Technology vs. Jobs – A Free Agent Society

 

As I watched the Microsoft Ignite conference in Chicago, Illinois recently, I was fascinated by the new technology being presented. However it was also sobering because of future implications for the generations of my children and granddaughter’s.

One of the comments made during a presentation at Microsoft Ignite was that businesses would be able to have both employees and outside contractors sign into a business infrastructure together. This is a significant change because previously server systems and networks, because of security, tended to be closed to outside contractors or “free- agents. “It was noted that business models are changing and more and more people are going to become “outside contractors” [free agents] as opposed to employees.

This concept is discussed in Talent Management magazine (April 2015) in an article entitled “The New Free Agent Nation” by Max Mhelliah. The author notes:

“At an increasing rate, companies are collecting the names of talented freelancers who make up the ever-growing population of the workforce.”

Further he presents a historical perspective:

“In 1997, there were roughly 25 million free agents in the United States, which represented about 16 percent of the country’s workforce, according to U.S. government data. Since, that number has more than doubled to 53 million Americans, according to a 2014 study by research firm Edelman Berland.”

As was noted at the Microsoft Ignite conference, the article discusses this change in our society. The following is from Lauren Schulte, director of enterprise marketing, Elance-odesk Inc.

“For generations, our culture has valued long-term, full-time employment,” Schulte said. “There was a time when it was a point of pride to work for a single company for a lifetime. These days are behind us. The average tenure of a job in the U.S. is 4.6 years. Pensions and retirement plans are a thing of the past.”

The statistics presented in this article are telling.

“Tenure times, while decreasing, vary depending on age. Median employee tenure is generally higher among older workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median tenure of workers aged 55 to 64 is about 10 1/2 [ten and one-half] years – more than three times that of workers aged 25 to 34 years, who tend to stick around for an average of three years.

Those born between 1980 and 2000, the Millennials, is predicted to make up more than half the workforce by 2020 according to the article. They took their first job, “when the job market was at a notable low”.

Generation Y is the generation born between 1982 and 2004 (http://www.ask.com/world-view/generation-y-age-range-4974e5c1fa43793d). The article notes:

“Given Generation Y’s desire for flexibility at work, it’s easy to imagine a workforce increasingly made up of freelancers. Elance-odesk predicts the workforce could be half freelance by 2020.”

Another article entitled Robots increase manufacturing productivity by Andrew Wilson, Vision Systems Design Magazine, [April 2015] shows the way robotics are advancing.

“Robotic systems are now commonplace in many automated manufacturing processes. In the automotive industry, for example, such systems are used for the assembly of engines, transmissions and axles, as well as car body painting and welding.”

”When deployed, these systems both relieve human operators of such hazardous, highly repetitive and manually taxing tasks while increasing the productivity of manufacturing production lines.”

“Traditionally, such robotic-based systems have been separated form human workers by safety guards to prevent injuries caused by fast-moving robotic operations.”

However, that is changing rapidly.

“… manufacturers are now introducing a new generation of robots that employ torque sensors and vision systems to allow such robotic systems to work more closely with human beings. By combining the cognitive abilities of human operators and the potential of robotic automation, these so-called force-limited robots sometimes incorrectly called collaborative robots (or cobots) will thus increase the productivity of automated manufacturing processes.”

Just like in the computer industry, manufacturing is becoming increasingly automated. People with be called in when they have a specific skill or talent needed for the job at hand. There will be less and less people needed on a full time basis to operate our high tech, as well as, our basic industries.

Another article entitled It’s Time to Investigate the H-1B Mess by William NG, Design News Magazine [May, 2015] notes:

“Clearly some companies are gaming the system. The recent Southern California Edison case, in which 500 employees lost their jobs to overseas workers and foreigners holding H-1B visas, served as a clear example of that. According to Senate testimony of Ronil Hira, a public policy professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, the offshore outsourcing firms that hired the California Edison employees paid them about 40% less than the American workers they replaced.”

Clearly this is another way to cut costs, but to what end? If the majority of our global businesses are able to use “free-agents,” either to cut costs or due to increases in technology and robotics, then what? Where are the customers who are able to afford the goods and services made by these more productive, and more efficient, leaner corporations?

So why aren’t we as a nation talking about this transformation? While I enjoy technology and am certainly not a “Luddite,” I decry the fact that both our national leaders and our global leaders continue to talk and develop policy as if we were still in the mid-1800s industrial revolution. They pass legislation based on the 1950s model of General Motors and subsidize mega-international corporations with federal (government) dollars just to create the illusion of normalcy, wealth and economic growth.

As I have noted in several recent blogs, our leaders both globally and in the United States (both the “R’s” and “D’s” as I term them) are either clueless about the issues or don’t care about maintaining anything but their own lifestyle and portfolio. In my opinion, they are too smart/educated to be clueless. Which leads me to believe, that with the exception of a very few, they (the elite) will do and say anything which will serve to protect, preserve and enhance their lifestyle and position.

On this Memorial Day [May 25, 2015] in the United States, we honor the men and women who have served and those who paid the ultimate price for “our freedom.” However, I know that what we have today is not the country my Dad and Granddad envisioned when they served.

To me, true leadership is being of service to those subordinate to you. This clearly is not a definition the majority of political/business leaders either in the United States or globally adhere to. Sadly, these leaders, which typically are part of the top 1% (elites) in wealth and resources, apparently don’t realize that the stronger the global “middle class” the more secure their leadership position. It seems, at least in the United States, we have one party, “the Party of Me.”

If this is not so, where are the substantive discussions of the impact of technology on jobs and a vision of an increasingly automated global society? Why are our leaders not discussing how our global economy needs to change to incorporate this new technology in the form of computers, medical technology, transportation design and robotics, while creating a sustainable lifestyle for the general population? Clearly, we cannot even discuss global climate on a rational basis without introducing generalities and political platitudes.

How do we continue to develop and maintain a high standard of living as more and more people are replaced by robotics or become “free-lance” workers? What does this mean to our increasingly expensive health care and insurance systems? How do people enjoy the “fruits” of this increased productivity when they have no way to “earn a living” because they don’t fit into the select few job skills which are in demand?

Technology has tremendous promise in many fields such as medicine, computers, agriculture, manufacturing and transportation. Some of this promise can be seen in recent space missions. One of the first of these missions is presented in my downloadable EPub entitled EROS Adventure, Journey to an Asteroid. The 300 plus high resolution photographs included in this publication are stunning to say the least. It is a tribute to the beginning of our advancing technology.

Our lives will be revolutionized, on one hand. However, the downside may be dire as well. How will we cope with the transformation from a human driven society to a machine driven [automated] society? If the majority of our goods and services are produced or performed by robots and automation, how will we respond? What will that model look like? As noted previously, where does the money come from for most of the population to buy these new goods and services, as well as the more common day items such as food, clothing, electricity and housing? In a word, how do we feed and provide for our families under these conditions?

I talk about this issue in my EPub entitled World Collapse or New Eden, which follows over 100 predictions made in the 2008-2011 time-frame through 2015. It makes a fascinating read with many links to the topics presented. A number of the predictions are relevant to this technology verses jobs discussion.

For the sake of the next generation, that of my son and daughter, and the next generation after them, that of my granddaughters, we need to be educating ourselves and really discussing these issues. We need to demand that our leaders discuss these issues in a meaningful way. To go into a major election (in the U.S.) with candidates named Hilary, Jeb, Christy, Cruz, Huckabee, Perry, Santorum, Walker and others talking about “lost emails” or “where and who to go to war with next” is utter stupidity and a total distraction. One of the only candidates in the presidential field discussing a significantly different agenda is Rand Paul, and I suspect he will be marginalized as his father was.

Should we continue down this path and allow our “leaders” and “future leaders” to continue this deception with the aid of the corporate owned (elite) mainstream media, then we deserve what we get. However, our children and grandchildren do not deserve the future we are handing to them.

