The Energy Betrayed

By Simone Malacrida

Energy, understood in its totality and complexity, i.e. in the form of sociopolitical and economic structure, is so pervasive in everyone's life that it is the test of the maturity of holistic reasoning.
Unfortunately, attempts at simplification, implemented by many parties, lead to a real betrayal of the nature of energy.
This book, in itself uncomfortable and unsettling, will have the aim of putting ideology and exploitation back in their place, bringing energy back to its natural context.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simone Malacrida
• Release date: Nov 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223851356

Simone Malacrida

Simone Malacrida (1977) Ha lavorato nel settore della ricerca (ottica e nanotecnologie) e, in seguito, in quello industriale-impiantistico, in particolare nel Power, nell'Oil&Gas e nelle infrastrutture. E' interessato a problematiche finanziarie ed energetiche. Ha pubblicato un primo ciclo di 21 libri principali (10 divulgativi e didattici e 11 romanzi) + 91 manuali didattici derivati. Un secondo ciclo, sempre di 21 libri, è in corso di elaborazione e sviluppo.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 – THE OVERALL VISION

CHAPTER 2 – THE BETRAYAL OF THE DENIALS

CHAPTER 3 – THE BETRAYAL OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS

CHAPTER 4 – THE BETRAYAL OF THE CENTERS OF POWER

CHAPTER 5 – OVERCOMING BETRAYALS

CONCLUSIONS

Energy, understood in its totality and complexity, i.e. in the form of sociopolitical and economic structure, is so pervasive in everyone's life that it is the test of the maturity of holistic reasoning.

Unfortunately, attempts at simplification, implemented by many parties, lead to a real betrayal of the nature of energy.

This book, in itself uncomfortable and unsettling, will have the aim of putting ideology and exploitation back in their place, bringing energy back to its natural context.

This colossal mystification is destined to provide posterity with an inexhaustible source of derision regarding our era.

––––––––

Arthur Schopenhauer

INTRODUCTION

This book was born from an evident, yet unexpected, revolt of reason in the face of the facts of this last decade (at the date of writing the essay, i.e. 2023).

In fact, I thought I had expressed every possible facet of the arguments relating to energy policies and energy in the trilogy of essays that I published between 2009 and 2012 and which, summarily, could be divided into three large macro-themes: the world of energy and society before the great crisis of 2008, with the undisputed dominance of fossil fuels determining the second industrial revolution and the glimmer of a new energy revolution, the transition period we are experiencing, in which that dominance is dented in numbers and in essence it is the final goal, yet to be implemented.

And, therefore, why, after more than ten years, do I feel the need to return to what was expressed, initially in a definitive form?

For the abomination that has been carried out, at all levels and by almost everyone about the very essence of energy.

This is why I talk about betrayal.

Because the energy was literally betrayed, by everyone.

By those who place themselves in the wake of the darkest conservative tradition, denying the evidence and the scientific aspects.

But also by those who should reform the system, bringing new perspectives and correct social dynamics.

Even they have not been able to keep faith with the very essence of energy and have launched themselves into harmful campaigns, if not even lent themselves to exploitation and mystification.

And what about the centers of power, from politics to the media, from economics to industry?

Worse still.

Nobody, or almost nobody, has kept faith in the scientific and real implications, while almost everyone has been seduced by the great power of ideologies.

Here are the ideologies.

The a priori assumptions, the preconceived theses, the speaking in slogans and stock phrases, forgetting reality.

This has tainted the debate and decisions.

At all levels.

And so today we find ourselves entangled in an indistinct mud, in a Manichean contrast between opposing equally fallacious ideologies.

It can be said that humanity has failed in these ten years.

He did not understand the meaning of energy policies and the very meaning of development and progress.

By doing so, nothing will be achieved.

Neither from the environmental nor from the social front.

It will only be a mere re-proposal of old and unsuccessful schemes, even if presented from a green or blue perspective or with whatever adjective indicates what should be innovative.

There is nothing innovative about this.

No awareness of the real problems and real issues, no battle for the foundations to change, but only targeted and ideological campaigns, as useless as they are harmful.

Yes, because the paradox is that, despite clashing at first sight, the two opposing ideologies achieve the same effects.

Those of canceling any possibility of real change in a correct direction and that of talking nonsense without ever achieving a real goal.

Ideologies that feed themselves without providing solutions.

For this reason, the cover of this book represents a wormhole, different, in astrophysical concepts, from a black hole.

