Renewable Energy as THE Key Asset of Commonwealth in Community by paul bain martin 1

Renewable energy² should be ethical, just transformation of energy in a low-input/-throughput steady-state human economic system.  Renewable energy sources “capture their energy from existing flows of energy, from on-going natural processes, such as sunshine, wind, flowing water, biological processes [e.g., photosynthesis, etc. into biomass], and geothermal heat flows. The most common definition is that renewable energy is from an energy resource that is replaced rapidly by a natural process such as power generated from the sun or from the wind. Most renewable forms of energy, other than geothermal [from magma] and tidal power, ultimately come from the Sun.³”

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Life is matter organized with inputs of free, available energy⁴.  Therefore, energy is the glue of all living systems, systems which may be cells, organisms, ecological communities (including those which are very artificial subsets of Nature), the Land, and Commons-components.  However, inappropriate and/or excessive transformation of energy results in life systems becoming unglued and unhealthy.

Basic truths (all profoundly connected) for a resilient and sustainable Earth are:

• biophilia and a need for Nature,
• an ethic of reciprocity (which, in a more profoundly holistic interpretation, includes all living organisms/Nature), and
• limits and carrying capacity (largely because of the 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics which rules that use/transformation of the perpetual amount of energy results in this energy becoming relatively useless, and excessive transformation of it creates more general chaos in larger or other wholes (of Nature)).

These truths guide us in processes of just transformation of energy.

Transformation of the 2% of free, available solar energy captured by photosynthesis resulted in a dynamic but relatively homeostatic biosphere over 4+ billion years of evolution.  This homeostasis continued even into much of the 200,000 years in which humans became a part of the ecosphere.  However, in the last 12,000 years or so (and particularly the last 70) this homeostatic situation is being seriously challenged.  Major challenges and perturbations have been from:

• the agriculture revolution,
• industrialization and increasing use of fossil energy and products from fossil material/energy such as plastics, nitrogenous molecules/fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, asphalt, …, and
• the microelectronic and information revolution …

along with concurrent growth of: human populations (projected to reach 10 billion in 2050⁵) and energy consumption or transformation (currently at up to >250,000 kilocalories/capita daily, or up from 2,000 for “primitive” humans and 70,000 for early industrial humans)⁶

Therefore, in not limiting growth of human consumption and human populations … we are disrupting the “homeostasis” of the other 11 assets of Commonwealth highlighted in efforts of the NGO, Ogallala Commons⁷.  We are, in a very serious way, negatively affecting the wellness of individuals and populations of lifeforms of Eaarth⁸.  Real and sustainable enhancement of each of the assets of commonwealth depends on: ethical/just transformation of energy, i.e., renewable energy, … and living individual and collective human lives …

• Sabiamente (Spanish for knowledgeable and wisely, or prudently),
• Simply, Smally, Slowly,
• Steadfastly
• Sharingly,
• Sustainably.

This may be somewhat of a bitter pill for those who believe in boundless opportunities, across the Great Plains and elsewhere, for artificialization (growth of consumption and human populations).  On the other hand, there are innumerable satisfying and self-fulfilling opportunities for facilitating learning about “positively ethical applied community ecology/PEACE” across campuses of all human entities and developing steady-state human economies involving low-inputs/-throughputs; … and implementation of this process toward resilient, sustainable ecological community is desperately needed!⁹

If we consider renewable energy to be ethical transformation of energy in ecological community, we can make some broad generalizations:

1. Decisions about use of nuclear energy and dirty fossil energy (especially coal, peat, shale, tar sands, heavy & extreme oils) are basically no-brainers. They are not renewable energy!  They have too many red-flags of unintended consequences and negative externalities¹⁰.  They should be avoided!
2. “We can’t get energy for nothing; it takes energy to get energy.¹¹” Moreover, there are always unintended consequences and some negative externalities which come with actions taken to transform energy. Therefore, we must always be cautious and tentative when converting energy whether it is high-quality relatively non-renewable fossil energy, or nuclear energy, or whether it is relatively diffuse, lower-quality renewable energy.
3. Everything runs on moderate- to high-quality energy that can’t be recycled, so choose energy resources wisely.¹¹ [We are beginning to get a positive energy return on investment from transformation of what are currently considered to be renewable energies (windticity, photovoltaics), even though they are generally diffuse and relatively low- quality energies. However, the research, development, utilization, and maintenance of these “renewable” energy systems take inputs or embodied high-quality energy such as various forms of fossil energy.  …  My analyses of this situation always take me to a need for livelihoods and lifestyles which are “simple, small, and slow”.]  …  (The cartoons at the urls below illustrate embodied energy (and associated materials) needed to transform what are often considered to be examples of renewable energy.  Moreover, they also illustrate negative externalities, e.g., restriction of biotic movement (salmon traveling upstream to spawn) and input pollution and biocidal consequences from pesticides and fertilizers, etc., etc. http://www.bonusjoules.co.nz/B_J_Site/Cartoons/Chapter%205/12.0%20Renewable%20Energy/Blog%205.12%20The%20ETSing%20of%20NZ.htm https://iesinternships.wordpress.com/2016/04/29/does-renewable-mean-sustainable/ )