Sincerely,

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
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Do You Have a Sustainable Water Supply?

 

Do you have a sustainable water supply? What is it and how do you know?

In a recent article entitled Developing a Sustainable Water Supply for the Customers of Lookout Mountain Water District, I noted several concepts about sustainable water supplies which are applicable to water systems around the world. These ideas give a sense of the complexity of the question about how sustainable your water supply is. Before we can look at the sustainability of your water supply, we need some background about drought and water in general.

Many areas of the world are subject to drought, and nowhere is immune. One of the driest locations in the world is Antarctica, which is counter intuitive because of the snow and ice. Large areas of the Middle East, northern Africa and the Western United States are also drought prone. There are an increasing number of articles about fresh water supply and drought around the world. Northern and central Africa is especially hard hit by the lack of fresh water supplies, particularly if you include wastewater sanitation.

The current drought in the western United States and California is of concern because of the severity and length. The current California drought, which is into its fourth year, is definitely emphasizing the validity of recent drought studies.

In reference to the Western United States, a February 2015 paper entitled Unprecedented 21st century drought risk in the American Southwest and Central Plains by Benjamin I. Cook,1,2* Toby R. Ault,3 Jason E. Smerdon2, in Climatology Journal discusses historic droughts in North America.

“In the Southwest and Central Plains of Western North America, climate change is expected to increase drought severity in the coming decades. These regions nevertheless experienced extended Medieval-era droughts that were more persistent than any historical event, providing crucial targets in the paleoclimate record for benchmarking the severity of future drought risks. We use an empirical drought reconstruction and three soil moisture metrics from 17 state-of-the-art general circulation models to show that these models project significantly drier conditions in the later half of the 21st century compared to the 20th century and earlier paleoclimatic intervals.

This desiccation is consistent across most of the models and moisture balance variables, indicating a coherent and robust drying response to warming despite the diversity of models and metrics analyzed. Notably, future drought risk will likely exceed even the driest centuries of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (1100–1300 CE) in both moderate (RCP 4.5) and high (RCP 8.5) future emissions scenarios, leading to unprecedented drought conditions during the last millennium.”

Tree ring studies (dendrochronology), ice cores and paleo climatic studies are tools which provide a glimpse of past climates. Current data points to the fact that the above findings are typical of droughts in the entire western United States. The typical drought in the western United States during the 20^th century has been relatively short, which corresponds with the rapid increase in human population and infrastructure development during that period of time.

“Dendrochronology (from δένδρον, dendron, "tree limb"; χρόνος, khronos, "time"; and -λογία, -logia) or tree-ring dating, is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree rings, also known as growth rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrochronology

Just like in the rest of the western United States, there have been numerous droughts of varying severity in Colorado along the Front Range (an area east of the Rocky Mountains which includes Fort Collins to the north, through Denver, down to Pueblo to the south). This has been and continues to be the center of population in the state.

The following paper by Thomas B. McKee, Nolan J. Doesken, and John Kleist, entitled A History of Drought in Colorado, Lessons Learned and What Lies Ahead, February, 2000 gives a good overview on historical drought in our state – (Source: http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/pdfs/ahistoryofdrought.pdf).

The following table shows Dry and Wet Periods for Colorado from the Fraction of Observing Sites – Precipitation for 24 month SPI

Date	Dry	Duration	Date	Wet	Duration
1893-1905	X	12 years	1905-1931	X	26 years
1931-1941	X	10 years	1941-1951	X	10 years
1951-1957	X	6 years	1957-1959	X	2 years
1963-1965	X	2 years	1965-1975	X	10 years
1975-1987	X	3 years	1979-1996	X	17 years

It should be noted that this paper also states that:

“The most common droughts are short duration (6 months or less). They may be quite localized (especially during the growing season) or more widespread (especially during the fall, winter, and early spring). Depending on where and when they occur, they may have little or no impact on our lives. More widespread droughts do not necessarily have a tendency to become more long lasting.”

“Multi-year droughts occur infrequently.

Precipitation time series for weather stations across Colorado show that periods of two or more consecutive years with much below average precipitation (less than 80% of average) have occurred a few times during the 20th Century at most Colorado stations. Below average precipitation lasting three years in a row, however, is quite rare. Many locations have never had three consecutive very dry years, particularly over the northern half of Colorado. The only examples of four or more consecutive years with less than 80% of the long term average falling each year were found over southwestern Colorado near the turn of the last century (1899-1902), in southeastern Colorado during the dustbowl years (1933-1937), and over isolated areas of eastern Colorado 1952-1956. Based on SPI analyses, four droughts with a duration of at least four years (48 months) have occurred during the past century ….”

For most of the period between 1945 and the present, the “mini-droughts” tend to be short term. Because the major population increase and infrastructure development took place during this period, water suppliers prepared for what the historical water records and stream data depicted, which were these short term droughts. However, new data such as the information presented in the referenced paper show longer term droughts do occur.

As population increases in a region, pressure on the existing water supply goes up, often dramatically. It has been only recently that hard data regarding drought has been available due to the dramatic increase in computing and environmental sensing technology. Still, in reviewing articles and papers regarding drought which I have in my archive from the late 1960s, I note that experts have been warning about longer term droughts throughout that period. They warned, without having specific data, that water suppliers in Colorado (a drought prone state) should be prepared for longer droughts. Taking this a step further, I believe water suppliers worldwide should be required to think of drought as a district possibility and plan for it, especially with the emerging climate change data.

Not preparing for long term drought and maximizing existing water resources is, in my opinion, like living along the coast of California and not preparing for an earthquake, or living along the Gulf of Mexico coast and not preparing for a hurricane. No reasonable person would do such a thing. Even though most of California’s population has never been through a major quake, all the data suggests there have been major quakes in the past.

Speaking of California, look at the current drought they are having and project it on the water supplies of most of the cities and towns across the western United States. Clearly, a four year drought (so far) is very possible in the western United States. How would these water suppliers cope with a four year (and counting drought)?

Historically, due to the lack of human and financial resources, many smaller water suppliers had no choice but to concentrate on the “urgency of supplying water on a daily basis”. Just building a water supply infrastructure in arid regions is a major undertaking. Often, water needed to be stored in reservoirs and piped long distances for distribution to customers. As in the case of our small district, the original system was built over 100 years ago, by others, and was not maintained adequately during the period before it was taken over by our district. This is typical of many areas of our country and the world, where water and wastewater infrastructure is the last to be adequately maintained because of our “out of sight, out of mind mentality.”

It was only the drought of 2002 in Colorado which changed the focus of our small district, as well as that of most other water providers in the State to a large degree. Our district, as well as, suppliers across the entire state were required to take a longer term view of developing a sustainable water supply which went much beyond just the “day to day” physical supply and treatment of potable water. This included in depth water right regulation and administration, physical water metering and monitoring, and short term water storage administration. The State of Colorado also got much more involved in the regulatory process, via the State Engineer’s office. The Colorado State Engineer has the responsibility of managing and regulating the state’s complex code of water rights and decrees, as well as, water structures such as dams, pipelines and irrigation ditches. Other western states have similar regulatory agencies.

During the initial stages of a drought, the “ordinary” water consumer tends to think of the drought as a “nuisance” during which their lawn turns brown and they can’t wash their cars. However, water providers regard them as a major challenge. This is the reason large amounts of money (millions of dollars) are spent annually on water resource development and planning in Colorado and the western United States.

From the above referenced study, multi-year droughts are deemed as the worst scenario.

“Our study of past droughts has shown that the worst droughts are multi-year droughts. Vegetation dries up, soils blow, stored water reserves are gradually depleted, and wells go dry. What begins as a minor inconvenience can, for many people, end in the loss of revenues, property, and livelihoods.”

As water suppliers in California are discovering, not planning for a multi-year drought creates a situation where residents living in the state may end up with no water to drink. Industry and agriculture are suffering as well. Ground water from wells is being drawn out at a frantic pace, which traditionally has been the source of “last resort” and the “long term water bank. What happens when it is no longer available?

