Electrification - Past, Present, and Future

Join Dr. Peter Carter, Paul Beckwith and Regina Valdez as they discuss the topic of ‘Electrification - Past, Present, and Future’ and the life of Nikola Tesla.

This video was recorded on February 8th, 2023, and published on March 5th, 2023, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.

Some of the topics discussed:
- The historical drama that played out between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse referred to as the ‘Current wars.’
- How electrification is a big part of fighting climate change in the present day.
- How at one point in the US, over half of the commercial delivery vehicles were powered by electric motors.
- How Edison established the first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
- How the accidental electrocution of AC powerline workers helped fuel the ‘Current Wars’ but eventually forced electric companies to fix safety problems.
- The enigma and genius of Nikola Tesla and how he suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder and how, later in his life he formed a relationship with wild pigeons.
- The present-day need to produce more electricity from non-fossil fuel burning sources and move to a completely renewable energy grid.
- The idea of generating electricity using massive solar farms in the middle of the desert and then distributing this power through the use of high voltage DC lines such as the Xlinks project in Morocco producing and distributing this power to England.
- How high voltage DC distribution lines only lose 3.5% of their power for every thousand kilometers versus 6.7% for AC distribution lines. and how people are looking at these mega-projects to help in the fight against climate change.
- and much more. . .

Links:
- Longitude: The Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

- Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World

- War of the Currents

- Thomas Edison

- Edison Illuminating Light Company

- Nikola Tesla

- Jevons Paradox

- Was Tesla Serb or Croat? The Ridiculous and Very Balkan Diplomatic Row

Panelists:
Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute

Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa in the Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University

Regina Valdez - Program Director, Climate Reality Project, NYC. GreenFaith Fellow and LEED Green Associate

Video Production:
Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader

Heidi Brault - Video production and website assistant, Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP27 team lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum; BA (Psychology); Climate Reality Leader

Our Website:

Attributions:
Background Music:
- Title: Through the City II
- Author: Crowander
- Source: Free Music Archive
- License: CC BY-NC 4.0

#nikolatesla #thomasedison #electricity

[lancechapman]

Peter's compassion moves me. Thank you!

[voltrevolt]

So many fascinating points. Dr. Carter's observation about the tremendous amount of energy we waste brings to mind the amount of food we waste as well, which requires a lot of energy and which is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions (not to mention the injustice of wasting food when so many people are starving throughout the world). I also favor conservation of resources, but if we just reduced the sheer amount of waste, it would also be a big step in the right direction.

[proudfatherofnone]

Power on with the current situation while your amped up.

[stanleykubrick]

All humans have OCD and ADD to some extent, we're all mirroring creatures, looking for things to relate to. That's why Blaise Pascal's observation that: "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." is so pertinent. This is an informative video because who we choose to emulate and be our heroes has always been a mirage to the herd.

[anthonyvalenti]

Thanks Peter, Paul and Regina Tesla has underground transmission also

[basqye]

Thank you for this discussion on Tesla. No doubt a man of great vision, a Promethean in his own time, which may be worth the suffering he endured. It would be wonderful if you regularly featured brilliant minds on your show. Perhaps Faraday or Maxwell? In any case, thank you.

[robertboyle]

Paul, how clean does our electric grid need to be before forced electricification is lower in emissions than a gas boiler heating a home?

[singingway]

I'm from Dayton Ohio where we have a replica of the Wright Brothers Cycle Shop where they invented their airplanes, because the original was taken to Dearborn Michigan by Thomas Edison to be part of his Greenfield Village. I find "green field" to be quite ironic.

[singingway]

Our society does not elevate brilliance and compassion, but unfortunately our system elevates and rewards sociopathy.

[greggrant]

Type of energy is the most important question to examine. While Amory Lovins' Negawatts are also important, the type of energy is much more so. There is plenty of zero-carbon energy widely available in the solar and wind format, which, when combined with a multitude of forms of energy storage, can easily, directly stop our overloading of our atmosphere and oceans with CO2. Amory Lovins even runs his house largely on solar panels plus batteries, along with high efficiency lighting and natural cooling. Protein synthesis for our food supply, along with re-wilding of much of today's agricultural land areas will be important as well.

[sunsaverfromnhh]

Westinghouse wasn't a bad guy. Tesla let him put the Westinghouse name on all of his inventions, and didn't even charge him any royalties during George's hard, economic times.
Edison was not the "great inventor" of America that we were taught: likewise, Steve Jobs did not invent the home computer as we were taught. These were all shrewd "businessmen"- NOT inventors, not scientists, not beneficial visionaries with long-term sustainability at heart- like Nikola.
I have been a student of electricity, electronics, computers, and physics since 1977, when i was fascinated by the lightning bolts and chemicals in the movie "Frankenstein" (1935). I never learned that Tesla even existed until i heard about a heavy metal rock band named Tesla. Why the big, very effective and complete "UFO cover-up" of Nikola Tesla? I'll make an entire video about this topic.
The irony of our current situation (pending collapse of human environment and civilization on the surface of this planet) is the source of the power: fossil fuels.
Another irony is that BOTH sides of the isle were correct: local power generation with wind and water (Edison's DC) would have been better for the environment. Likewise: free electricity broadcast over the air (Tesla's radio/wifi, same as his wired system of electrical transmission) would have been better for the environment, as for those consumers who live far away from the power source. There would be no wired system to fail, no powerlines to topple and leave Folks in the dark after a thunderstorm. The desire to control people and tax or charge for the free electricity (greed) is the source of our current situation. Electrical appliances have been designed to waste power, run hot, and dump current to ground, run your electric bill through the roof. Also: Tesla's comprehension of electricity and the physics of energy/high energy science has been suppressed (like Joe Newman's motor, Stan Meyer's water-burning car)- which i did not even discover until after 2005 (water as "fuel" and energy source for implosion reactions and cold fusion).
Well, this is why i always end up dying alone. Folks don't want to hear how deeply they have been deceived, lied to, and that most of American history we were taught is highly "inaccurate" to say the least.

[singingway]

I wonder what the battery range was of those first electric delivery vehicles

[SouthCom]

Thank you Regina for calling out a few of the horrific deeds of Edison. I was pretty surprised while he was being endlessly praised, considering how much of an intellectual thief and cruel monster he was.

It seems people like Edison or Musk can get away with being abusive and exploitative, as long as they take credit for other people's work.

[eddygrunge]

What happens to Nuclear Plants/fuels/waste - new and old - when they ignite due to excessive heat? It happened in Essex Towns last year, so I do not see why Nuclear facilities will not ignite at 40C degrees + [temp in Essex last summer.]

[christill]

If we switched to degrowth communism and slashed our energy use (probably wouldn’t use the term austerity), we wouldn’t need to build much more renewable energy than we have already. Especially in countries where renewables already make up around 40%. And then you could combine that with implementing MEER and other solar radiation management techniques, and we’d maybe have a chance.

But it just feels as if we’re going to continue wasting time over the next year or two; causing ridiculous amounts more damage to be done.

[eddygrunge]

Smart grids seem to be very badly specced out/planned, even thought about - this has to change.

[rajendratayya]

The more complex the technology is the more population is required at use and rely on it.

[singingway]

Heating and cooling our dwellings are an imperative for survival. How do we do that without using energy?

[jeromethibodeau]

You don't need to drive, you don't need to eat meat, and you certainly don't need electricity, if you can't cut down your usage to a small solar generator..., heat with wood, times are hard..., grow sprouts and pot, and keep smiling! :)P

[coka]

Tesla was born in Smiljan, Croatia, not in Serbia.