, and the power systems were constrained to keep up with this aspect.

Photovoltaic roof, Germany

This means that generating power using many, only small units with low efficiency, instead of using large and very large power units with high efficiency, will have a negative impact on our energy bills.

A dying Sun and an overhead power line in Belgium

Regarding the environment, the power generated from renewable energy resources are welcome, only this power generation should be generated and used in remote areas, and used locally and individually. The power system should not depend on them as reliable resources!

Nuclear Power Plant, Germany

One day we will face the situation in which we are in a forest of wind turbines with no shade of wind! We will walk on fields of photovoltaic panels, and the sun will have no desire to show its bright rays… And this will happen when we will no longer use conventional energy resources! Would this be a happy day on a freezing winter day?

Wind Turbines, Austria

In such a “beautiful” day will we remember the Earth Day, or the Earth Hour?
Earth Day must be every day, and Earth Hour must be each and every hour!

Powerful sunset

The resources, no matter if conventional or renewable, must be used rationally!

Mooserboden Dam, Kaprun, Austria

All photos (c) Mihai Midus

Consumption vs. Waste

World population is increasing. The demands are accordingly; any kind of demands, energy included. Actually about anything is energy: E=mc². Used energy must be produced. If we are producing more than we are consuming, we'll burn useless some primary energy resources. If we are producing less, we'll not be able to end our projects, or to reach our destination (whichever it might be). So we have to produce the same amount of consumed energy.

Is it everything consumed in order to obtain something useful? Are all the surrounding objects, things, actions or events useful? If not, it means that energy was consumed for the useless ones. I'd rather say that energy was wasted. Dropped! Wasted energy means heat! Should I link this heat to global warming? There's no point in using more energy than I need for this post, so I'll just stop here!

Are we consuming or are we wasting? How much are we consuming, and how much are we wasting? Everything is in our hands! It is up to each and everyone('s will) to weight the situation in order to maintain the perfect balance!

Shangri-La

For quite a long time a novel failed to captivate me as "Shangri-La. Cross in Antarctica" did. The author exploits a flaw information to the end of the Second World War (or one of its storage labeled "top secret"), explaining some events of contemporary history seen from another perspective: we do not walk on water because we know that we will sink, but because we were taught so! Murillo manages to assemble and to reveal a stunning puzzle about the characters that appear to lead the destiny of this planet, members of The Last Thule organization. Because sometimes the action takes place against the clock (one of the protagonists receives the suggestion to change his Swiss watch just because it remained behind), but some of the characters are former participants of lesser-known events from end of the last World War, Julio Murillo takes us from Germany to the United States, from France to Spain and from Britain to Antarctica. He manages to keep the reader breathless and, when things seem to be heading on a normal track, new twists require new revelations, new information to complete the puzzle that is becoming more complicated, but nevertheless better outlined. Is it humanity on the way to a new world war, one for energy resources or just one for water? The ending of the book seems happy... but Murillo is not a Hollywood director, but a Prize for Historical Novel Alfonso X laureate!

Julio Murillo Llerda - Shangri-La