History shows that many water suppliers may be hard pressed to adequately guarantee a sustainable water supply for consecutive dry years with current water resources. There is no guarantee of the length of a drought. Only so much water can be stored, and mega projects like Lake Powell, and Lake Mead constructed in the 1930s by the Federal Government can run into problems if the drought is long enough.

One May 17, 2015 article, entitled America’s second largest reservoir – Lake Powell – is disappearing:

“As water levels plummet to 45% in America’s second-largest reservoir, new islands appear – and fears grow for a waterway that serves 40 million people.”

The immediate cause is the longest drought in a century.

“This 15-year drought that we’re in is the worst drought in the last 100 years,” said Davis. “But we also have tree-ring studies going back to the year 1075 and this is the fourth-worst drought since 1075. So the drought and weather cycles have a natural variability to them but we’ve got data on warmer temperatures and climate change making a difference” Source - http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/americas-second-largest-reservoir-lake-powell-is-disappearing/

Yet, even if water supplies can be “stretched” to provide for residential use, what about industrial and agricultural use? How long will people stay in an area where there are no jobs, i.e. where the economy is non-existent? What happens when industry is forced to move to regions where they can operate? What happens when an area such as the Imperial Valley in California, which produces more than 60% of the United States’ winter time vegetables, can no longer irrigate crops?

These questions may be answered if the current drought in California continues for a few more years. But, what happens if the current California drought expands to include much of the western United States? As noted above with regard to Lake Powell, there is not a water supply system in the western United States that has been designed to withstand a 30 to 60 year drought, especially at current population levels.

Droughts also have a public safety aspect. Without an adequate water supply, fire protection for both residential use and wildfire mitigation is limited to non-existent. In longer term droughts, animals and humans can die due to lack of water. There is also the increased risk of water borne diseases as water supplies dwindle and become increasingly contaminated.

So is there a solution to making areas prone to drought, drought-proof? Why can’t water be “taken” from areas of “plenty” and delivered to areas of drought? After all, floods occur periodically throughout the eastern United States and along the Mississippi River, so these should be areas of “plenty.”

Getting water from areas of “plenty” is not necessarily as easy a solution for arid and drought prone regions as it might seem. There are several reasons for this, which are not completely intuitive.

A good example is the Great Lakes. These lakes hold an estimated 21% of the fresh water in the world (source www.epa.gov/glnpo/basicinfo.html). They should be able to supply much needed water to the western United States via pumping and pipeline, right?

This sounds like a simple technical solution, because we transport oil through pipelines around the world. It is certainly possible to do with fresh water. However, there are more complex issues behind the scenes.

The Great Lakes, however, have two major issues which prevent them from supplying water to drought prone areas. They both involve the way the Lakes are used. The first is that the Great Lakes are a major source of water for drinking, industry, shipping and agriculture for eight states and two countries. Because of the shipping potential of the Great Lakes, the area surrounding the Lakes is a major industrial hub in both the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes are connected to the St. Lawrence River, Erie Canal and Atlantic Ocean. This is a shipping and industrial corridor for the Northeastern United States, as noted on the following website:

“There are 15 major international ports and some 50 smaller, regional ports on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.” – Source http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/business/ship/ship_4.html

A large percentage of the population of the United States and Canada rely on these lakes for drinking water, jobs, recreation and food.

The second issue is the diversion from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

“The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, historically known as the Chicago Drainage Canal, is the only shipping link between the Great Lakes Waterway (specifically Lake Michigan by way of either the Chicago River or the Calumet-Saganashkee (Cal-Sag) Channel) and the Mississippi River system, by way of the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers.

The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is 28 miles (45 kilometers) long, 202 feet (62 m) wide, and 24 feet (7.3 m) deep. Prior to its construction, the shallower and narrower Illinois and Michigan Canal (1848) connected the same waterways for navigable shipping over the Chicago Portage.

Today, diversions from the Great Lakes system are regulated by an international treaty with Canada[citation needed], through the International Joint Commission, and by governors of the Great Lakes states.” Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Sanitary_and_Ship_Canal

There have been suggestions about increasing diversion of water from the Great Lakes into the Mississippi headwaters to aid shipping down the Mississippi. But this issue is contentious. The Great Lakes Treaty passed in 2009 has strict controls on how much water the Great Lakes can supply to the Mississippi River flows. Some of the legal arguments are as follows:

“On December 21, 2009, Michigan State Attorney General Mike Cox filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking the immediate closure of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan. The state of Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which constructed the Canal, are co-defendants in the lawsuit.^[19]

In response to the Michigan lawsuit, on January 5, 2010, Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a counter-suit with the U.S. Supreme Court requesting that it reject Michigan’s claims. Siding with the State of Illinois, both the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and The American Waterways Operators have filed affidavits, arguing that closing the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal would upset the movement of millions of tons of vital shipments of iron ore, coal, grain and other cargo, totaling more than $1.5 billion a year, and contribute to the loss of hundreds, perhaps thousands of jobs.^[20] However, Michigan along with several other Great Lakes states argue that the sport and commercial fishery and tourism associated with the fishery of the entire Great Lakes region is estimated at $7 billion a year, and impacts the economies of all Great Lakes states and Canada.” Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Sanitary_and_Ship_Canal

This treaty, entitled Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact of 2008, was passed in part to stop various plans to export Great Lakes water to Utah, California or other drought prone areas via pipeline. There was even a proposal to pump Great Lakes water to Vancouver, Canada via pipeline and put it on transport ships for delivery to rivers in China.

“The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact is a legally binding interstate compact among the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The compact details how the states manage the use of the Great Lakes Basin's water supply and builds on the 1985 Great Lakes Charter and its 2001 Annex. The compact is the means by which the states implement the governors' commitments under the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement that also includes the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec.” - Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Compact

While not an inter-state or international concern, the small water district I have been working with discovered this lack of intra-state water cooperation first hand. Many people do not understand that during a drought, water rights owners/suppliers do not want to and in many cases will not sell water to other entities, especially on an intra-state basis. Simply put, there is no guarantee that the drought won’t spread. During the 2012, the basin which supplied water to our small district was in severe drought while basins to the north had normal to above average river flows. Our small district did get some much needed relief from other, larger water suppliers but it was on a very short term basis, which did not impact the water supplies of the larger entities in any way.

There can be some intra-state cooperation during drought, water suppliers tend to be very cautious once a drought seems to be looming. As a result of past droughts, many water suppliers, states and countries are changing the way water is regulated. What may have worked, have been appropriate and legal before the drought might now be not possible or illegal.

But there is an additional issue that goes beyond drought and beyond the immediate urgency of the daily water, even beyond the issue of drought. That is increasing global population.

For example, in my home state of Colorado, the city of Golden and all of the other water suppliers along the Front Range, including Denver, realize that drought is not the only threat to existing water supplies. Increasing population is also a major issue with water suppliers from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. If projections are correct, the population in the Front Range, according to the Denver Water Board, is estimated to increase by 50% (to over 5 million) by 2025. In addition, populations are projected to double on the western slope as well, which is currently the main source of water for the Front Range.

Even without the threat of drought, the projected population increase makes it imperative that water suppliers continue to develop their water resources and continue to improve its physical and legal supply of water. Clearly, more people using the same amount of water around the world, especially in drought prone areas, can’t benefit limited water supplies.

A November 9, 2004 article in the Rocky Mountain News makes this very real. Entitled “West warned of longer drought.” The following is noted.

“The governors’ association is pushing for adoption of the National Drought Preparedness Act, which failed to make it through Congress in 2002 and last year. The bill would name a lead federal agency for drought response. It would create and advanced system of national drought monitoring and forecasting.”

