It is funny how minds change on the back of changing conditions, where for example Finnish politicians formally opposed to nuclear power are now "coming around" to it, as prices have increased and the supply is looking a bit shakier through the winter. Meanwhile, Helen, the Helsinki Energy provider has recorded a 300% increase in YoY profits, after raising their prices by 58% in October, and will do another 60% on top in December.
Weirdly, the Greens are the ones who are the most against nuclear power, even though it is pretty much the only solution in the mid-term for energy needs, especially if we are going to keep wanting to charge all of those electric cars. There is little point having "green" cars, if fossil fuels are burned to create the electricity for them.
Living by ideals is a losing game, as is not working toward fulfilling ideals. While we tend to want things quicker than they are deliverable, we also have the tendency to undermine the path to have them, due to our impatience. Development takes time and while there are many ways to speed up the process, bending the will toward innovation takes time also. Nuclear power isn't the end goal of clean energy, it is a stepping stone. The end goal would be a completely free and clean energy source that can be used without having any negative impacts on the environment at all - but what are the chances of having anything even remotely close to that, if there isn't a development process in place?
MVPs
Minimal Viable Products, not "Most Valuable Players".
Rather than developing everything to its complete state before release, it is a process of continual improvement upon the last iteration, where the first is just enough to do the immediate job at hand in order to bring value. Getting a fast Time to Value (TTV) means being able to start generating value that can justify and facilitate the next development stage.
However, this is a challenge for many to watch, as they have been sold on the future but don't have the necessary understanding to see all the steps between from now until then. Pretty much, if it was up to this kind of mentality, nothing of note would ever be accomplished, let alone industries get built.
But often, things in development don't go quite according to plan and negative outcomes are also realized, which breeds the idea of "better the devil you know" ideology, restricting growth and development in favor of stagnation out of fear. And something like nuclear energy creates a lot of fear in people, because when things go wrong, they can go very wrong. However, it isn't 1986 now either and there are far better checks and balances in place to further mitigate risks.
It isn't a progress at any cost position, nor should it be a reaction to immediate acute conditions. but looking at the trajectory of our energy needs globally and the direction that energy usage is headed, something has to be done and it is foolhardy to think that it is going to be by way of convincing people to consume less.
People like convenience.
But, they also like to have ideals.
And this creates a breeding ground for hypocrisy, where there is the will to want to do something, but the behavior of doing something else. Lots of words get spoken, but actions don't follow behind, meaning that nothing really changes, especially since there is plenty of lobbying by those who benefit from keeping it the same to maintain the status quo.
As said though, it is a process of development and we are probably on average, trending toward better, but the question is whether we will get there in time to make a positive enough difference to save us from a negative outcome. But, even if it is a lost cause, does that mean it isn't worth trying for?
Perhaps it is in the "cause" of it, where people want to feel a part of something larger than themselves. However, I think that we have created a far less creative society in general, which has led us to stand against something, rather than for something.
As I see it, when standing for something, it is an active position where there is the possibility to add to the development, to be part of the improvement process. However, when standing against something, it is about limiting what others are doing. There are times where this is necessary, but standing against can't be the only position, there also has to be the standing for being part of the alternative, otherwise, the game will inevitably be lost, sooner or later.
The conditions are never perfect for perfect, they are only ever good enough for what is imperfectly possible within them.
Progress is walking forward.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
