Daily Thoughts 01/15/2012
I finished reading The Ecotechnic Future Envisioning A Post Peak World by John Michael Greer. He writes about how over several generations our society will collapse because of loss of access to critical resources like petroleum. In his view fossil fuels will not be replaceable. I disgree with this. He outlines how our society will start to lose its culture, faith in science, and people will actually have to start preserving many of our ideas for future generations because of an eminient decline over several generations.
There is quite a bit on how cultures failed then declined. John Michael Greer talks about the cultural losses when Rome fell. He describes which knowledge was saved and which knowledge was lost. I found it very interesting.
I think there are new solutions coming into play based on systems thinking which will solve many of our current environmental and energy problems. For example, there are new forms of ocean based energy which are only minimally tapped. The Pelamis Wave Power is an excellent example of this. http://www.pelamiswave.com/aboutus/about-us There is also high altitude solar energy and wind energy.
A solid example of high altitude wind energy generation are energy kites. http://europe.theoildrum.com/node/5538 Another example of high altitude solar power is Stratosolar. http://www.stratosolar.com/ This has a number of advantages over space based solar power systems. High altitude solar energy can be repaired more easily and doesn't have to be launched into orbit which is a tremendous expense.
I think there is more than enough energy, it is just from more diverse sources than people previously used.
Solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass are mapped for the United States with potential resources http://www.nrel.gov/gis/biomass.html. High altitude wind energy, ocean energy (wave, tidal, and otec) is not included in the equation. Also, there is not enough discussion of small scale hydroelectric or distributed hydroelectric that does not block rivers. If you go to the fringes, there are questions about solar power satellites as well.
In a similar way, I think people are starting the process of rethinking manufacturing around much more localized venues. There is a real desire to bring manufacturing back home to the United States.. http://makerfaire.com/ The Maker movement is very much geared towards this. Also, 3D printing technology is advancing rapidly. http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/jamais-cascio/open-future/material-issue
This has reintroduced more local centers of innovation that are not necessarily that mainstream. People are building spaces like Techshops, Hacker Spaces, and Fab Labs. There is tremendous potential for innovation. http://www.fabathome.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
As an afterthought, I would like to say there is quite a bit of interest in sustainability in the library community. I recently joined the Linked In Group for Sustainability Librarians and am following the blog Sustainable Libraries http://sustainablelibraries.org/
I have started reading Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson. William Gibson has a wonderful ability to make sentences. This is one of the reasons I have liked his writing so much. Occasionally he comes up with incomparable ones. Here is an example from P. 45 of this book. "It indicates a kind of maturity, an understanding that every future is someone else's past, every present, someone else's future." You have to love this ability to weave words. It is why I liked reading his science fiction novels so much.
I read some more of Distrust That Particular Flavor. William Gibson makes the statement that he is going to meet Alberto Manguel in Spain and that Alberto Manguel new Jorge Luis Borges personally. This sets my mind wandering. There is something wonderful about William Gibson, Alberto Manguel and Jorge Luis Borges connected together through even the most tenuous of threads.
Congressional Quarterly Researcher has a Research Report on the Occupy Wall Street Movement. It should be interesting reading. Katel, Peter. “‘Occupy’ Movement.” CQ Researcher 22, no. 2 (January 13, 2012): 25-52.
Web Bits
Mountains of Books Become Mountains
http://www.visualnews.com/2011/12/22/mountains-of-books-become-mountains/
Showing posts with label the ecotechnic future. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the ecotechnic future. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Daily Thoughts 01/13/2012
[North Reading Room, west wall. Detail of mural by Ezra Winter illustrating the characters in the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Library of Congress John Adams Building, Washington, D.C.] Photograph shows right half of the mural. According to the inscription, this mural on the west wall shows (left to right): '... the clerk of Oxenford, reading his beloved classics; the manciple; the sailor; the prioress; the nun; and three priests.' (Source: On These Walls by John Y. Cole. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1995, p. 79). Date Created/Published: 2007.
Daily Thoughts 01/13/2012
On the train to work, I read some more of The Ecotechnic Future. John Michael Greer is describing how as we move into the future with dwindling fossil fuel supplies, travel and energy sources will become much more local. People will work much closer to home, commute shorter distances, rely on more urban agriculture and gardening, and be much more efficient with energy and resources. This is something that I am seeing happening more. It is much easier to recycle, find farmers markets, and get more energy efficient products.
This morning I checked the displays and gift books. I also spent some time scheduling author visits. We are having some poets come. Also, on May 8, 2012 we are having Ellen Datlow coming to talk about editing her anthology, Poe: 19 New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. It should be quite interesting.
I did not have any computer labs today so I spent some time reading Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Nothing stood out as far as articles.
I also spent some time talking about grants and computers.
The book, Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson came in for me to read. It should be very entertaining. It is William Gibson's first nonfiction book.
Historian and Famous Author Kenneth C. Davis Speaks at Mount Vernon Public Library
http://www.mvinquirer.com/kenneth_c%20davis.htm
On the way home, I read some more of The Ecotechnic Future. The author correctly tells us that there is no example of a green society right now. It is a process which people are trying to create. He is correct, alternative energy is an experiment that sometimes works, but often does not. I like the idea that we should experiment as much as possible and try different ways to create green technology, the solutions are not here yet. I also like John Michael Greer's statement that capitalism and socialism are both based on consumption and production and have little to do with ecology.
Web Bits
Libraries Succeed by Constantly Evolving
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-h-hildreth/the-future-of-libraries_b_1204446.html
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Daily Thoughts 01/05/2012
Daily Thoughts 01/05/2012
Everyone has new years resolutions. I resolve to read a graphic novel every week. I read Same Difference by Derek Kirk Kim yesterday. It is a beautifully drawn black and white comic in the slice of life tradition. The book won the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz awards which is quite an accomplishment.
The characters were wonderfully done. I especially liked the main character Simon's romantic interest in a blind girl in high school. There was also some excellent lighthearted humor. The story was very much about growing up as well. There were some photographs of real places in the back of the book which Derek Kirk Kim used to draw the comic from.
Derek Kirk Kim describes how he was drawing from his own life to draw this comic in an essay at the back of the book as well. There is a little bit of strong language, but it is not in bad taste. It is more humorous than anything else. Derek Kirk Kim has a blog at: http://derekkirkkim.blogspot.com/
I requested the book, The Ecotechnic Future: Envisioning A Post-Peak World by John Michael Greer. I rather like reading this kind of material. It makes me realize people are thinking of solutions which are much longer term than what is currently happening.
There is now a circulating museum pass for the Children's Museum in Manhattan which can be checked out from the Reference Desk.
I finally did it. I went out and bought a Kindle Simple Touch today for my own use. It is a first step towards moving into the 21st century. They had a special at Target for $99 reduced from $139. It is sitting on the computer table right now charging. I am contemplating purchasing an Ipad and an android cell phone. I think it was the right move for me to do. It was quite frankly a bit of a nervous thing to do.
I sat down and read the users manual from front to back for the Kindle Touch. It is fairly straightforward.
A lot of it is very similar to the Sony E-reader.
I am going to make sure that there are a few computers with Kindle for PC in the Computer Lab.
Web Bits
Occupy Poetry! Starting the New Year With Inspiring Words
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2012/01/in-the-bookroom/occupy-poetry-starting-the-new-year-with-inspiring-words/
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