The above is noteworthy because it shows that even during an emergency drought situation our elected leaders, also known as the “R”s and “D”s, are unwilling to do what they were elected to do – lead. You can debate the usefulness of a bill such as the National Drought Preparedness Act, or even, if it is the best solution, however, you can’t debate that fact that our leaders do very little more than draw huge income streams from the public trough in return for headline making, public discussions about very trivial issues (for the most part). When is the last time you remember issues of energy or water being discussed in a meaningful way on a national level by any of our national elected “R”s or “D”s?

So how do you know if you have a sustainable water supply? This is a challenging question. As you probably know, water issues in arid and drought prone areas are intertwined and complex. Often, water suppliers, particularity the larger ones, are not very transparent, in my opinion. There are many conflicting issues within these entities, many of which center around money and power. Smaller water supply entities are closer to their constituencies but still the issues can be clouded.

For example, according to an October 2009 article in WaterWorld entitled “Repositioning the Water Industry for the Water-Energy Nexus,” a Brookhaven National Laboratory study notes the following.

“…the typical US household expends – 100 gallons/person/day of water for household use, however, requires 465 gallons of water for energy production and 510 gallons for food consumed (irrigation/livestock).”

According to the article, Sandia National Laboratory, on its website in 2009, succinctly stated:

“These two critical resources [water and energy] are inextricably and reciprocally linked; the production of energy requires large volumes of water while the treatment and distribution of water is equally dependent upon readily available low-cost energy. The nation’s ability to continue providing both clean, affordable energy and water is being seriously challenged by a number of emerging issues.”

While moving water from areas of “plenty” to areas of drought may not be a long term solution, one possible solution may be pumping and piping desalinated water from the oceans to drought prone areas. Over 90% of the water used by Saudi Arabia is desalinated. While there are significant technical and economic issues, I believe that future generations will find it necessary to pay the price of creating, pumping and piping this very expensive water to areas where water is scarce. This will impact both coastal areas, because of the desalination plants, and pumping stations, as well as, the routes along the pipelines.

Education about water issues, even in non-drought prone areas, is critical to our future on this planet. Without this education, most of our population, follows and parrots what the “mainstream media” preaches. A good example is the fracking debate.

The amount of water used in the fracking process is staggering. It typically ranges from 1 to 5 millions gallons per well.

“Recently, however, a small number of deep, directionally-drilled, high-volume, hydraulically fractured wells have been completed in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Those wells sometimes use several million gallons of water, and one Michigan well required more than 20 million gallons.” Source – Industrial WaterWorld, Sept/Oct 2013.

As a geologist, I am not against fracking. However, I am concerned that many millions of gallons of fresh water is being used and then injected back into the earth. Some is injected into drinking water aquifers which is clearly not helping maintain a sustainable fresh water supply.

However, much of the contaminated fracking water is injected into wells several thousands of feet deep. While that water probably does not impact the near surface freshwater supplies, it is removed from the hydrologic cycle, at least, in the immediate region. It is no longer available to immediate downstream users, which is normally the case. The story of fresh water use by humans is that it has normally remained in the hydrologic cycle. I believe that “short-term” profits have over-ridden the long term view in the case of fracking.

Clearly, I did not answer the question about a sustainable water supply. As global populations rise, the strain on existing fresh water supplies will increase dramatically. That is a given. Water suppliers in larger metropolitan areas may have larger budgets and more resources, but their systems are not necessarily any more sustainable than that of the small water district I am working with. A good example of this is the City of Las Vegas, which derives much of its long term supply from Lake Powell. The best answer regarding whether your water supply is sustainable, especially in drought prone areas, is educating yourself and becoming informed about issues and challenges.

I have numerous copies of articles from the past 20 years regarding global and regional water issues. Many of them are testimony to this lack of leadership on the national, state and local level. My book (now an EPub) entitled Understanding Water Rights and Conflicts, Second Edition, published by BurgYoung Publishing, references a significant number of articles such as those above in an attempt to make water an issue which can be understood by “non-technical” readers.

I recommend that water consumers and residents interface with their water suppliers, to learn about, discuss and clarify water challenges and issues. As you now realize, water is one of our most complex and precious resources, especially in drought prone areas, and probably one of the least understood by consumers. This makes public awareness an especially critical issue. The old adage about “if it is flowing from the tap, everything is OK” is clearly not sustainable in these times. The more aware the consumers, the more accountable the water suppliers, whether large metropolitan systems such as Denver or very small water districts like Lookout Mountain.

Sincerely:

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self-publishing services
Facebook: HCourtYoung
Phone: 303-726-8320
Email: tmcco@msn.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hcourtyoung
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung
Blog: http://hcourtyoung.blogspot.com

Tribute to My Newest Grand Daughter

 

As I was anticipating writing this blog, along came my newest Grand Daughter – Machalie Xuan Doan - born on April 29, 2015. I wanted to pay tribute to her and all the others born in the year 2015.

I find things on the internet which bode very well for their future which may well extend to the year 2090 or even 2100. As a side note, living to the 22^nd century in itself is hardly conceivable to me. Of course, born in 1949 as I was, I marveled at the turning of the century in the year 2000. However, I am following numerous other topics on the internet which I find disturbing for these new arrivals.

In my most recent blog which was a tribute to my Mother, I marveled that she and her parents had lives that spanned from 1895 to 2010. The things that those two generations witnessed were truly amazing. My Grand Dad’s family had one of the first cars in their hometown. They saw the advent of airplane travel around the globe and a man landing on the Moon. Probably the most amazing of technologies for those generations was the advent and wide use of the computer and in Mom’s case, the internet.

So today, we have not only what was once termed the “PC” or “personal computer”, but “smart phones.” We have more than a billion people connected to each other via the “world wide web.” Smart phones can do more today than the entire NASA system used to launch both the Apollo Moon mission which landed men on the moon, as well as the EROS mission in 2001, detailed in my EPub, EROS Adventure, Journey to an Asteroid. Yet despite the limited technology the photos from the EROS mission, 300 plus of which are in the book, are intriguing as well as spectacular.

How will these new arrivals use this new technology? Where will it take them? I have an example which might shed some light on this question both positively and negatively.

My family installed solar panels on our house as part of the program of “net metering” used by Xcel Energy to encourage solar development. This legislation, passed by Colorado, also had a solar rebate built into the model, so we received a certain amount back from Xcel for the installation of the panels (which were not cheap). We paid the upfront cost and received the rebate several months later, which was not close to the completed system cost. We also entered into a contract to sell excess electricity back to Xcel, over and above what we used.

There is a growing argument about this “net metering” concept. The utilities argue that it cuts into the amount being paid to them, which is true. They argue that they can’t reliably maintain the grid infrastructure with a decreasing revenue stream. It is true that the nation’s electrical grid is basically in shambles because of lack of maintenance over the last 30 years. In my opinion, utilities have been and continue to be unwilling to look at the long term and spend the money necessary to do what is required, or look at any other business models.

The following presents the scope of the issue. Clearly, homeowners and businesses are looking for ways to reduce their energy costs.

“Between 2011 and 2012, the number of newly installed solar NEM systems increased from 61,400 to 89,620 -- a 46 percent annual growth rate -- bringing the cumulative total to 302,380 NEM systems,” the SEPA study reported. “By year end 2012, U.S. solar generation under net metering totaled more than 3,500 megawatts-AC. It is striking to consider that in 2005, when EPACT passed, total grid-connected solar capacity nationwide was only about 200 megawatts-AC.” Source: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/The-Solar-Industry-Responds-to-Utility-Attacks-on-Net-Metering

Yet, utilities fighting this “net metering” legislation is, as far as I am concerned, exactly the problem. I invested my private capital to provide them generating capacity which they did not have. Yes it was a small amount, but our system does feed electricity into the grid, as do many thousands of other “roof top” and “ground mounted” solar systems around the county and world. Many people, especially the republicans (“R”) call this a “subsidy” and argue against the utilities having to give it. They say solar can’t compete financially, but generally don’t define their terms nor really understand the concepts behind what they are discussing.

