tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800828841873738105.post3257105263167610435..comments2023-07-02T06:58:33.737-05:00Comments on WebberEnergyBlog: Education – Ignorance = Smart Grid BlissMichael E. Webber, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12416546342365493633noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800828841873738105.post-79441602039420553282009-03-01T23:42:00.000-06:002009-03-01T23:42:00.000-06:00I think this post hits the nail on the head in ter...I think this post hits the nail on the head in terms of marketing energy conservation and efficiency as a "game". It seems like "WINNING" has and always will be the heart of America's mentality. This is our double edged sword, because it either means that we'll only pick the battles we see to be the most convenient and easiest to win, or we'll fight harder for the issues that seem hopeless. I hope America takes the second stance, and continues to build smart grid cities like that in Boulder, even though there are bound to be glitches and mistakes to work through. Unfortunately, I fear that we are simply too spoiled, and as this post showed with the interviews, people's opinions refer back to the technologies they are most familiar and comfortable with, our metered infrastructure.<BR/>It seems the only way an idea will catch on and be supported by the public (wheter it is good or bad)is if it can be labeled as "popular" within pop culture. I feel like this can be done with energy conservation if American's will feel like they are winning by saving energy, just as Ford's dashboard does. There are many more steps that can be taken though to make energy a game. For example, and I have not checked if this is already available, but I think the SimCity virtual computer game has alot of potential in this area. The objective of this popular game is basically to build and design a city. If ideas like the smart grid could grab the millions of people who play these types of virtual living games world wide, the idea might catch on in real life. Can't you picture a person sitting in front of their computer screen clicking a square on the rooftop of their newly built mall to be the location of a solar array, or placing a wind turbine next to the city limit sign, or implementing a smart grid to the intire community. If an average citizen can build a nuclear power plant to power their virtual city for example, and somehow be presented with effieciency facts and alternative methods throughout the process, and the player plays until being successful at the end of the game, do you think they would apply that knowledge to real life? Or would the player just think of it as a game and walk away un-impacted? I don't know, but I think making energy fun for anybody can only be good press and initiate the potentially needed in our energy crisis.amyscholzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13737441828550095028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800828841873738105.post-53357128063857796592009-03-01T23:37:00.000-06:002009-03-01T23:37:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.amyscholzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13737441828550095028noreply@blogger.com