Energy Slave Equivalency
So what do we measure our energy diet against? How do we perceive its magnitude?
Geologist Walter Youngquist suggests that we correlate energy consumption to "person-power." One individual can contribute approximately .25 horsepower, so 1 PP = .25 hp = 186 watts = 635 BTU/hr. The energy diet described below would require us to employ fifty-eight energy slaves working 24/7 without taking a break. Moreover, if "we purchased the energy in a barrel of oil for the same price we pay for human labor ($5/hr), it would cost us over $45,000."1
1Youngquist, Walter. GeoDestinies: The Inevitable Control of Earth Resources over Nations and Individuals. Portland, OR: National Book Company. 1997. p. 32
1 Comments:
I like the oil-barrel equivalency. A person needs to be in quite good condition to produce 100 W over a prolonged period of time, say 8 hours. So for an average working year (a couple of 1000 hours), one gets 2000 * 0.1 = 200 kWh or 0.72 GJ. An average North American uses around 350 GJ, European 150 GJ and World Citizen around 65 GJ per year. Something to consider the next time somebody makes a suggestion to equip homes with bicycle generators.
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