This is the reality behind the “subsidy” which I received. The money I received back in the form of a rebate was essentially the difference between them paying me for electricity at the rates they were charging retail, and their wholesale rates for generation, which are much less than ½ the current retail. If I had not gotten the rebate, I would have been selling the electricity I produced back to them at the same rate they were charging me. This was a huge win for them because they received my generating capacity for an anticipated 25 to 50 years of operation at a rate which was their wholesale generating cost when we installed the system

The only difference between me buying a bond from the utility company (i.e. loaning them money in return for interest) and placing solar panels on my roof is that by adding the panels to my roof, I am actually producing something which the utility can’t control. By that I mean, if I lent them money by buying a bond, they could add generation capacity to their system or use it to pay the CEO a bonus. The first would be beneficial to the consumers and ratepayers, the latter would not (in my opinion). I took that choice away from the utility and looked into the future at which would be most beneficial to both myself and our society as a whole. Financially, I would have been much better off if I had put the same money into a bond, but felt compelled to take a longer term view with regard to the “return on investment.”

Yet the people we elect, with an “R” (republican) or “D” (democrat), behind their names are typically in favor of the first option, giving them money and having them decide what they want to do with it. This is all done in the name of “employment,” with is in reality in the name of votes.

Clearly, legislators want the “mega-corporations (utilities)” to be able to dictate their own policies and have the choice which I took away from them (albeit in a very small way). How many of these mega-corporations have you heard of lately that pay top management (CEOs) huge bonuses while the firms themselves are struggling to survive? They pass legislation in favor the utilities, which might be fine if the utilities had the public interest in mind. You can see the same policies with the energy companies (Exon, Mobile, Chevron, etc.), utilities (Xcel, Duke Energy, etc.) and the information companies (such as Verizon, Sprint and AT&T).

“In the past, according to the EEI study, regulators managed rates to protect utilities. With the proliferation of distributed solar, it predicted, there will be pressure from utilities “to undo these cross subsidies.”” – Source: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/The-Solar-Industry-Responds-to-Utility-Attacks-on-Net-Metering

Getting back to my new granddaughter, Machalie and some of the very positive things I see for her generation going forward. As noted previously, computers, energy technology, medical advances, revolutionary transportation development and robotics all bode well for them. Indications are that these advances in technology will continue at a ever increasing pace through her lifetime.

For example, recently, Elon Musk, CEO and invertor of Tesla Motors announced that he developed a new concept and business model.

“Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the Tesla Powerwall unit in an event late Thursday in California that was live streamed online.” – Source: http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/05/01/tesla-motors-powerwall-home-battery-pack/26685443/

The Powerwall is described as follows on the Tesla website.

“Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.

Powerwall comes in 10 kWh weekly cycle and 7 kWh daily cycle models. Both are guaranteed for ten years and are sufficient to power most homes during peak evening hours. Multiple batteries may be installed together for homes with greater energy need, up to 90 kWh total for the 10 kWh battery and 63 kWh total for the 7 kWh battery.” – Source: http://www.teslamotors.com/powerwall

While not new, this battery storage concept will probably catch on in a big way. People are looking at ways to save money over the long term. This will have the impact of adding capacity to the grid while taking the control away from the utilities. As I noted previously, the utilities and legislators are pushing back. They are trying to take away any financial incentive including tax incentives and federal credits in order to preserve the “status quo.”

I note some of the changes and trends which are occurring due to innovators and entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, and Elon Musk in my EPub entitled World Collapse or New Eden, 2015 Edition. This digital publication takes 101 predictions made in the time period of 2008 to 2011 and follows them forward into 2015. It is an intriguing, thought provoking read, applicable to these times. These are the ideas and people which have changed and will continue to change the world for Machalie.

It seems the only way to change the direction from the existing “status quo” is to completely “overhaul” the global power structure. I propose starting in Washington DC. I don’t believe that just getting all of the current legislators (Congress) out of office is the solution. In my opinion, I think something as radical as not letting anybody over the age of 50 vote or run for office might tip the power structure enough to make some changes. This could effectively transfer power to the young generation and remove my generation from power. After all we are the cause of the problem, by keeping people such as Jeb, Hillary, Rubio, Christie, O’Malley and Walker in the limelight. In my opinion the only possible change from the existing elitist system will come from the likes of Rand Paul.

With all the promise that Machalie and her generation have in front of them, they need the chance to move beyond the “status quo” power and financial structure created by my generation. This transfer of power, from my perspective, is critical to allow them to achieve their goals and aspirations as they grow up. They can’t use the current 20^th century model in the 21^st and coming 22^nd centuries. Remember the generation coming up as you enter this 2016 election cycle.

As I celebrate the birth of Machalie, I wish both my granddaughters, Machalie and Imani much love and success in all that they undertake.

Sincerely,

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self-publishing services
Facebook: HCourtYoung
Phone: 303-726-8320
Email: tmcco@msn.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hcourtyoung
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung
Blog: http://hcourtyoung.blogspot.com

A Tribute to My Mother and her Generation of Small Business

 

In memory of my Mother’s birthday which was in April, I am presenting a tribute to her generation and the small businesses which made America the global power it is. I remember the small town in southern Illinois which she was born and grew up. The photograph is of her parent’s family business which started as a small garage and grew into a local hotel located on the main street of this southern Illinois town.

During her lifetime and her parent’s lifetime, which spanned the entirety of the 20^th century, the world changed exponentially. At the turn of the century between 1899 and 1900, the mode of transportation was the horse. Large loads and multitudes of people were transported via rail. In fact, I remember one story which my grandmother told about arriving in San Francisco via train with her mother one day before the 1909 earthquake.

By the time my mother was born, cars were the main mode of transportation, but rail was still very prominent. Her family had one of the first automobiles in this small Illinois town. She would describe trips taken across the United States via automobile. They had quite an impact on her. The entire family would travel together, including my grandfather’s parents. One trip, when she was seven years old, was to Colorado (where she ended up living for most of her life). They went to the top of Pike’s Peak near Colorado Springs. Another family trip was to New York City.

Her family and millions of others like it worked in or owned small businesses in small towns across America. Many more were farmers and ranchers on small acreages producing the food and livestock to feed an expanding population. Because this area of southern Illinois had an abundance of oil and natural gas, coupled with a lot of agriculture, the great depression of the 1930’s was not as severe as it was in other parts of the country. Businesses bartered with each other, much as they had done prior to the depression. They traded goods and services to the benefit of the community and its members. By today’s standards, they lived a relatively modest life style, but they seemed much happier and contented than today’s first world societies.

World War II changed society in the United States. Many of the men went off to foreign lands to fight, while the women took jobs previously reserved for men. “Rosie the Riveter” was the name used for the women who took these factory and shipyard construction jobs, building the material to wage war.

When Dad came home from the Pacific Theater, he and Mom moved to Colorado. Dad started mining for silver, lead, zinc and uranium in the central Colorado Rocky Mountains. Many of the men who had been off to war, came home and started businesses, or went to college on the G.I. Bill. Often, they were the first in their families to be able to do so, thanks to the financial help from the government. This help enabled a generation of men and women to become engineers, doctors, lawyers and accountants. They applied what they learned and with a lot of hard work and dedication, built a nation, the likes of which the world had never seen.

This economy was still fueled economically primarily by small business and family owned farms. However, as money flowed, standards of living rose and profits made small businesses and farms larger. Large companies began to dominate the American and global economy. Things began to change. Because our society was more mobile, children began to leave the small towns of their parents and move to the large cities. Family ties were being broken by an increasingly mobile expanding society.

One of the first trips I remember taking on an airplane was to Hawaii. It was in 1962 and the trip was amazing. Mom, Dad and I felt extremely “pampered” by today’s standards. Air travel gradually became the “norm” and it morphed into the “dollar-hungry” ordeal of today.

