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“Louis Pasteur died in the late 1800’s; besides making milk healthier, he left a statement, which I will quote, ‘Science knows no country because knowledge belongs to humanity and is the torch which illuminates all the world’”, the wispy voice of Yuto Tanaka declared. “Now you understand why I cannot allow you to hold the patents or the technology of the new energy.” The puffy eyes that Ho was glaring through were glittering bright blue slits as he stared at the self-made billionaire and global industrialist.
“And somehow my non-profit organization is not humanity?” Ho was seething.
He resented the lecture he was getting; at being forced in handcuffs into this spacious office and he was livid at the hostage situation—a hostile takeover of the Mariachi Generating Systems. The beating he had taken from Alkichi Kuboyama and a couple company body guards had gotten him in a rotten mood.
“From what I know and have experienced, directly, about you, humanity is unimportant to you. Explain to me how Tanaka Resources intends to illuminate the world,” challenged Ho.
“There have been no new oil fields discovered in over a decade, unless you count the off-shore areas your government has blocked, with their silly notion scarcity will drive innovation. I admit Obama’s vendetta against coal is probably good for the world. Asia’s coal consumption is contributing to an intolerable percentage of greenhouse gas—this is the sustainable energy of the future, it is just not the time. Timing, you know, is everything. The fossil fuel sources need to gradually disappear, not overnight; the exact thing you are causing. Overnight changes are financially irresponsible. I will introduce these phenomena at a more financially astute point in the inevitable decline of oil dependency. They should nominate you for the Nobel Peace Award but your early timing will cost the major banks and oil markets trillions of dollars.” Tanaka stared, unflinching.
“It’s never too early to do the right thing—my mom taught me that, with a willow I had to select,” Ho countered. “Timing is never a concern when confronting a moral dilemma.”
“Timing is my main concern,” Tanaka insisted. “The right thing has to match the right time.”
“My Indian friend, Chief Joseph White Goat, tells me timing usually has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance,” Ho offered conversationally, managing a split lip grin, thinking of Smokey.
The wrinkled old eyes of his captor crinkled even more. Yuto laughed a thin harsh laugh. “Ah, yes; exactly—it is too soon in the season for rain; I will tell you both when to dance.”
“You are an archaic, ancient old oxymoron—teach like Confucius, but behave like Genghis.”
“Ho, ho—Ho, I should write that down.” Yuto was wagging his old grey head. “A farm boy from Utah schools me with Asian history, you know nothing, Mr. Tanner.”
“I grew up kinda normal. My early years were not spent on a deserted, contaminated rock island.” Ho was getting animated because of the abduction and the insult of a put down.
“You have heard of my humble beginnings, I see.” The CEO had a grudging respect for Ho and his principles; but giving away something of great value was not part of the benevolence Yuto was trying to impress Ho Tanner. “Perhaps you have a misconception about my ideals, and my life’s work. I penned this essay a short while ago, published in Shang-hai and Hong Kong. Read it and ascertain the level of my concern for the future of the planet. Someone from a contaminated rock island can also care immensely.”
The article was not long but sounded the concern and need for alternative energy immediately:
Humans today collectively consume a mind boggling 13 terawatts (13 trillion watts of power) Eighty-five percent of that consumption comes from fossil fuels that belch carbόn dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. CO-2 levels are the highest point in the last 125,000 years, according to researchers at the California Institute of Technology. Energy experts predict that due to global population increases and economic development the world will need an additional 30 trillion watts by 2050. The additional increase and most, if not all, current consumption must be replaced by carbόn free sources, comprising the greatest technological challenge the world has ever faced.
Major research into solar and wind sources are underway, but the funding is puny compared to the need. The White House has committed 800 billion dollars to the research and development of alternative green power, but much of it was wasted by ignorance and corruption. The small contribution globally, of hydro power and whatever nuclear plants are still allowed to proliferate and operate dangerously, is insignificant for tomorrow’s need. Furthermore, the hand wringing geologists of the world are predicting a threshold in oil production, at which time the costs will be prohibitive.
The issue, however, is not the continued production of oil and natural gas and millenniums worth of coal, but the serious climate problems we inherent long before we run out of fossil fuels. Solar development is growing at 8 billion dollars a year but only provides three gigawatts annually. You cannot store electricity in its wave function capacity, and we can’t use it directly. Our sun puts out enough energy, but only 170,000 terawatts strike the earth every hour, of which over one-third are reflected back into space. To harvest 20 terawatts with solar panels which are only ten percent efficient, using current technology would require covering 20 percent of the earth’s surface with collection panels. Covering every home in the world with solar collectors would get about 0.25 terawatts, one tenth of the consumption. Huge solar farms would start environmental battles over land use, such as the American standoff between Nevada ranchers and Senator Harry Reid’s manipulation of BLM authority. The problem then becomes converting the energy into storage systems...an extremely expensive venture.
