Just how things are

Few people have time to think much nowadays

For most people it's just a hassle to get through each day

Never mind thinking about weird things

Well maybe some are not so weird when they are likely to affect us all.

My life allows me to do some of this thinking so from time to time I like to share

You might not agree with everything I write

That's fine if I provoke you to look at things differently

Shake your perceptions of how things are

That's fine too

Ever thought about how some things are mega stupid?

Here's one

We build huge plants to create and transmit energy, electricity

We then need huge power lines to carry the output of the plants

In other words huge distribution networks

Networks that are then tied together so that one plant can support the others if they need to shut one down

Or if one goes offline for any reason

When things go fine no problem

But if there is a problem then it is not so fine

Note what happened in Japan.

Note what happened after Sandy on the East Coast of the US or in Canada a few years ago

Or what happens every day in India

Or Pakistan

If we had built smaller plants to serve local needs then things would be safer, more secure

We did not

Why not?

Economies of scale.

Money talks it is cheaper to build a few big plants than lots of smaller ones.

Can we do anything about this?

Yes we could change the policies that encourage the building of big plants.

Will we?

No way, too many vested interests want to keep our big plants.

When things become so interdependent the potential for disaster, of whatever kind or shape, increases.

We are in that situation with so many things that one unexpected event will bring untold consequences. 

By then of course it is too late to do other than to curse those who approved such short sighted policies.