Brittle Power- PARTS 1-3 (+Notes) - Natural Capitalism Solutions

174Disasters Waiting to Happennation can no longer afford. Still less can we afford energy vulnerabilitieswhich so alter the power balance between large and small groups in society asto erode, not only our military security, but also the freedom and trust thatunderpin our Constitutional government. Least of all can we afford energytechnologies which are prone not only to fail to deliver energy in these conditions–withall that implies for the potential of catastrophic breakdown in thecomity and tolerance of our pluralistic political system–but to create by theirfailure hazards to life and liberty as great as any hazards of war.It is with this somber background that the following chapters develop,piece by piece, a message of hope. Alternatives to such vulnerability do indeedexist. By borrowing the experience of those who study the survival and stabilityof ecosystems, and those who seek to make such devices as computersand aircraft less likely to fail catastrophically, it is possible to formulate theprinciples of a design science of resilience. The rest of this book describe howthose principles can be embodied in practical, available energy technologieswhich can enhance national and individual security, save money, and help allAmericans to live better. Taken together, these inherently resilient energy systemsoffer a unique opportunity to reverse the unthinking, ominous trendtoward ever more brittle power. They offer instead the power to keep oureconomy vital, our lives rewarding, and our freedoms undimmed.