4. Heating and cooling using geothermal systems (ground source heat pumps, or magma heat sources), hydroelectric units, windtricity, photovoltaic systems can be relatively suitable renewable energy sources, as long is there is real net energy in the transformation … without too much fossil fuel or nuclear energy invested in them, and without too much ecological (including psychological, socio-political, and economic) destruction.
5. However, the best renewable energy process is photosynthesis in natural ecosystems as well as through appropriate applied agroecology, along with low-input human systems involving appropriate landscaping, insulation, dog-runs, and other passive solar heating (and cooling) strategies … clothes lines, and solar dryers and cookers (and more walking and bicycling). Natural photosynthetic systems, in which humans are in relative concert with Nature¹², are relatively resilient, self-sustaining/perpetual.

It is of unethical hubris to believe that humans can do better holistically, profoundly, resiliently, and sustainably than the 4+ BILLION years of evolution of photosynthesizing Nature.  We need to wean ourselves from high-input/-throughput systems which are disruptive of healthy ecological communities across the Great Plains and elsewhere, and rapidly but smoothly transition to protection of and judicious use of net primary productivity¹³ in relatively natural systems.

And this limits us to human systems which are simple, small and slow¹⁴!

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Now to somewhat reiterate:  What does “simple, small, and slow” (de facto renewable energy systems) mean for the everyday lives of Jane or John Q. Public?  Keeping families/homes small is a big and pragmatic step.  And since food is the largest or one of the largest components of our ecological footprint, raising the right kind of foodstuffs locally in an ecologically-sound way helps to take us down a moral and ethical road toward sustainability.  Finally, one of the most appropriate forms of technology is the bicycle.  It should be used extensively and regularly, and it and terrestrial-mass transport such as trains must replace cars, semi-trailer trucks, and other automobiles.  (Of course, there are many other little livelihood and lifestyle habits which can be considered and adopted on a road toward ethical/just transformation of energy or low-input/-throughput, resilient and sustainable community.¹⁵)

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1. Active volunteer and advocate for “Positively Ethical Applied Community Ecology/PEACE”; Retired, Biology-Natural Sciences, St. Philip’s College; agricultural entomologist and author of various publications/reports related to PEACE; Ogallala Commons Board member.
2. Renewable energy is, in essence, an oxymoron since “Energy cannot be created or destroyed” (the 1^st Law of Thermodynamics) and “As energy is transformed it tends toward uselessness” (the 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics).
3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/renewable_energy.htm
4. http://physicallensonthecell.org/physical-molecular-processes/free-energy-energy-available-work
5. Human populations did not reach 1 billion until 1804.
6. https://www.wou.edu/las/physci/GS361/electricity%20generation/HistoricalPerspectives.htm
7. https://ogallalacommons.org/about-us/commonwealth/
8. http://www.yalescientific.org/2013/05/eaarth-making-a-life-on-a-tough-new-planet/
9. http://www.steadystate.org/wp-content/uploads/CASSE_Brief_SSE.pdf http://prosperouswaydown.com/ https://cup.columbia.edu/book/ecological-economics-for-the-anthropocene/9780231173438
10. ”A cost … that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externality
11. Miller, Jr., G. Tyler. 1990.Resource Conservation and Management. Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, CA 546 pp.
12. This means curbing population growth and numbers of humans and domesticated species.
13. “The rate at which an ecosystem accumulates energy or biomass, excluding the energy it uses for the process of respiration. This typically corresponds to the rate of photosynthesis, minus respiration by the photosynthesizers.” https://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Net_primary_productivity
14. I propose a goal of a relatively equitable distribution of 60,000 kilocalories/capita daily for a possible stable human population of ca. 10 billion in 2050 and beyond. http://bannedbookscafe.blogspot.com/2013/09/normal-0-false-false-false.html  …  In attempting to understand–and underline–the desperate need for the Haves to cut their consumption by ca. 2/3rds and share with Have-not humans and other species, I have read through a number of the amazingly thorough energetics researcher Vaclav Smil’s papers, and have a couple of his “innumerous” books in my home.  In a chapter in Visions of Discovery. 2010 by Chiao et al., Smil highlights the need to end the “trend of increased energy use and consider its problematic social, economic, and environmental consequences” “before it compromises the habitability of the biosphere.” http://vaclavsmil.com/wp-content/uploads/docs/smil-articles-science-energy-ethics-civilization.pdf
15. http://bannedbookscafe.blogspot.com/2009/10/sustainable-community-november-9th.html  http://www.paulpeaceparables.com/2015/04/22/little-things-we-can-do-to-have-a-better-life-and-sustainable-world/