Energy has no easy button

We humans are an odd bunch. Ever since we learned to master fire, that magical happening which allowed us to migrate and survive colder climes, we have always wanted an easy button.

When dark, we want to simply flip a switch and make it light. When cold, or hot, we want to speak to our smart thermostat and order the temperature adjusted (yes, such technology exists).

Easy, nothing to it.

But energy production and management have never been easy. It has never been riskless.

Even in those early days, it required an enormous amount of human effort to cut and gather wood, store it properly, burn it in stone fireplaces and later metal stoves. History is replete with “great fires” which ravaged London, Rome, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and many lesser cities.

Thousands of fires over the ages, many thousands killed, enormous property damage. Yet we kept building fires, because the benefits far outweighed the risks.

As the great forests disappeared, we took to the earth, disgorging mountains of coal to heat our cities and power our factories. Black, sooty skies and great mine disasters were a terrible price to pay. But pay it we did, for the alternative was cold and dark and dank.

Fleets of wooden ships sailed from our harbors on long voyages to hunt whales. The whale fat thus harvested was used to produce light, burning in lamps. The odor of burning whale oil was disagreeable, and was particularly hard on the whales, but we persisted. Because, otherwise, only the dark.

We then discovered petroleum fuels, to the great relief of the whales, creating kerosene lanterns. (One of which, as the story goes, was kicked over by Katy O’Leary’s cow resulting in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871).

And we learned. Driven by technology improvements, the advent of fire insurance (Ben Franklin had a lot to do with this), and brave men and women firefighters, we greatly improved safety and managed the risk of fire.

Then we moved into the electrical era, allowing us to light the planet so that cities appear as strings of pearls from outer space. We turned night into day, cold into warm, and hot into cool.

But even this was not with controversy.

The “War of the Currents” raged in the late nineteenth century, as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla battled over the best way to distribute electrical power, as alternating (AC) or direct (DC) current. As fortunes were riding on the outcome, all manner of publicity stunts were used to sway the public.

In one shocking episode, Topsy the elephant was put to death by electrocution, and this was reportedly used to demonstrate the danger of alternating current.

We must not forget that electricity has to be generated before it can be used, and like all manner of energy manipulation, that is not without risk.

Hydro power is considered clean and safe, but ecosystems are disrupted and dams can break. Nuclear is silent, but reactors have melted down. Coal generation creates atmospheric gasses, not to speak of many mining disasters. Wind and solar are more benign, but are less reliable and cost us some number of birds. Petro power, electricity generated from natural gas or oil, also releases gasses on combustion and numerous high profile transportation events (train and pipeline accidents) have occurred.

As should be clear by now, there is no easy button.

Much as we would like simple choices, we are presented with a complicated menu of risks, benefits, costs and uncertain outcomes.

What is a responsible citizen and energy consumer to do?

Here are a few things to consider.

1. Spend your energy dollars wisely but in accordance with your conscience. If you are a vocal solar supporter, install some panels on your roof. Before purchasing an electric automobile, consider how the electricity to recharge it is generated. If nuclear, wind or solar are in the mix, you may actually be doing the atmosphere some good. Otherwise, not so much.
2. Vote to influence public energy policy at the local, state, and national level. Some energy choices on a macro scale are formed by consumer choice, that is, by producers chasing your dollars. But other change can only be achieved by regulation. This is due to hidden or diffuse costs not being accounted for. Responsible regulation is not evil.
3. Keep yourself informed and think clearly. Human beings are notoriously poor at processing odds. We overestimate the likelihood of low probability, high impact events. We must be aware of this tendency and avoid it.

Energy is a wonderful thing. It always has its risks, but offers enormous benefits. Try to keep in mind, the next time you flip a switch, all that lies behind that sudden burst of light.