Simon Michaux: "The Arcadian Blueprint" | The Great Simplification #68 - YouTube ←Click here to watch video.
Show Summary:
In this episode, Simon Michaux returns to discuss his new paper “A Resource Balanced Economy”, which outlines an alternative economic and social system. This conversation builds off of his two previous episodes on The Great Simplification, unpacking the ideas and tools that will be helpful in planning for an unknown future with more energy and material constraints. How can we be more intentional about the design of our technology to make products that are longer lasting and easier to reuse? How can we organize society to create resilient communities based around actual human needs, rather than endless efficiency geared towards growth? Can an ‘Arcadian Blueprint’ emerge, and at what scale, and by whom?
About Simon Michaux:
Dr. Simon Michaux is an Associate Professor of Geometallurgy at the Geological Survey of Finland. He has a PhD in mining engineering. Dr. Michaux’s long-term work is on societal transformation toward a circular economy.
Dear Nate Hagens and Simon Michaux -
Okay, this question is mostly for Simon.
How long would it take to build (and bring online as functioning) a thorium reactor as a commercial electric plant? (This leaves aside the question of finding out whether this can be done in the first place, and the time entailed.)
My framing of all technological energy questions assumes we're already beyond any plausibly real "carbon budget" (with any additional atmospheric carbon being more added to already way too much -- ask me why I say so if need be, and I'll explain). So any technological "solutions' which put us ten, fifteen or twenty years from now for practical real world application is meaningless to me.
So why should I even care a bit about thorium? Hmm?
No, this is NOT a rhetorical question. It's very sincere.