We live in constant change. Several blog posts recently have talking about offshore wind farms, electric cars, and robotaxis. All of them have critics, and I think all three are in our future.
Wind power is rapidly developing. It is not without its challenges. The early carbon fiber blades are not recyclable, something that is being engineered into the newer ones. When a windmill fails it can go out of control, a few of them have caught fire. Still safer than Chernobyl, or Three Mile Island. Birds fly into windmills, but many more birds are killed by exhaust from fossil fuel power plants, hydroelectric changes fish life. Balancing out the least harmful, I think renewables are safer. Short of turning off the lights, and living in the heat and cold, and turning off our electronics, we need something. If we all returned to the stone age and cooked over an open wood fire in the middle of the cave, we would cut all of forests down and die in a cloud of woodsmoke.
Rechargeable electric cars are getting better by the day. With renewable energy from solar and wind, we can power them. They are the future. Range is improving daily, in ten years we will wonder why we didn't power cars this way before. Smart phones have only been around 20 years, and something like 40% of the world's population, and over 95% in developed countries have one within arms reach.
Self-driving cars are being tested and perfected. When automobiles were first traveling the streets, some cities passed laws that a flagman had to walk ahead of the car, to warn pedestrians and horses. They were seen as a danger. Think of some of the driver you see around you, a Commodore 64, had more memory and processing capacity, todays self driving cars have to be safer. Fear not the future, unless we die today, it is where we will live.
If we could find enough chairmen, we could go back to sedan chairs. Talk about limited range.
I think carrying a sedan chair would be very useful employment for chairmen and chairwomen, and for once contribute to society rather than take.
ReplyDeleteHow the meaning of that word has changed over the past 200 years.
DeleteWouldn't you love an electric car adorned like that chair?
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Why are cars so boring in design and decoration?
DeleteI think if I live long enough that self-driving cars are the norm, I will cease driving ... or being driven.
ReplyDeleteI hope that by the time I should stop driving, self driving cars are available.
DeleteAs I have said so often: Everything started going downhill after we gave up sedan chairs.
ReplyDeleteYou would have had to much fun interviewing chairmen, and picking thier outfits.
DeleteThank goodness that he is stepping up to the task, someone has to do it! Also include in the description "...and other duties as assigned from time to time."
DeleteNot sure who he is?
DeleteHe is me.
DeleteThose driverless cars are all over Phoenix these days. I see them every day. My friend David has actually used them several times instead of Uber. He said it felt weird at first but he likes it now.
ReplyDeleteI want to try one, next time I am there.
DeleteDon't know if we will have the opportunity. We will be down bay area first of Oct and would like to try self driving bus.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on, and stay safe.
I was in Phoenix in January, and it didn't make time, I should have.
Deletenew things always elict panic, suspicion and misunderstanding as to what they will become in time. You would think people would remember this cycle happens every time and not get so upset.
ReplyDelete