Tanaka Resources is currently working on developing an alternate energy by converting hydrogen into a gas form of fuel, but again, the transportation and infrastructure would be prohibitively costly. We have heard that a discovery in the west has provided cheap power, clean and sustainable; however, the mechanism works because of consolidated frequency of gold deposits, amplified by large crystals. The new MJD energy could be the answer but the limited supply of gold, and the increasing demand for large crystals could limit its introduction into modern countries. Though unique, it is not understood enough to duplicate indefinitely. The bottom line is that an international funding for research on the scale of the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Program combined is necessary.
We can fly to the moon but refuse to shoot for the sun. America, since the Carter Administration, has committed money and lots of talk, but has not embraced the global warming tragedy that looms ahead. I, personally, continue to make advances in hydrogen and nanotechnology, but there is simply no way to provide large amounts of power by 2040 without continued dependence on fossil fuels. The scientific issues connected to serious hydrogen substitution are deep and hard to manage safely. Tanaka Resources remain committed to the future of clean energy...whatever it takes. We will use the same tenacity, the same desperation, and the same genius that contributed to nuclear fission...we promise to never allow destruction of living things to override scientific progress.
———YUTO TANAKA Editorial
Ho finished reading the article and surveyed Yuto, working behind his desk. He was sure that the well-intentioned company was really a self-serving front for a vindictive and gluttonous corporation. Whatever Mr. Tanaka’s personal creed was remained to be discovered; actions were louder than words. Ho decided.
“We share one goal, Mr. Tanaka. We both seek a better and lasting energy source,” Ho announced, tossing the ed-op page on the desk, “You because of greed, care little, really, about rising sea levels or a shift away from fossil fuels and, me, I seek greater knowledge about man’s impact on the planet, not the hysteria and hype of green energy progressives are spending billions on, while you are wasteful, and disingenuous, and even worse, unethical.”
Yuto Tanaka blinked but said nothing. This young Indian had seen right through him. Ho continued with his indictment of Tanaka and his ilk.
“Red Feather and the Hopi Prophecy have taught me the corporate greed and banking institutions of this world are not high places but are the lowest gutters of humanity. Continued reliance on carbon dioxide and methane producing energy is now criminal, if you have an alternative. The cure for the earth’s ailment is the company you are stealing from, me. Louis Pasteur was right, my contribution ‘belongs to no country’ and shouldn’t belong to a corporation as rapacious as Tanaka Resources.”
The CEO reached for a slender cigar and after lighting it, studied Ho through the smoke. This American was an angry and able foe and, if positions were reversed, Yuto would think like him but they were not reversed. Tanaka had always gotten his way and his loans and purchases were for the good; he was not going to suppress or destroy the Mariachi Power sources, he was just going to delay them until OPEC and the Pacific Rim Markets were about to collapse then be hailed as a savior by the progressives and environmentalists of the world.
“It is my intention to realize Rockefeller’s dream of worldwide monopoly. I will own the future, as you westerners say, ‘lock, stock, and barrel’.”
“Nothing but a robber baron, a modern Genghis Khan,” taunted Ho, in a steely voice. “How are you different? Steal, abduct, coerce...who knows what Rockefeller’s team did to stop Tesla.”
“I have lent and granted hundreds of billions,” the old tycoon yelled, “to numerous nations for solar, wind, hydro and nuclear energy research and resultant Infrastructure. Where do you suppose your President got his 600 billion to pursue green projects and create all those jobs?” Ho rolled what was left of his eyes; it hurt, so he just snorted derisively.
“Jobs? Like Solyndra and the Cape Wind Projects?” Ho mocked. “That went to nowhere; about like the return on that money to Obama; you’ll see nothin’.”
“Please do not underestimate me,” continued Yuto, “I am a benign figure on the world stage.”
Then this benevolence should allow me to freely walk out, find medical attention for ‘bumping into the door’, and you should stop the brown-out attack on the existing Mariachi Generating Systems. That would be the behavior of a benign figure.” Ho growled a little, “or is Yuto Tanaka really the thug I have observed, the kidnapper, the extortionist, the heroin dealer and the leader of the ‘black clads’ pseudo army?” Yuto looked visibly agitated at the accusations.
“Benign is your accommodations in the gym at my building, instead of a POW camp in the jungle, benign is nations working out the transfer of power harmlessly, instead of dropping bigger and bigger atomic bombs,” Yuto Tanaka was glaring at Ho, seventy years of distrust twisting his features. “Benign, young man, for me personally, is allowing your girlfriend to negotiate your release instead of having Mr. Kuboyama drop you from the 45th floor pool deck.” He paused to see if his threat had the intended effect on Ho. There was nothing on his face but a few bruises. “Any other complaints of my benign treatment?”
Yuto Tanaka actually smiled and looked benign enough but the eyes were hard and the hatred emanating from behind his curved teak and sterling desk was not the effect of a benevolent being. It was obvious illuminating humanity was not at the top of Mr. Tanaka’s list of world changes. The torch he had raised was not for light, it was for burning his enemies.