| Most of us may never understand the importance | | | | Entrepreneur Westinghouse for the Hydropower |
| of energy until we are without it, like in the recent | | | | and for free enterprise, which funded the |
| Black-Out, or while camping or in an electrical | | | | beginnings of what, we now take for granted |
| storm. Civilizations before us did not have such | | | | every time we flick a switch. We all felt the |
| wonderful light switches and instant power. Many | | | | affect of the recent Black out of the Northeast |
| still do not. We are quite privileged in that regard. | | | | Regional Power Grid, now we realize that we |
| Think of the daily things you do, that require | | | | need to upgrade the transmission lines through |
| energy and how important it is to your life. | | | | out all the grids. SCARDA the real time computer |
| The flow of energy has always been important to | | | | system saw the problem but nearly all the |
| advanced civilization. The ancient Egyptians used | | | | defensive options include mean shutting down |
| people power. They used elephants to move | | | | parts of the gird, power to millions of people, |
| things and even in battle. The water wheel was | | | | which is a hard choice to make, although if not |
| used as early as 4000 B.C. as power. Steam | | | | covered in a timely manner the cascading would |
| Engines are much newer. Animals, water and | | | | occur. Here is a scary book to read on the |
| many other improvised methods allowed for the | | | | subject; |
| making of machines. Simplifying life, from farming | | | | We also saw the rolling blackouts in California and |
| to water pumps for mills, etc. By freeing up the | | | | the vulnerability of getting the grids energy to the |
| time needed to sustain life, mankind is able to use | | | | Los Angeles basin where Southern California |
| that extra time to increase his flow of thought | | | | inhabits over 16 million people. We should |
| and thus coming up with other inventions and | | | | understand the flows of our civilization and that |
| devises. Now, fast forward to modern times | | | | includes our energy needs. We should not take it |
| where we often take for granted our electricity, | | | | for granted or waste it. It is not free and a little |
| until of course; it is shut off by a black out. What | | | | conservation from everyone can go along way to |
| we see as the ultimate hardship other third world | | | | making sure it is there when we need it and need |
| countries do not have at all. And in places like | | | | it we shall. Teach your kids to respect energy, |
| Baghdad only for three hours a day and they are | | | | understand its value to our society and to |
| thankful for that. | | | | conserve. We all need energy. Think about it. |
| We should not forget the gifts of Tesla and | | | | |