As my generation came of age, many of us went to college, as our parents had done. However, the rise of the military – industrial complex (MIC), which President Eisenhower warned us about, was becoming increasingly dominant. Wars, such as Vietnam which was one of the first, became “profit centers” for these large corporations and their huge government contracts. As the money flowed into the mega-defense/government contracting corporations, they bought lobbyists, politicians and other “influence” peddlers to slant legislation in their favor. The political influence and impact of small business (as well as that of the individual) declined rapidly.

Throughout my youth, technology was advancing at a rapid pace. Computers, developed during WWII, were becoming part of everyday life. Companies such as Microsoft and Apple were started by the same entrepreneurial spirit and quest for knowledge shown by the generation of my Mother. This technological revolution is still one of the bright spots in our world today, in my opinion.

That being said, where will it take us? For example, there are an increasing number of articles and blogs concerning the development and use of robotics. As the use of robotics increases, what will happen to the workers who previously filled those positions? What is our educational system doing to offset the impact of this new technology? Are the young people of today going to be able to find meaningful employment? If not, what skills do they need to learn to be competitive?

Why aren’t our “leaders’, both in government and the private sector having this discussion publically in a meaningful way? As the United States enters into yet another “election cycle” why are we hearing about “lost emails” and “the necessity of starting/continuing yet another war” against people that can’t harm us? This lack of meaningful dialog makes almost anyone who attaches an “R” or “D” behind their name essentially a “sad joke on the American public”, in my opinion. With perhaps one exception (Rand Paul), I won’t be voting for any of these “R” or “D” candidates who claim to be “aspiring public servants.”

I included over 100 major predictions about these and other issues in my EPub entitled World Collapse or New Eden. These predictions, starting in 2008, have been carried forward to 2015. They show trends which are unmistakable and more than slightly discouraging.

Contrast the predictions in World Collapse or New Eden with the marvelous technology shown in my EPub entitled EROS Adventure, Journey to an Asteroid. It contains over three hundred high resolution photographs of this amazing billion mile space mission to a small near-Earth asteroid. This NASA/JPL mission, completed in 2001, is a testimony to the triumph of technology. Why do we continue to reduce our government and private space and science expenditures in relationship to that of the MIC? Clearly the benefit of the few out weigh improvement for the many.

So what about the promise shown by my Mother’s generation? Have we (the sons and daughters of her generation) really “frittered” their accomplishments away in such a short time? I have a very high regard for the generation coming up, i.e. that of my Mother’s grandchildren. They seem to be operating on a different “wavelength” than my generation (their parents). While I probably won’t see the outcome, I see the same promise in them that was in my Mother’s generation. I can only thank my Mother and her generation for their wonderful accomplishments and hope for a swift transition in power from my generation to that of her grandchildren.

Sincerely,

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self-publishing services
Facebook: HCourtYoung
Phone: 303-726-8320
Email: tmcco@msn.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hcourtyoung
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung
Blog: http://hcourtyoung.blogspot.com

The Promise of our Future in Technology

 

What is the promise of our future in technology? How will it impact you?

I bought a new HP Stream 8 tablet at the Microsoft store two weeks ago, and have been a part of the Windows Insider program for Windows 10 since November 2014. These two technologies demonstrate incredible advances in technology when compared to my youth.

So as technology continues to advance in an exponential way, what is the promise of our future with this technology? We know about the medical and scientific advancements, as they are in the news daily. But what about our daily lives and the way we typically use our technology such as email, television, phone and personal computers?

The photograph shows both my dilemma and delight with technology. Taken at my favorite writing location, the local Barnes & Noble bookstore, it shows my newest story entitled “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” as well as three different devices which are operated by the Microsoft Windows platform.

The first device is a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 which is a combination tablet/laptop computer. The second device is my new HP Stream 8 tablet with an 8” touch screen. The third device is my phone, a Lumia 928 running Windows 8.1. I can use any and all of these devices to pursue my writing and access the files on my local and cloud storage site.

This is the crux of Microsoft’s internet of things known as “IoT.” Depending upon circumstances, I can choose whatever device that fits the moment. When in a meeting, researching or in a bible study, I can use my HP Tablet which has a sim card to connect to the “cloud” (internet) using T-Mobile. This is easier than using my phone because the screen is larger. However, when I am in a place where I don’t want to carry a larger device, I can use my phone.

A video which I watched recently also presents the potential of technology in a slightly different way. This video was created and presented by Caterpillar, the world wide heavy equipment manufacturer. It is a fascinating video about the mechanization of a large iron mine in Western Australia. The six trucks used to haul ore from the mine are all driverless. They use a series of technology to guide these huge haul trucks safely from being loaded to dumping the ore. The demonstration of this technology is both fascinating and a little less than amazing. To see driverless, multi-ton trucks with tires larger than a normal automobile navigating the terrain of an open mining pit is riveting.

However, along with the promise of this future technology there is also downside. This downside will directly impact you, but how?

Using the Australian mine example, I estimated the loss of jobs due to driverless trucks. Assuming three shifts and six trucks, at least 18 to 25 drivers will not be needed. This may not sound like many people but automate the 100 largest mines around the globe where large haul trucks are used and the number quickly escalates to the hundreds if not thousands. Include the mid-level mines and the number grows very large indeed.

For example, the following shows the impact of technology on coal mining:

“In the United States, the increase in technology has significantly decreased the mining workforce from 335,000 coal miners working at 7,200 mines fifty years ago to 104,824 miners working in fewer than 2,000 mines today.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mining)

But most of us are not going to drive a large haul truck in an open pit mine, you say. Well that may be true, but what about self-driving cars. If it can be done in a mine setting, where loading and dumping tolerances are in the range of centimeters, then it can be done on our streets and highways. There have been numerous articles about the development of self-driving cars in the last six months. The technology is coming, probably faster than we imagine.

How many taxicab drivers, long-haul and short haul delivery drivers will be impacted? What about the busses? If it can be done on land then it can be done in the air and on the sea. At least one mine in Australia has automated a series of long haul trains which travel across some of the most desolate and hottest terrain in the country. The technology is here today to make this a reality.

But automation and new technology can and has been very beneficial. Many of our scientific discoveries would not be possible without it. My EPub, EROS, Journey to an Asteroid, tells the story about a small automated space explorer making a journey of over a billion miles and ultimately landing on an asteroid 6 miles long by 1 mile wide. It was a precursor to the current space exploration technology. The 300 plus high resolution photographs are stunning and a tribute to the potential of technology. With automation and computing capability advancing at an exponential rate, so much more is possible today than in 2000 when this very special NASA/JPL mission was accomplished.

Many of these technology questions are posed in my EPub, World Collapse or New Eden, 101 Predictions about your World. This EPub presents predictions between 2005 and today, and examines these trends over time.

So are we ready for the changes that these new technologies will bring, from a social and economic standpoint? Is our “leadership,” discussing where we as a global society are headed in any meaningful way? The “R’s” and “D’s” in our government, which we elect to “guide and lead” us, with very few exceptions, seem not to even be aware of the potential impact, let alone lead the discussion about what our global society should look like. They typically “blather” on about things that in a larger sense are irrelevant to the coming future. As an example, “lost emails” have no relevance to this technological potential that is coming. It only has relevance to corporately owned media and politicians who are profiting off of the information distraction, in order to keep the general population as uninformed as possible.

It is possible, even probable that there may be massive “unemployment,” due to this technological revolution. These new “unemployed” are not people who don’t want to work or who are “lazy.” Most of them are people who are capable and intelligent, but who lack the skills to fit into this technologically changing world.

Yet our leaders are still railing against “government handouts” as something given to the “lazy” or “poor.” However, the elite (top 1%) realize these “handouts” are necessary to prevent riots or worse from a totally disenfranchised population. Instead of fostering the discussion about what our global society needs to become, and helping with resources to direct us toward those goals, they are content to allow governments to continue the “handouts.” It is easier for the corporate/government oligarchs to have “slaves” than to truly innovate, lead and progress. This is the reason the middle class is shrinking around the world.

