The ‘Energy’ Crisis

Every schoolgirl can tell you about the energy crisis. We are running out of coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectric sites. Or, if we have these in good plenty, then we cannot use them at the rate we have been accustomed to, because to do so would contaminate the planet beyond the limits of life. Or, if we can find clean fuel, we cannot develop it soon enough to stave off a gigantic shortage of power. Or, if we do indeed find clean fuel and develop it soon enough and cheaply enough to be within the reach of all of us, then we shall refuse to do it anyway, because the name of that power is Atomic Nucleus, and he is a debbil.

Clearly there is a crisis having to do with the production and distribution of various forms of physical energy. That crisis, however, has little to do with the technique of finding and generating usable power. It is a crisis of the understanding: It is a crisis of the failure of government intervention: Read on.

WR

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William F. Rickenbacker

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Every schoolgirl can tell you about the energy crisis. We are running out of coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectric sites. Or, if we have these in good plenty, then we cannot use them at the rate we have been accustomed to, because to do so would contaminate the planet beyond the limits of life. Or, if we can find clean fuel, we cannot develop it soon enough to stave off a gigantic shortage of power. Or, if we do indeed find clean fuel and develop it soon enough and cheaply enough to be within the reach of all of us, then we shall refuse to do it anyway, because the name of that power is Atomic Nucleus, and he is a debbil.

Clearly there is a crisis having to do with the production and distribution of various forms of physical energy. That crisis, however, has little to do with the technique of finding and generating usable power. It is a crisis of the understanding: It is a crisis of the failure of government intervention: Read on.