“Mommy!”
“Yes Dear?”
”Mommy, those funny people, you know, who said you can go inwards and then outwards to Paradise, I didn’t see any Ipods, Video Glasses or Quad Band TV Mobiles. And nobody was on the phone, so they don’t even have Cell Phones!”
But Mommy is really engrossed in ‘The Elegant Biker’, and only says: “Deary me!”, so I jump into the breach: “Johnny, err, those people are from the Stone Age – they don’t even count numbers yet. They definitely had no Cell Phones, and probably not those other things either.”
“But how do they know who is friends and who isn’t, where to meet in the Mall and what is cool to wear, if they can’t phone each other?”
Great, a chance to sound off on my favourite subject: “Johnny, err, those funny people, who by the way are our direct ancestors and genetically the same as us, had only the power of their own bodies to work with – there was no use of coal, oil and gas to increase this power 1000 – fold, which is what has happened in modern times.
(Note: Human food energy utilised for work = Long term 3 kWh per day per worker, North American energy consumption = 300 kWh per day per inhabitant, South African consumption = 100 kWh, which means every South African has on average 30 Personal Assistants!)
So, do you see, for a hundred thousand years our ancestors were totally preoccupied with sorting out food, warmth and protection against the elements, and just didn’t have any energy left for beautiful houses, Ford Mustangs and holidays in Tahiti, never mind cell phones.”
And Mommy, briefly distracted from her Elegant Bikers, has a quirky contribution to make: “What’s more, do you know that in 200 years time when there are no more fossil fuels left, people will have to pedal quite hard on a bicycle generator so that they can watch TV. Just imagine the shape everybody will be in then!”
Well, Mommy has made a good point, but I cannot just leave it at that: “Of course, nuclear energy may well come to the aid of the couch potatos – but only if some of the current research works out and no little mishaps occur along the way!”
Little Johnny has a brain wave: “I don’t think we should take a chance with this nuclear energy thing. Why don’t we get a bicycle generator, Mommy can exercise for hours on it and we can watch TV together. And if we get a tandem bicycle, then you, Mister, can join us and we can even watch satellite TV and have Surround Sound!”
“Tandem..., Hmm....”
