Free energy. It ranks up there with time travel, telepathy, and faster-than-light travel as a thing of science fiction. It is fun to think about, especially the energy savings, but not really practical. Or is it?
Building a free energy machine has challenged scientists since the beginning of time, but one German physicist, Dr. Thorsten Emig has developed an idea based on the Casimir effect. Two parallel metal plates, a small distance apart, experience a force that pulls them together. Subatomic particles between the plates create a force that pushes the plates together. [1]
Dr. Emig designed a “Casimir ratchet” that, can, in theory, extract usable motion from this effect. While he believes the Casimir ratchet might one day be able to power tiny nanorobots, the same can’t be said for larger mechanical devices such as automobiles and heavy machinery. [1]
Photo Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect
Science Fiction Reality
Meanwhile, in 2006, Steorn Ltd., based in Dublin, Ireland, announced it had developed a technology that offers “free, clean, and constant energy.” However, after studying the claim, a jury of scientists and engineers unanimously declared in 2009 that Steorn had not supported its claims. [2]
However, the company continues to operate, working under an initial public offering, and has demonstrated a device that it claims generates more power than it expends. The excess power is used to recharge a battery that powers the device. [3]
The idea of free energy has some critics. In 2009, Dr. Michio Kaku, a physicist, said in a radio interview that non-conventional energy sources – or so called “free energy” – were impossible due to their violation of energy conservation laws. [4]
While the scientists and engineers wrestle with the idea of how to develop free energy, a more fun question remains.
What if?
The answer to the question “what if energy were free” is broad as energy impacts every aspect of our lives.
Energy production
The first energy hit would be the energy production industry. Mining, along with oil and gas production, would no longer be needed. At the same time, with free energy, would we need to continue investments in solar, wind, and other alternative energy sources? For some this may not be a good thing. Economies of entire nations depend on the extraction and production of fossil fuels, so a true free energy source would result in considerable social and economic upheaval for some. [3]
Photo Source: hotstocked.com/article/1576/nitro-petroleum-inc-otcbb-ntro-hard-time.html
Manufacturing
Energy, manpower, and materials are the “big three” costs in manufacturing. However, if energy is free, one cost would go away completely, and the energy costs of developing raw materials would also be nil, thus reducing the cost of producing raw materials. [3] High-tech goods and other manufactured items would still be desired, so manufacturing will continue to grow, and the traditional backbone of the economy – money – would still be needed to purchase manufactured goods. [5] The question here is would we see prices drop to correspond with the reduction in a manufacturer’s expenses, or would we see a rise in excessive profits in the manufacture and production of goods?
Agriculture
Energy costs are huge in agriculture. The elimination of those costs means that wholesome, healthy foods, which are often among the most expensive at grocery stores, become more affordable for more people. Furthermore, more food can be grown to feed the world’s hungry. [3] But there’s another aspect many people don’t think about – fresh water. According to the World Bank, 80 nations now have water shortages that are deep enough to threaten the nations’ economies and the citizens’ health. Furthermore 40 percent of the world’s population – more than 2 billion people – have no access to fresh, clean water or proper sanitation. [6] With 97 percent of the world’s water being salt water, free energy will enable substantial increases in desalination of sea water and create a long-lasting supply of fresh water for irrigation, drinking, and sanitation needs.
Photo Source: environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/water-pressure/
Politics
Is there a worldwide resource grab through political and military policies? Certainly, some people think nations wage war over access to oil and other resources. [6] Even fiction writer Louis L’Amour, spinning tales about the American west, wrote of battles over the natural resource of water. With entire nation’s relying on the production of energy, and others relying on taxes from fuels and other energy sources, fundamental energy and revenue policies will have to be changed. There will likely be a need for social services for those displaced by collapsing industries and governments. In the worst-case scenario, we might see a destabilization in the geopolitical arena which could lead to unrest and possibly war. [3] At the same time, governments would be free to create planetary cooperation while focusing on projects of a global scope. [5]
Society
Even in a person’s home, changes will occur. Home energy is a huge cost for many families. With that expense eliminated and the desire for an energy-efficient home, the cost of living may be reduced. Combined with the reduced costs of manufactured goods and food, this could lead to a higher standard of living for the world’s population. [3] Additionally, there may be health benefits as the harmful byproducts of energy – pollution, carbon emissions, etc., – would be eliminated by a free, clean energy resource. [6] On the downside, a question remains. If we, as a society, no longer need to recycle cans, waste, paper, and other products into renewable energy sources, what would we do with all that waste? Would recycling become a thing of the past, or would it become a necessity to maintain a clean, healthy planet, rather than to generate energy?
Photo Source: inhabitat.com/off-grid-cliff-house-harnesses-the-elements-for-self-sufficiency/
Times of great change are times of upheaval as well. If the world suddenly shifted to a clean, free energy source, there would likely be a period of social unrest, turmoil, and uncertainty. However, such an energy source would also likely herald in an era of intense focus on other areas, such as medicine, science, exploration, and discovery.
For the moment, what a “free energy” society might look like is pure speculation. However, if such a society can be created, maybe, with free energy, we finally would be able to “boldly go where no one has gone before.”
Sources:
1.http://sciencefocus.com/feature/physics/nothing-impossible
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steorn
3. http://www.freeenergytimes.com/2010/01/08/what-would-free-energy-mean/
4. http://www.examiner.com/exopolitics-in-honolulu/world-renowned-physicist-challenged-over-free-energy-machines
5. http://depalma.pair.com/Absurdity/Absurdity04/FreeEnergyImplications.html
6. http://www.newenergymovement.org/downloadables/NEM_Fundraiser_L.pdf
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