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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Antimatter as Rocket Fuel, SETI, US Electricity Production
Message-ID: <6366@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Feb-86 20:11:59 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6366
Posted: Wed Feb  5 20:11:59 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Feb-86 20:11:59 EST
References: <8602031417.AA08852@s1-b.arpa>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 17

> I think the US energy consumption in 1940 was somewhat larger than you
> say...

I'll have to check the numbers; I may have to revise the dates somewhat.
My point remains intact, though, I think:  our ability to control and
manipulate energy has expanded enormously in the very recent past.

> ...Electricity consumption had been (until recently) growing
> at about 7% a year, so over 50 years would go up only about thirty times.

Beware of backward extrapolation of numbers that are quite recent (on the
scale I'm speaking of).  Even if 7% is accurate 50 years back, it cannot
be accurate much beyond that.  We haven't had major power plants for more
than 75 years or so.  A factor of 30 in 50 years gives us 250MW in 1886!
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry