The New Production Lines

David Leonhardt points out a real problem, but is rather short on real Solutions. Identification of the Problem insists that it centered around the switch from traditional practices in almost all Sectors of the economy, this switch itself focused on technological, high-energy use of heavily-capitalized equipment for higher Production levels. Can the Trend be reversed, and would We want that Reversal even if We could accomplish it? The Answer to either question is a probable NO. The advantages of technological Production remain too great to be spiked by accessory problems.

We must learn to turn the disadvantages of technological Production around to Our advantage, retaining the current values of technology while eliminating Capital and Operating Costs from the equation. Some Rules of Thumb are valuable in this context: Smaller is cheaper than larger, micro-production units can maintain Production levels with lower Energy and Materials Costs; alternative Energy sources work far more successfully with micro-production units, there being far less Cost in the Collection processes of alternative Energy production; micro-production units employ higher levels of labor, this labor divided by Job design rather than the previous Production element fulfillment; and multiple Sourcing of Production materials supplies suppression of Material and Energy Costs, in conjunction with eliminating primary dependence on Material sources.

Research must assume the leadership role in transition to greater Productivity, but also an identical position in Job Creation. Government and Business need to fund the Research Costs. I still await a high-Tech small farm experiment where Size is limited to 40 acres, Energy source is underground electrical cables supplied with Energy from solar panels, watered by treated sewage pumped in collectively from neighboring communities and animal confinements at night, capital equipment limited only to the base needs–equipment to run on Set-pattern lines conforming to electrical line access, and powered by no larger than a 12-Horse electrical motor; all of such Equipment to function automatically without human supervision–only human maintenance and Sensor cut-outs, with the Equipment component-capable of being easily switched from Plot to Plot. I cannot wait to see a small Harvester (think Combine) totally powered by Solar, which can harvest 10 acres per day, leaving the Grain in end-bins for Collection purposes; the totality of Capital Equipment Cost for the average Plot coming to less than $100,000.

I have used Agriculture as a base example, but any Production enterprise can be converted to micro-production. Think of a Machine totally run by the Solar panels above it, which costs no more than five times the Cost of the Product which it produces, and which produces only one unit of Production per day. Seem Insane? Designed Buildings, Solar panels and Mirrors, stacked machinery, and alternative materials for Capital equipment could provide all the necessary Energy and Materials for Production; while eliminating Heating Costs, heavy Building construction to protect against Weather, with high levels of Job Creation in Machine Maintenance, Material supply, and Product Distribution. Think about it! lgl