I'm convinced that one of the largest problems of our economy is not capitalism per se -- or even corruption (which gets sorted out in due course) -- but the concentrated nature of the pockets of energy resources which have fuelled our economies since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. I believe it is these natural circumstances and the necessary forms of distribution which have strongly influenced the structural pattern for the rest of the global economy.
This is why I'm interested in various aspects of the coming solar energy economy, particularly in those technologies which will be able to tap directly into the sun's energy almost anywhere on the earth's (or sea's) surface rather than in specific locations that are only suitable for wave or wind power. In time, I believe this will create an entirely different pattern of economic distribution -- and possibly with significantly different side-effects. I mentioned Hermann Scheer's "The Solar Economy" yesterday -- reviewed in this week's New Scientist. Today, in the Economist, I notice that a similar, but probably more authoritative, book written by alternative energy specialist, Amory Lovins, is recommended as one of the best books of 2002. This is "Small is profitable: The Hidden Economic benefits of making Electrical Resources the Right Size". Amory Lovins is a veteran campaigner and used to write for my environmental magazine, "Towards Survival", in the 60s, before he upstaked and went to the US. Anyway, this is what the Economist says about Lovins' latest: "In a provocative and well considered work, Amory Lovins and his colleagues at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado natural resources think-tank, expose the folly of building gigantic power plants and make a convincing case that the world is about to be turned on its ear by the rise of micropower." Keith Hudson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ Keith Hudson, General Editor, Handlo Music, http://www.handlo.com 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________
