August 25, 2002
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A really good article from Rocky Mountain Institute.
The thesis is that sustainable economies and resilient design principles go a long way toward promoting national security for both the nation in question, and it’s neighbors and allies. It’s the kind of thing that you read and say, “Well, duh!” but which somehow escapes public debate and policy implementation.
The sidebar at the end of the article is interesting, too. It compares using florescent light bulbs to incandescent ones:
In terms of electricity generated by oil, it saves the burning of a barrel of oil and all the attendant emissions. Or, if we’re talking about a nuclear power plant, one [flourescent light bulb], over the course of its life, will avoid making two-fifths of a ton TNT-equivalent of plutonium plus half a curie (which is a lot) of strontium-90 and cesium-137.
Give everyone in the US a florescent bulb, and we won’t need a barrel of foreign oil per bulb. Can you imagine the debate in Congress over this? “Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that my esteemed colleague Mr. The Brave is suggesting that we can fight terrorism with light bulbs.”
Comments (2)
Thanks for the link. Haven’t kept up with the activities of the RMI in quite a while. What’s really depressing is, that in spite of good work, they have so little real influence. We can use fluorescents (and I do), but power is in the hands of those who don’t and who don’t care.
I’m down with all of this. I’m going to a sustainable living fair Sept. 8. They are going to demonstrate hydrogen powered cars, lights, appliances etc. Everyone freaks and says “But remember the Hindenburg!” The Hindenburg’s skin was made out of what is essentially known today as booster rocket fuel. It was the rocket fuel skin that exploded into flame. Besides how come we feel so comfy riding around an a giant tank of gasoline in our cars? That’s will turn your ass into a toasty marshmellow when hit the wrong way too. I think the vested interests are very concerned about us thinking for ourselves on this. http://www.clean-air.org/hindenberg.htm
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