Transition Culture

It’s unfortunate that the presentations are PowerPoint – I do not knowingly support Microsoft in any way and, of course, I am not alone in that.

That’s no problem, Open Office can import them.

Apple’s Keynote will also open Sourpoint documents — albeit with some formatting issuse from time to time.

I do know about Open Source, and would love to be using it… I have friends who are big Open Source heads, Transition Culture is done in WordPress which is an Open Source application, but I never quite seem to have the time to put aside to learn how to use the Open Source applications.

I would like to, but unfortunately I was got, you see, by doing a degree with no previous history of using computers, and learnt in the college on Windows. Having learnt on it, it is now what I am familiar with.

I would definitely like to make the switch, any tips as to how one can switch to Open Source without sharing a house with a computer nerd who can help you out when you get stuck? And without taking a week off work to focus on it? Any tips appreciated. Thanks for bringing up Open Source, it is a very important aspect of all this…

Rob,
http://www.openoffice.org is highly intuitive, it is basically a clone of the micro$oft suite. For most tasks you wouldn’t notice any difference.

I would recommend making the switch after a period of critical work and play with it. (And to be on the safe side, you would be able to operate using both, until you’ve complete confidence).

You should be able to get it on CD from a magazine if a massive download is undesireable, or email me!

Limits to Growth is great in the sense of living within means. It does not, however, address the root problem with our fascination for production and growth; purpose. If we don’t, as a species, come up with a Net Creative usefulness to contribute to the future, then there is no point to solving and entertaining ourselves with science in the first place. Why go through all the trouble, burn up all the resources, if there isn’t going to be anything to show for it? Ancient civilizations built pyramids at least, so when we go extinct with all our trinkets and exercise machines, it will be in the shadow of our ancestors’ physical accomplishments. All of our computer discs and paintings will be buried and burned in 10,000 years, but the pyramids will still be there. Perhaps the ancients had all of our luxuries also, and they are just buried under the continental shelves where they lived until the ice melted.

Thanks very much for another great write-up! One question on nuclear power (for anyone reading). You say Dennis rules it out.

Could I more accurately infer from the link you give to his original talk that ” A system building 10% more plants each year gives positive net energy in the 15th year.” And this is the best we could do and still not be able to make-up the shortfall.

Here I’ve cut and pasted the 6th bullet from Dennis’slide which I’ve quoted below.

“Years for Nuclear to
Give Back Energy
• Assume 4 year construction time.
• Assume 40 year operating life.
• Assume energy payback is 10.
• One plant starts to give net energy in the 9th year.
• A system building one plant/year gives positive net energy in the 13th year.
• A system building 10% more plants each year gives positive net energy in the 15th year.
• A system building 20% more plants each year never breaks
even.”

In any case, I suppose I could always buy his book to get the full story.

The free powerpoint viewer is available from microsoft.

“Years for Nuclear to
Give Back Energy
• Assume 4 year construction time.
• Assume 40 year operating life.
• Assume energy payback is 10.
• One plant starts to give net energy in the 9th year.
• A system building one plant/year gives positive net energy in the 13th year.
• A system building 10% more plants each year gives positive net energy in the 15th year.
• A system building 20% more plants each year never breaks
even.

If I had only one pony to ride, “liimits to exponential growth” would be his/her name.