For example, watch as the presidential campaigns heat up in the United States. Regardless of the “R” or “D” candidate, if you really analyze the discussion, you will conclude there is only one party with two factions (liberal and conservative). This is not the way to progress in a technologically advancing world. Remember this when you are evaluating the choices you have, whether it is the government officials you are electing or the job/career choices you are making.

Should we become “Luddites” and pull back from or destroy the technology? That would not solve the challenge we face. The only answer is to change the way we think about our “leadership”, our society and the people around the world. We need a different vision of what is possible and how to get there.

So as you can see, the potential of technology is fantastic. I can use multiple devices to create, present and communicate my ideas. Our technology is beginning to impact in a major way how we live in our homes, how we work, how we travel and how the goods we use every day are made. This trend will continue at an accelerating pace. The promise of technology is great but, sadly, without leadership, innovation and direction the curse may be greater than the blessing, in the short term.

Sincerely,

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self publishing services
Facebook: HCourtYoung
Phone: 303-726-8320

Email: tmcco@msn.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung

The Greatest Generations – A Tribute to My Dad and My Children

 

Two generations stand out in my mind. The first is that of my Dad, which has been termed the “Greatest Generation.” The other is that of my son and daughter. While this may be natural for a Dad, I am in a unique position to note some similarities.

I had a life-long, incredible relationship with my Dad. The following is a quote from my book, The Orphan Boy, A Love Affair with Mining.

“One September afternoon I sat on the dump of a small mine in Colorado with a unique man, my dad, Herbert T. Young. Even at 12,000 feet, the sun was bright and warm, and the sky was so very blue. Below, the aspen leaves were just starting to turn gold, and there was a hint of fall in the air.

We had talked on the way up the rocky, steep road about the mines and the history of the area, as we often did. I never got tired of the many stories Dad told about his experiences and information he gathered in researching the mining district.

Arriving at the Orphan Boy mine, we sat down and had a cup of coffee from Dad’s ever present thermos. Even though I had previously heard many of his stories about this mine that started his love affair with mining, they seemed much more real as I sat with him in that remote and peaceful basin.

My eyes were drawn to the rugged splendor of the high peaks; Brittle Silver Mountain, Grizzly Peak, Revenue Mountain... Along the horizon were Gray’s and Torrey’s, two of Colorado’s fourteeners. The air was so clean I felt like I could almost reach out and touch the peaks across the Warden Gulch basin. Morgan Peak, behind me, and Santa Fe Peak to the south looked so close it seemed like I could hike to them in just a few minutes.

Everywhere I looked were evidences of the mining and prospecting that went on in a different time. I noticed the reddish brown and yellow gossans that streaked the mountain slopes in several places. All the while, this remote valley was very quiet, almost as if our thoughts themselves interrupted the solitude. This scene stirred something in my soul that words cannot begin to explain.

I thought of Dad and the many experiences he related to me. I noticed he was also scanning the mountains, deep in thought. He turned and smiled at me, with his brown eyes shining. I knew we were thinking, feeling and experiencing the same closeness to God in that moment.

The feeling of kinship I experienced while sitting on that mine dump were similar to the feelings I had during the times Dad and I worked underground together. Working underground brings a special sense of closeness where everyone looks after one another. Even with 30 years difference in our ages, we were kindred souls.

I worked with Dad during the summers and after college graduation until his death and had the fortune to experience firsthand why his generation was named the ‘greatest generation’.

He was typical of the World War II generation whose lives were interrupted by that war. When they came back home, they changed both America and the world in a special way.”

As I get older, I watch my generation at the height of their power and prestige. I can’t help but compare them to that of my Dad.

A recent blog on ZeroHedge entitled “25 statist propaganda phrases and how to rebut them” [source - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-14/25-statist-propaganda-phrases-and-how-rebut-them ] reveals much about my generation. The original source of the blog is as follows - http://reece.liberty.me/2015/03/09/25-statist-propaganda-phrases-and-how-to-rebut-them/ . The phrases listed are generally applicable in regard to today’s society. However, three seem to be especially relevant in demonstrating the difference between my generation (the Baby Boomer generation) and that of my Dad.

The first on my list is the concept of the “free world.’ This has been sold to my generation as a consequence of fighting the Russians and the “iron curtain all through the “cold war.” We needed “rulers” to protect us from the Russian “bear.” We were incapable of making our own decisions, despite advocating “freedom for all” in our youth.

5. “The leader of the free world”

“The free world” does not exist; each individual person exists. Again, we are speaking of rulers rather than all types of leaders. Free people do not have rulers; they rule themselves.

However, as my Dad’s generation knew, “free people do not have rulers, they rule themselves”. Dad’s generation understood the idea of ruling themselves. They kept themselves far less ruled than my generation has. President Eisenhower was correct when he warned of the “military-industrial” complex, for which a requirement is a ruling class..

Dad was a decorated war hero in World War II. However, he had very little choice when he entered the service in 1942. The compulsory draft was instituted late in 1940.

“Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act (September 16, 1940), creating the country's first peacetime military conscription program. Conscription in America is commonly referred to as the draft. The initial act authorized the conscription of men, but placed a limit of 0.9 million on the number to be trained. The period of service was set at 12 months.” – Source: http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/cou/us/aod/draft/aod-draft.html

Dad was caught by this legislation and before his conscription term was up, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred and war was declared. His and millions of other Americans had their lives interrupted and changed. He had a job lined up at a tin mine in Chile and was preparing to embark on a career in mining.

The next phrase in the statists list of 25 (number 8) is applicable to Dad’s generation as well as mine. It applies to World War II and all “wars” afterward.

8. “Our military”

If the military is “ours,” then “we” should be able to exercise exclusive control over it. But “we” neither command the military nor have the freedom to destroy it. Thus it is not “ours”; it is a tool of the ruling classes used to make it very difficult for citizens to violently overthrow the government, provide a last line of defense for the state in the form of martial law should the citizens succeed in violently overthrowing the government, and present a deterrent to other rulers elsewhere in the world who might seek to take over the state and capture the tax base for themselves.

Despite his valiant and decorated service, Dad always maintained that he had nothing against the Japanese people that he fought against. In his opinion, World War II was “Roosevelt’s war.”

When they returned from the War, Dad’s generation started where they left off. Many were able to go to college, which was a “government financed” program. Prior to the war, “higher education” was expensive. Dad got his degree prior to the war, primarily because of his sports prowess.

Anyway, after the war generation received access to college and higher education, they “got to work” and built a country like none the world has seen. They were both innovative and industrious, and realized education was a tool to be used to benefit themselves and others. They wanted to create a better world for all people.

In contrast to Dad’s generation, my generation started its youth with unprecedented wealth. We became very politically and socially active. “Drugs, Sex and Rock and Roll” was the governing phrase. We wanted “freedom.”

Our activism stemmed in large part from the Vietnam War, which like World War II and the Korean War, reflects phrase #8 of the statist list above. Because of the “draft,” many young men ended up fighting an “enemy” which they neither knew nor had any animosity against. Certainly, the country of Vietnam was not a military threat against the United States or its “national security” in any way.

While some actions may require a government, those actions first require the voluntary consent of the majority of the people in a “free” society. Dad and my Granddad’s generation were aware of this and held their “rulers” far more accountable than rulers are today. In addition, the rulers themselves, being of that generation, took their responsibility and trust much more seriously than they do today.

19 “Government is necessary”

This is a positive claim which carries a burden of proof. By itself, this is a claim asserted without logic or evidence and may therefore be dismissed without logic or evidence.

However, after the war in Vietnam winded down, my generation settled in to a life of comfort and excess, and it shows. Technology was advancing rapidly and we were taking advantage of it.

