Early Energy Experiments

One day a group of people came to Oombulgurri to demonstrate how to make methane gas. They put some cow dung in a container hooked up to an inner tube, explaining the tube would be filling up with the gas that could be used as an alternative fuel - maybe not renewable in an of itself without animals, but definitely the use of a substance that would not deplete or do harm the environment.

Mind you, this was in the 70's when this was being proposed. We were all very impressed and thanked them as they left on the next tide to travel down the river toward their next demonstration site.

Everyone forgot about the methane experiment until a few days later when there was a huge explosion and the whole village was saturated with this overwhelmingly rich odor of a highly populated dairy farm! Alas, the methane had continued to accumulate, filling the inner tube to its limit and the thing exploded.

There is an insight here about follow through. I am fairly certain the demonstration team did not leave behind, any directions for how to use the methane. Apparently, their demonstration was not particularly motivating, since nobody thought to ask how to use it as an alternative energy source.

There is another insight on creating the capacity to store energy. As we know today, in this new millenium 35 years later, while a viable energy alternative, storing it and accessing it for use is also a major project.

35-40 years ago, this demonstration team was a visionary dynamic for a very real need today, one that is beyond obvious and in the realm of critical. Oombulgurri was such a demonstration, realizing the need for sustainable local community. Perhaps we left behind a means for a village to follow through as well as developing the capacity for storing energy for ongoing use.

My opinion is that we never passed the demonstration stage and this was true for all demonstrations of that time. Now, everyone is scrambling to pick up what was started and run with it while we still have a planet - with people on it - TO sustain.

A whole inner world of Spirit life has also exploded and made its presence available for all of us who have access to mass media and spiritual centers scattered everywhere.

Have we learned to follow through on our own knowledge of alternative energy sourcing?  Have we developed the capacty to store energy safely and use it for sustaining life in local community?

Are we ready to take it to the world?