The worm hole, more scientifically called the Einstein-Rosen bridge, should, at least in theory, bring into contact parts of space-time that are difficult to reach due to distances (in astrophysics, the distance is both spatial and temporal).

Do we therefore want to jump into this bridge to see what what now seems unattainable should be?

I underline, right from the start, that this book will not have many supporters, as it will distribute criticisms of all kinds to both ideologies.

It's just that we have been accustomed for too long to taking sides either over here or over there, as if between opposing groups of fans.

So those who consider themselves from here think about climate conspiracy theories, denialism of all kinds, about the fact that we can continue in this way because it has always been done this way and life on this Planet will continue anyway, regardless of our commitment.

A sinister and blind way of washing one's conscience a priori, without caring about the future, but only thinking about the selfishness of the present, fueled largely by the desire to make profits in the shortest possible time, without worrying about others, be they people or the environment .

And instead those who consider themselves beyond, with a certain air of superiority, launch themselves into universal battles on points so controversial and insignificant that they pass for fake revolutionaries, especially if they then preach but in reality live like everyone else, with the same excesses and waste.

Is this a trend or an attempt to go against the grain to gain applause from a public sensitive to ethical issues?

It is not interesting to probe the reason for this.

What matters is that both categories are far from understanding the real nature of energy and what should be done.

The former, for convenience and interest, the latter for intrinsic difficulties in wanting to take on a complex topic.

Complexity, precisely.

This totem that everyone wants to avoid, but from which we must necessarily start.

They will tell me that complexity is the enemy of consensus, of slogans, of the way of attracting easy praise.

All true.

But if you don't have the courage to ask such questions, with what right do you think you can act to change an entire system so radically?

With some ad hoc rule which then turns out to be counterproductive and distorting?

For all the reasons explained, there are few who will recognize themselves in the pages that follow.

I assure every reader that he will find himself uncomfortable reading some paragraphs or chapters.

Precisely for the fact of not wanting to give discounts to anyone and to highlight who and what he betrayed.

The starting point will extraordinarily coincide with the arrival point.

In fact, the solutions can only derive from the overall vision and understanding of what is actually present in the world of energy.

One last note before we begin.

No numbers or tables, data or references will be presented.

This is not a technical book and then the numbers are overestimated and I say this as a technician and an engineer.

The data, whose size and complexity would deserve another book in its own right, are often manipulated for ideology and to demonstrate one's a priori beliefs.

More than data, ideas and interpretations will be expressed, what philosophy has put at the basis of many systems and ways of understanding the reality that surrounds us.

CHAPTER 1 – THE OVERALL VISION

At the beginning of the book, we try to draw a map that will serve as a guide in the difficult attempt to extricate ourselves from the intricacies of the energy question.

This map must always be kept in mind when tackling the various problems of the subsequent chapters.

––––––––

Complexity and understanding

––––––––

The starting point about any topic dealing with energy is that it is a complex system.

What does this mean? What is a complex system characterized by?

To get straight to the point, a complex system is composed of the presence of all the following points:

It is a multi-variable system

It is a system in which there are hidden parameters and variables

It is a system in which the principle of linearity does not apply

It is a system in which the principle of cause and effect does not apply

It is a system in which feedback mechanisms are present

It is a system in which the principle of superposition of effects does not apply

It is a non-zero-sum system

It is a system that does not have immediate effect

It is a system in which it is not known the latency time, i.e. the time in which a given disturbance will cause its effect

Each of these characteristics dismantles every deterministic and statistical certainty piece by piece, configuring a system completely different from what we are used to dealing with.

In particular:

There is not a single variable that influences the energy scenario (multi-variable system). This translates into the impossibility of analyzing a single aspect, be it technical, economic, social or political. Energy must be taken in its entirety.

There are hidden variables or latent parameters that manifest themselves only in a given unknown time and under effects not known a priori. It means that it is impossible to predict and parameterize an energy system by understanding its subsequent evolutions starting from an initial state.

It is a purely non-linear system. Large perturbations on some variables can produce no or minimal effects, while small perturbations on others can lead to noticeable divergences. Furthermore, some parameters can go to zero or infinity without modifying the others or settling on finite values.

There are no effects determined by specific causes, but there are contributory causes which are also effects, more or less simultaneous.

Linked to the previous point, there is the feedback mechanism, that is, an effect can become the cause of something else and even of itself. The feedback mechanisms can cross each other and be linked and nested within each other.

The union between non-linearity and the abandonment of the principle of cause and effect leads to the total defeat of the superposition of effects, that is, it is not true that