Energy is associated with almost everything, for an individual it is an evaluation of what makes him move, work and think. It may be associated with a person’s job, how they make a living. It is associated with how the person plays and exercises.
And it determines what a person does when they get home from work, if their energy is depleted they will take a nap, grab a snack, or both, etc. Energy is such an important issue for personal reasons but energy is also a constant and universal concern for institutions as well. Energy determines what we can do or cannot do or how well and effectively we can do it. Ralph Waldo Emerson said;
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Our homes need some kind of energy to light the lights, operate the furnace and air conditioning units needing energy to heat or cool the house. And all the appliances are energy dependent. In this modern age we are almost totally dependent on industrial energy sources for the way we live in our society. Most communities are dependent on the city or an energy company for this energy. When I was a youth we used chopped wood as an energy source to heat and cook by. But chopping wood is outdated except in wilderness areas.
Our cars need energy provided by gasoline to make the engine and it’s luxury appliances work. To mow my lawn I need energy to drive my power lawn mower and weed eater etc. and it is usually gas or electricity. Before power lawn mowers, we mowed our lawns with human energy systems or in other words, muscle power.
Towns and cities need to negotiate with energy companies to provide all that energy to each of the homes in their jurisdiction as mentioned above. They do it in different ways, they usually contract with a power company of one kind or another. Seldom do they develop and maintain their own sources of energy. The power company may use water power along available rivers to generate power, some are geographically nearby coal mines and use coal, some pipe oil to their plants, and some use natural gas. All these systems may have auxiliary power supplies such as; wind or solar power while other types of power sources are being developed. Private industry, university research labs, and federal government labs are all trying to improve, or expand energy sources in anticipation of greater future needs in both the private and public sectors.
Science defines energy as the property of objects which can be transferred to other objects or converted into different forms. The “ability of a system to perform work” is a common description, but it is misleading because energy is not necessarily available to do work. Energy problems are a constant and world wide issue. The following is a description of how scientists solve problems:
While not every effective problem solver employs the same approach, they all have habits which they share in common. An effective scientific problem-solver…
…reads the problem carefully and develops a mental picture of the physical situation. If needed, they sketch a diagram to visualize it.
…identifies the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. They equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity
…plots a strategy for solving the unknown quantity; the strategy will typically center around the use of physics equations.
…identifies the appropriate formula(s) to use. Where needed, they perform the needed conversion of quantities into the proper unit.
…performs substitutions and algebraic manipulations to solve the unknown.
Their approach is similar to a layman administrator’s approach to solving problems in most every other circumstance. Something in the operation is seen that doesn’t work well, it is inefficient, and/ or is not cost effective. So you study or measure the issue, alone or with select others. Alternative solutions are laid out so they can be studied and compared with regards to, energy conservation of employees and plant, so that there can be greater output with fewer steps or physical movements. Energy is so important to almost every person, institution, and governments are always trying to find ways to get more or use what they have more efficiently and effectively.
In regards to individual and personal energy, it isn’t totally dependent on food. It seems that we almost always have the energy to do what we really enjoy and want to do. Two guys working together at the same job, eating similar meals, will come home from work and one, wants only to plop himself down on the couch and watch TV proclaiming to his wife that he is exhausted. While the other has a basketball game lined up with some friends. He changes clothes and spends the next two hours playing basketball. After he gets back home he has supper and his wife reminds him that he needs to mow the lawn. So he changes into some grubbies and starts up the lawn mower. In the meantime: his work companion has his supper and goes back to the TV and munches on snacks. At bedtime he hardly has the energy to get up off the couch and go to bed. The other goes to bed tired but happy knowing that he has a good life.
The energy conclusion of that story is that it seems that we always have the personal energy to do the things that we really want to do or the things that are important to us. Yes. food, our energy supplier, is important but no more important than is the drive to do the things we really want to do. Energy or drive comes from both food and one’s personal incentive and desire to achieve. And yes, life is complicated. Ralph Waldo was right; “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”