Drew Hager
English 121
5/7/09
The Past and Present of Fire; How Energy Caused Affluenza
It is no surprise that mankind has reached a point of disconnect with his higher nature; his sovereignty and independence gladly traded for the pursuit of material goods. He speeds through each day with greater and greater intensity, shamelessly capitalizing on his fellow man, the environment, and oddly enough on himself most of all. In this struggling world economy, what factors have contributed to the “Go-Go McDonald’s” mentality of modern society? Have advancements in the use of energy been the sole source of modern progress? Will more responsible energy use be the key to starting an understanding of simple living, sustainability, and greener lifestyles?
In first world countries there is a word in the English lexicon which summarizes the frenzy of consumerism which has gripped the modern world; “Affluenza – Extreme materialism which is the impetus for accumulating wealth and for over-consumption of goods; also, feelings of guilt and isolation from the dysfunctional pursuit of wealth and goods. Affluenza is a social disease caused by consumerism, commercialism, and rampant materialism and its antidote is simple living.” (1)
To some this may seem like something new, but indeed history has shown that the quest to steer away from consumerism may very well have been one of the principle reasons this country was even founded. In the late seventeen-hundreds and early eighteen-hundreds England and Europe’s ruling elite lived lavish and rampantly materialistic lifestyles at the expense of the poor and working class. Through high taxation, sales of luxury goods, and many other means, the ruling class lived lives that some would compare in modern times to that of American life compared to the refugee camps of Somalia.
In early America, simple living was considered Patriotic. The idea of participating in local co-ops, supporting local businesses, and living within your means was the American way. Most imports were from England or Europe, and so one of America’s first ways of demonstrating our desire to be free was to burn incoming merchant ships filled with items whose sales would fund the consumeristic and lavish lifestyle of foreign ruling powers; the Boston Tea Party being just one such example. Laws were passed by the Puritan leadership and others actually outlawing lavish dress, however these rules were applied unfairly: If you were rich, you could wear whatever you wanted.
After the revolution, American capitalism quickly helped to fade away the connection between lavish consumerism and independence from England and Europe. As we began to develop our use of energy technologies, the industrial revolution was born. Our industrial might allowed us to consume manufactured goods at a pace unseen before. More production equaled more energy use. As we would find later in time with electrical items “compound energies” to make goods equaled “compound energies” to use the goods created.
In the late eighteen-hundreds, the simple life movement was started again by the transcendentalists; the most famous being Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau went to an isolated cabin by a lake for years to discover exactly how little one truly needed to find happiness in this world. A return to nature; or as some would say now “Thoreau went green”. As Bertrand Russell said “It is preoccupation with possessions more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.’(2) Many followed in their footsteps, and it seemed that America might truly have a chance towards the sovereign lifestyle our forefathers had dreamed of as they sailed far away from the Affluenzic shores of England and Europe.
The depression in nineteen-thirty-three brought America to its knees. The new deal was to spend, spend, spend; and spend we did. Soon the television, microwave, washer, dryer, refrigerator, multiple vehicles, and on and on became necessities rather than luxuries. The rights movements gave even more income to American families, and yet we seemed to have less time, less money, less happiness, and more debt.
With the growing unease of the American disconnect from values, love, and our involvement in the Vietnam War a new movement was born. These modern transcendentalists were called hippies. These nature loving simple living advocates were much like Thoreau or Emerson but were influenced by the pop culture which energy had allowed television and radio to provide. The movement had a definite impression on America’s culture; however the inevitable wheels of commercialism kept our society on a rapid pace toward complete and total Affluenza.
So has our dependency on energy to fuel the rapid commercialism and consumerism placed our current economy in the situation it is in today? Would we be seeing global warming, war, and financial market collapse around the globe if our thirst for material items wasn’t so dependent on energy to fuel it? If so, are there ways that we can create energy to meet the demand of our appetites while also creating more income, happiness, and sustainable lifestyles for our culture?
Presently, for every ton of trash thrown away in the United States, 20 tons of trash is created to produce it. If the world lived the same way that America does, at present population it would take four earths to accommodate it. If America and the World’s Affluenzic state are indeed primarily fueled by energy, it’s important to look at our sources of modern energy.
Since ancient times the Sun has been a driving force in human culture, not only from a spiritual sense, but to our very survival. Our understanding of fire gave us warmth and light, as well as the ability to cook and forge metals. According to ThinkQuest.org, “The sun creates the equivalent of 100 billion 1-megaton nuclear explosions each second.”(3)
Only a tiny fraction of this energy ever reaches the Earth, but just that small amount has been keeping this planet energized since the beginning of our existence. When looking at any form of modern energy one can trace its source back to the sun. Fossil fuels like oil come from decomposed plants, which of course would never have grown without photosynthesis from the sun. Wind is even caused by the temperature differences of sunlight hitting different parts of the Earth at different times.
For over five thousand years humans have “worshipped” the sun (fire). In Egyptian times the Sun God Ra was considered the first king of Egypt. In Mesopotamia Shamash, and in Greece Apollo and Helios. The sun has also influenced many religions of the world from Roman religion to Hinduism, Buddhism, the Druids of England, the Incas of Peru, the Aztecs of Mexico, and most Native American tribes.
Since the sun (fire) has so dramatically affected our culture, lives, and very existence up until this point, one could assume that it will dramatically shape our future. As the population climbs toward 9 Billion by 2050, our never ending thirst for more and more energy will cause humanity to search for solutions to our energy needs.
According to the New York Times in an article titled “All energy roads lead to the sun” energy researcher Dr. Nocera said that in energy terms right now we are a “12.8 trillion watt light bulb”. (4) It is estimated that by the year 2050 we will need 30 trillion watts. The sun bathes the Earth in 800 terawatts of energy continuously, of which we only need 18.
So why is it that our society has put so little effort into harnessing this type of energy? Some would argue that corporations have suppressed sun harnessing technologies in order to promote the sale of coal, oil, and gas. As we know, energy is big business. Individual energy production would allow people to power their lives and homes without having to pay utility and energy companies for the lifestyle that so dramatically is fueled by energy consumption.
Solar panels, or solar modules, can create energy directly by converting sunlight into electricity. They were first developed in the 1950s for use on U.S. space satellites. Solar cells are typically made from silicon wafers that have been coated on one side with phosphorous, and coated on the other side with Boron. When sunlight hits the cell, an electron imbalance is created between the front and back of the cell. It is this movement of electrons through the silicon wafer which creates electricity.
Although solar panels are the most effective way to turn sunlight directly into energy there are many downsides as well. Currently the average cost of a system for a typical home is around thirty thousand dollars. On average the system will pay for itself in around seventeen years, and the panels will last typically forty to fifty years. It is easy to see why most people have not installed them on their homes.
Another problem with solar panels is the availability of Boron. It is an extremely scarce resource on the planet. There is a lot of research currently being done on other combinations of chemicals and metals to create the same result; however the first design from the 1950s remains the standard for solar panel manufacturing.
We now find ourselves as individuals and as a society facing some serious questions. Is our rampant consumerism fueled by energy? If it is indeed the source of our problems, what can we do to turn a negative into a positive? Will the use of renewable energy make us all more conscious of how much energy we as individuals truly consume, both from our own homes and vehicles, but also the energy used to create the material items which we so freely use?
All around the modern world more and more people are deciding to live sustainable lifestyles, whether it’s more family time, choosing to pursue a career that they are more passionate about for less pay, deciding to use renewable energies, or even just reducing waste and unnecessary spending. To understand why people are doing this, one must look not only at our modern “mentality” but look long into the past as well.
I believe becoming more aware of our individual energy requirements and being responsible for our own production would lead to an incredible shift in American and world conscious. I also believe that as the sun has shaped our past, and that the sun will also shape our future. Learning to capitalize on a resource that is more reliable and abundant than any other would surely seem like the wise thing to do. There is one thing that we know to be true, no matter what happens each day; the sun will rise, and the sun will set – each and every day of our lives. If I was a betting man, that’s one bet I would make with my life.
As Robin Green said “Ladies and gentlemen, today we’re here to honor electricity, the charge that charges everything from those electrons snapping in our brain to our father the sun. What’s the sun? It’s kind of like a brain. Electromagnetic fields, solar flares sparking back and forth from those nerve cells. We’re all one, folks, giant blobs of electricity – all of us. Positive & negative, electromagnetic fields just circling each other. Positive, negative, north, south, male and female. Looking for that electric moment.”(5)
References
- Webster’s New Millennium™ Dictionary of English – “Affluenza”
- “Bertrand Russell.” Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2009. 7 May. 2009. http://www.quotes.net/quote/7515
- Http://www.thinkquest.org/C004471/tep/en/how_it_works/the_sun.html
- New York Times “All energy roads lead to the sun” – 3/27/2008
- “Robin Green.” Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2009. 7 May. 2009. http://www.quotes.net/quote/20436
