Stability of Electricity? Not a problem

IN a recent article on Energy Central, you wrote: 

"Providing utility customers with reliable electricity isn't an option, it's a necessity. Our health, comfort and the economy depend on it. For electric utility companies, this is becoming more difficult because of an increase in extreme weather events (EWEs) and the growth of renewables, which can be unpredictable."

Well. Our health does indeed not depend on it. Comfort? That is debatable. We have by our extreme consumption of electricity to feed A/C systems, caused that the temperature is increasing. Pay attention to that we are discussing two increases of temperature: One which is the global average temperature, which has passed 1 degree. The other is the extreme temperatures on land, which in some regions (especially regions without forest!) - can get up to 10++ degrees above normal level. 

It is our ruthless consumption of electricity and other fossil fuel energy forms which is the cause. We could not take a few degrees above the comfortable 20 degrees of Celsius - so - we had to burn some trees every day so that a machinery could maintain the comfortable 20 degrees. 

Is it comfort we are experiencing now? The fact that certain areas are becoming uninhabitable, due to climate problems? Finally you wrote that our economy depends on it. That too is strongly debatable. If we look into this fatamorgana of perpetual growth economy which has seen a splurge of babies being born, without anything to cater for it, except our naive humanity (a humanity which stretches exactly to the boundary of each person's self, not an inch beyond), which again see good deeds only doable if there is a (bigger) return. Selfish, selfish and selfish. If the economy, driven by exactly economists and sick advocates, is the economy you are talking about as depending in it - then let that economy die. Die, die, die. There is no need to keep anything which is sick. And this economy which we see here - that one is sick.

If it is not sick when an economy drives us all to slaughter on nature in the same way as if we sat on a branch and cut it off between us and the stem, then I do not know what is sick. 

Therefore - stability? For what? I do live in Kenya, where power cuts are the order of the day, the order of the hours - and also these occur frequently (daily) week in week out, month in month out, year in year out. After 16 years here, I am still alive, I am fine, and it is not in any way affecting my health, comfort or my economy. Despite that I work in the IT-sector, despite that I do my work via an online connection. 

So - I recommend that all of you who read this article take a breather - and ask yourself - does YOUR work really depend on electricity to such an extent so that your health, comfort and economy depends on the stability? 

Here in Kenya we have long time ago found out how to do things without electricity. It is not a must. 

How about you?

Sincerely

David Svarrer

I do renewable energy - in Kenya - where power comes and goes as the wind blows and as the sun and the clouds interchange.