New Direction

howtopowertheworld.com will be undergoing a fairly radical redesign in coming weeks and months. The current site doesn't fit in with my current view on the topic; it started as an outlet for my thoughts on energy, but turned into a one-man version of Wikipedia. The time has come for some sophistication.

I intend to build something of an educational resource. It should be accessible yet uncompromising regarding the level of topics I intend to discuss. I will assume an intelligent, engaged reader who cares about the future of our energy supply and use.

This does not mean I intend to preach over the head of the layman with technical jargon and impenetrable scientific detail, but I will avoid the "This is a wind turbine" approach.

What will the site be about?

To start with, I intend to focus upon global energy use and supply from various resources. Many of the current articles will be rewritten and recycled, but many will disappear. Energy use is currently largely not present on the site as it is, but it is of vital importance in understanding the sheer magnitude of our requirements. I doubt that people will be happy with significant cuts in energy use, especially in the developed world, so we have to find a way to power our world.

Energy use and supply are fairly obvious issues, but the more interesting topics come from the more sophisticated approach: which technologies are economically feasible? What are the barriers to entry? What should governments be doing? Should we ignore one emergent technology and focus our efforts entirely on the most promising?

I can't list everything I wish to discuss here, partly because as the site grows no doubt I'll discover many new topics.

And don't worry: though our actions would be wise regardless of climate change, I do consider it to be "the great accelerator" in motivating our actions, so I shall discuss it.

I welcome comments and advice. This is rather a daunting task for a single person, and I don't pretend that I am anything even approaching an expert. However, one day I intend to be, and this site is part of my route to that end. I welcome collaboration and open discussion. I also relish the arguments and heated debates which this topic inspires.

---

One note on financing: I have experimented with adverts on the site as it is. This site is expensive to operate, and it would be helpful to have the site cover its own costs. That said, I don't intend for this site to be a source of income for me.

If I do include income streams on the site in the forms of adverts and referrals, I will divert them to paying for hosting costs and reinvest them in future initiatives to expand the site.

I don't like the idea of profiteering on such an important topic.