November 1999
The visionary engineer, dubbed “the Leonardo da Vinci of our century.” wrote in “Critical Path,” “The energy grid is the World Game’s highest priority objective.”
When asked by a 12-year-old what one thing he would do to save the world, his immediate reply was “Unite the electric grids!” To the bewildered questioner, he explained. “There is no want of energy in the world, only a want of vision. The sun is pouring billions of kilowatts of power on the Earth every second. Then there is hydro, geo-thermal, bio-mass, wind, ocean differential and other sources of clean renewable power. About half of the grids that exist in the world today are connected and one-half remain unconnected. The latter are in the developing world. Link up all the electric grids and you would have a continuous source of abundant and clean renewable energy immediately available throughout the planet. The immense benefits of unlimited energy for all is immediately apparent. First, you protect the environment. No need to cut down the rain forests or pollute the ground and oceans with oil, coal and radio-activity from nuclear plants. Then when everyone has sufficient energy, birthrate decreases at exactly the same rate that the per capita consumption of inanimate electrical energy increases. Living standards rise as population declines especially in the developing countries. In short, the world’s population will stop increasing when and if the integrated world electrical grid is realized. With everyone sufficient in energy needs, poverty disappears, greed, crime, strife is reduced to zero. Wars become unnecessary and therefore obsolete. Peace reigns on Earth.”
National Energy Ministries and electrical engineers throughout the world are slowly becoming aware through a non-profit San Diego organization, G.E.N.I. (Global Energy Network Institute) that Fuller’s solutions to major human problems depend to a large extent on clean renewable energy supplies.
According to Peter Meisen, founder/president of G.E.N.I., only 28 per cent of the annual world military expenditures could pay to end hunger, stabilize populations growth, prevent soil erosion, provide clear energy, retire developing nations debt, stop ozone depletion, prevent acid rains and climate change, provide safe water, eliminate illiteracy, stop deforestation, eliminate nuclear weapons, provide health care and AIDS control, remove land mines and provide refugee relief and shelter.
A U.S. Africa Energy Conference-“A Partnership for the 21st Century- is scheduled for December 13-15 in Tucson, Arizona, co-hosted by US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. Major objectives will be to address “citicial issues on investment in clean energy development and use, energy integration, sustainable energy development…”
“Tool designers change the world, not politicians,” was one of Buckminster Fuller’s favorite assertions.
He was a passionate advocate of world citizenship and world government.
For further information about G.E.N.I.and Fuller’s work: www.geni.org; www.bfi.org; www.cruzio.com/~joemoore; www.worldgame.org