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Prakriti Priyan

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A suggestive solution to solve electric power crisis

The demand for electric power increases each second and there is an alarming and mounting power crisis throughout the globe. Governments and people are doing their best of efforts to solve the existing crisis. There are several counter measures being planned (such as generating power through diesel generators, solar, wind, and other green initiatives). Well, these are effective methods for sure. However, they may incur huge costs and consume more time for actual implementation. Something needs to done extraordinarily with immediate effect! And…what could be that?!

Let us be the positive change we want to witness! We (as home consumers of power) should also extend our helping hands to overcome the power crisis.

It is a known fact that we consume more power when using air conditioners, computers, and televisions. Do we really require them to be switched ON always? Shall we pledge to think twice before using an electrical device?

Do you know?! In a given day, if one person does not use air conditioners, computers, and television for an hour, he or she can bring the following positive impact in the lives of needy people:
- Reduce several hours of power cut in houses of a poor village.
- Run tens of lights or fans in an area that has no access to electricity.
- Support hundreds of enthusiastic students whose studies are impacted due to the power cut.
- Help a poor farmer to manage electricity expenses for running a water pump.
- Assist small-scale and cottage industries to sustain their existence through uninterrupted power supply.

Though provoking, isn't? If awareness of one individual can bring such meaningful difference, think about the change when millions of people co-operate. Let us be the positive change we want to witness, my dear friends.

Topics: reducing electricity usage
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    Theodore A. Hoppe 200+

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    Mar 5 2013: Re: "Shall we pledge to think twice before using an electrical device?"

    When I was a child my mother use to tell in to eat all the food on my plate because children somewhere in the world were hungry? I never understood how me not wasting the food on my plate helped the hungry kids.

  • Patrick Anderson

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    Mar 5 2013: Although we would use less electricity if people became more conservative, we still find ourselves with the problem that we are using the same amount of resources to create the same amount of power, we are just conserving it, so it lasts a longer time. What we need to do is go back to how we create power, most green resources are great because they eliminate the pollution created by fossil fuels, and the costs of transportation and mining of these resources. Yet we need a lot of these systems to produce enough energy to power a city. What we need is to start researching the next big field of electromagnetism for our clean energy future. There was a lot of research in the 1870's until the late 1980's on the subject of creating electromagnetic generators and capacitors that powered themselves, with little or even no input. Even more on this topic of electromagnetism, our earth is a large magnet in which creates a static field that is essentially a giant battery; a battery that could power every city in the world indefinably. Nikola Telsa and other scientists have created inventions that can transport electricity wireless and generate energy from this battery (the earth). If we coupled the to together we could provide energy to anywhere in the world (maybe not underground) but yeah everywhere in the world. This would eliminate all costs of the production process once the systems are set up. It will eliminate the need for any fossil fuel because we can power cars boats and planes with it. but

    yeah that's just my take on it.
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    W. Ying 10+

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    Mar 5 2013: .
    Quit invalid happiness,
    and thus reduce almost all electric power ! ?


    (For details, see the 1st article, points 1-3, 14, at
    https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D&id=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D%21283&sc=documents).

  • Scott Koenraadt

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    Mar 4 2013: This isn't thought provoking. Turning off all electrical appliances in the western hemisphere would only reduce the amount of fuel being used during that time frame.

    If you want to provoke thought and address issues like this start brainstorming how to effectively store electricity.
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      John Gianino

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      Mar 4 2013: Energy is stored in our environment and can be converted into electricity. People really need to look into Tesla's work more.

      • Scott Koenraadt

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        Mar 4 2013: Is it stored in our environment in such a way that we can tap it at any time to be used as electricity? That is what I am getting at.

  • Lionel Leigo

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    Mar 4 2013: " Governments and people are doing their best of efforts to solve the existing crisis"

    Are you serious?, like seriously, you dont know that people are governed for their assets?

    I personally think we need to be looking at alternatives to electricity, such as compressed air, or millstones, or huge concrete flywheels, magnetic generators, or others which provide tourque without current or charge, check out the brumbypump.com.au , its a water pump for wells and bores which uses compressed air, has one moving part, and hardly any risk of failure, now i can build a similar pump for under $150 which could be used to move or lift 800 litres of water per day, every day, why would i spend $4000 on an electric submersible which is costing me power and has 67 moving parts which the water will corrode/adhere minerals.

    We live in a high tech world now, we want things that are high tech, when with a little bit of elbow grease, thought process and design, you can make something almost free, people are not interested, they want an app for it, want to control it from their armchair, ipad, iphone, or voice control. this is sad i think, and has prevented a lot of the positive design and thinking which was so rampant during the industrial revolution, look at Leonardo Da Vinci's designs for machines, how brilliant, functional, useful, but made only from wood, rope and some metals, no silicon chips, no software.

    • Scott Koenraadt

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      Mar 4 2013: Yes, and Leonardy Da Vinci's designs where mostly infeasable until the advent of light metal alloys and computer chips.

      Also btw you use electricity to compress air, guarenteed that pump has more than one moving part also

      • Lionel Leigo

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        Mar 5 2013: sorry to dissappoint you scott. but the pump has only one moving part, you are correct about the air compressor though.
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    Pabitra Mukhopadhyay 30+

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    Mar 4 2013: I like the idea of electricity from algae, since it has the bonus effect of CO2 scrubbing.
    http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022406555
    Also engineered bio-luminescence is another interesting prospect.
    http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827885.000-glowing-trees-could-light-up-city-streets.html
    Come to think of it why can we not have engineered bio-luminescence in home decor, illuminations too? The idea of a centralized generation of power and distribution is too backdated. Why can we not decentralize it and biologically develope our own energy requirements (we do already generate power @ 100 watts per day just to remain alive).
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    Gail . 50+

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    Mar 4 2013: You are over-simplifying the problem. Natural, renewable power sources produce electricity that cannot now be sent to your country. If I were to run a trans-oceanic cable to reach your country, so much of the power sent would be lost through friction that none would reach you and all that was sent would be wasted. That suggests the need for batteries, but batteries create dumps filled with hazardous waste.

    The problem arises when non-renewable fuel sources are used. But it also arises when politicians are owned by energy companies.

    If we were to all consume 25% less energy, energy prices would increase by at least 26%, so that profits could grow despite what you do to keep them low.

    We NEED a new fiscal paradigm that places people ahead of money. We also NEED fewer people. You wont fix the energy problem until you fix these two barriers.
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    Xavier Belvemont 30+

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    Mar 3 2013: I just added my own TEDconversation on how simply replacing dated typical houshold energy users (appliances, lighting etcetc) can actually reduce annual electricity consumption by upto 50-60% with no change of lifestyle.

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Mar 3 2013: One factor is the number of people. Stop increasing the number of people.
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    John Gianino

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    Mar 3 2013: How about a free source of power? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y11lXSB3KrY#! Many people don't believe things they haven't witnessed for themselves but, if you ask for a free demonstration whats the harm?
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