This lecture will contrast the use of human-powered labor through history to the work being done for us today by fossil fuel-powered machines. As these finite energy sources decline many of our daily activities and the work needed to sustain good living standards will have to be completed by other means. Many devices exist today that make clean, renewable human power a convenient and reliable way to do work, from milling flour to splitting logs. Participants will get an introduction to a variety of common and not-so-common human-powered devices and the tasks for which they have been created. The presentation packet will include a list of manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers of these devices so participants can gather more details, investigate prices and consider investing in whichever of these devices would be most useful to them. This furthers the transition to a more energy-independent lifestyle.
Barry Wauldron is a lecturer at UofM-Dearborn, teaching courses in urban and cultural geography. Areas of interest include energy, transportation and food systems, the 'peak oil' theory, and responses of the Transition and Re-localization movements. Barry serves on the Board of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, working to preserve farmland and natural space in our region.