The political activism and desire to “change the world” embraced by my generation in their youth morphed into almost complete chaos politically because we did not have the will to follow through or the character to effect the changes. My generation lost their will and desire to do the things necessary to create the change we professed to believe in because of the lure of excess. Instead of taking responsibility and ruling, we allowed ourselves to be ruled.

As a result, absolute greed has essentially taken over most of our global societies and political structures. We continue to follow and embrace that same pattern. If you doubt it, just look at our political parties (those with an “R” or “D” behind their names). Those people don’t represent me, and if you really analyze it, they don’t represent 99% of Americans, either morally, financially or ethically. Sadly, they represent the highest level of a society in a life of extreme power, comfort and excess.

So what about the generation to come; that of my son William and my daughter Laura? They seem to be very practical and much more grounded than my own generation. I see in them many of the traits of my Dad’s generation.

While it is true, many of them are interested in using the current technology and seem to be immersed in it. That is to be expected because they have grown up with it and it comes very natural to them.

For example, I watched my son and daughter-in-law research the real estate market while buying a home recently. The following MSN quote describes their approach to the complexities of this business.

“Younger buyers want to know what to expect and when. “I see them wanting to understand what’s going on at any time in the process more than any other generation,” says Paul Reid, a Redfin agent in Southern California’s Inland Empire region.” - http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/moneyinyour20s/10-ways-millennials-are-changing-homebuying/ss-AA9yDra#image=4

“Millennials expect to be partners in the home search, and they want quick answers to questions. “They want information, and they want valid information, and they want it right now,” Reid says. “They’re the generation of Google at your fingertips.””

“Many millennial homebuyers get recommendations on agents from their parents, but they also do some research online before they ever call an agent. They want to see testimonials on an agent’s website, as well as read online reviews.”

They make use of the technology developed by my generation. But they also have a natural curiosity about the world around them which my generation, in general, didn’t seem to have.

They tend to value real education, not necessarily that which is taught at today’s universities. Many are more interested in vocational training than “higher education,” (which today comes at an extreme cost).

They also seem to be naturally curious about the world around them, and as noted above don’t take many of the “statist propaganda phrases” as truth, like my generation has. In fact, my generation seems to have fostered, if not invented, many of those phrases as they sank into excess. They do not take the utterances of someone with an “R” or “D” behind their name as truth just because their parents belong to the “R” or “D” party.

After watching my children, their spouses and some of their friends, I am positive about the future. In many ways, they remind me of Dad and his generation. I am hopeful that they will follow in the footsteps of their grandparents and reinvent the phrase “greatest generation.”

Sincerely,

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self publishing services
Facebook: HCourtYoung
Phone: 303-726-8320
Email: tmcco@msn.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung

Microsoft’s Cortana Going Big Time

 

I am one of the 2.8 million “Windows Insiders” testing and using Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system on my three laptops. Two of them are Microsoft’s Surface tablet/laptop machines and one is an older Lenovo. The following quote is from the web site WinBeta.org.

“The Windows Insider project has proven to be something of an unmitigated success story for Microsoft. As announced during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) there are now over 2.8 million Windows Insiders across the world, and from this number over 900,000 pieces of feedback have been received. “

One of the major new features of this operating system is “Cortana”. This feature is also on the Lumia Denim version of Windows Phone operating system.

Just like the article “Considering Cortana” by Scott Bekker in the March 2015 issue of Channel Watch magazine, I think Cortana is going to revolutionize the technology world. She is going to be big.

Scott notes in his article:

“The spunky personal digital assistant from Microsoft, Cortana, is about to hit the big time. … The global desktop platform takes Cortana beyond me-too status into groundbreaking UI [universal intelligence] territory.”

Wikipedia defines Cortana as:

“Microsoft Cortana is an intelligent personal assistant developed by Microsoft for Windows Phone 8.1,^[2] Microsoft Band,^[3][4] and Windows 10.^[5]

It is named after Cortana, an artificial intelligence character in Microsoft's Halo video game series, with Jen Taylor, the character's voice actress, returning to voice the personal assistant's US-specific version.^[6]”

Microsoft describes Cortana as:

“Cortana is your personal assistant on your Windows Phone [and PC, Tablet]. She's there to help make things easier for you and keep you up to date on the things that matter to you.

Whether it’s to keep you looped in with your world or help you manage your everyday life, Cortana is there for you.”

“Check out these topics for more info about Cortana and the ways she can help.”

See the following links: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/how-to/wp8/cortana/meet-cortana

In addition Microsoft blog notes the following about Cortana in the new Windows 10 operating system for the desktop and tablet computers.

“Cortana started in April of 2012 as part of early thinking about what the future of search should be on mobile phones. We saw an emerging set of trends around the personalization of your experience due to the sheer amount of things your phone knows about you – your location, the people you communicate with most, your favorite apps/services, etc. We thought this was a bigger idea than just mobile, and this capability should be available across all of our devices – from mouse and keyboard, to touch – and that it should utilize what we knew about patterns and anticipate and meet those needs. We didn’t want to build one digital assistant for everybody, we wanted to build one digital assistant for you. Cortana learns you, knows you, and respects you.” http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/02/10/how-cortana-comes-to-life-in-windows-10/

There are several other competitors in the market place. The largest in SIRI by Apple Computer. However, given the base of Windows machines installed and used by businesses worldwide, I think that Cortana will be far more prevalent than competitors on tablets/desktops when Windows 10 is released to the general public. It will probably be on Windows Server 10, Azure Server and other enterprise level systems as well.

Some ways Cortana on the Windows phone can be used are noted by Scott in his article.

“In the car with Bluetooth, Cortana is incredibly useful. I regularly task the phone through Cortana to simultaneously run GPS directions and play music and Cortana handles incoming phone calls and texts with hands-free aplomb.

The ability to create appointments is handy for work, and Cortana does a good job with things like noticing airline confirmation e-mails and tracking flights in the background.”

I am finding Cortana on my Windows 10 operating system to be an easier way to search than opening the Internet Explorer browser and using Bing.com. The results are the same but the interface is simpler.

This change is especially true if you use the voice activated “Hey Cortana” feature. It takes a bit of getting used to but once used it is hard not to have it (for example when I use a non-Windows 10 machine).

When using this new technology, I think back to the incredible things which were accomplished using much less computing power. One example was the moon landings in the late 1960’s. Another was the Journey and landing on the asteroid EROS. EROS Adventure, Journey to an Asteroid is an EPub which includes over three hundred photos that show just how incredible that accomplishment was. Imagine how much more could have been accomplished using technology such as Cortana, had it been available on these missions.

The rapid increase in the development of software and hardware technology is truly mind boggling. Now we have the new Microsoft Surface Hub and Microsoft Hololens. These and other technologies, such as Cortana, will revolutionize our world. I look at this rapid advance in technology from different perspectives in my EPub entitled World Collapse or New Eden, 101 Expert Predictions about Your World and Where They are Today.

However, we do need to have a discussion about jobs, employment and education going forward into this new world. If technology continues to advance as quickly as it is today, we desperately need to redefine what our educational systems, employment systems and global society is going to look like. It seems that many of our top corporate and political leaders resist the call for such a discussion. It is, however, very clear, that educational and employment systems designed for the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries will not work in the 21^st century, with such advanced technology.

It is extremely apparent to me that Cortana and software technology like “her” are going to continue to fascinate and amaze us. As both hardware and software continues to evolve in such fields as medicine, communications, computers, transportation and robotics, we need to change the way we think about how we interact with technology and what our role in a global society will be. We have a very bright future ahead from a technology standpoint, and as Bill Gates talks about in his November 1995 book, we need to look at and discuss the road ahead.

As millions of computers and tablets convert to Windows 10, which includes Cortana, I have no doubt that most users will have my experience with the software. It is very useful and will become a large part of our life. I agree with Scott, Cortana is going to be big.

Sincerely,

H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self publishing services
Facebook: HCourtYoung
Phone: 303-726-8320
Email: tmcco@msn.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung