Helios - our star

Our star the sun powers everything.

All our fossil fuels are forms of energy stored away by tiny algae, ancient solar energy collectors, in the era of the dinosaurs. Wind relies on the heating of the earth's surface by the sun, even the nuclear power relies on past stars having created the heavy elements in a super nova that we use as fuel today. If we could only harness fusion, the mechanism by which the sun operates, we would be set. We have tried for decades with no avail, so we have to live our modern lives with what is possible today.

image: Gryffindor

Helios was imagined by the Greeks as the god who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day, as such he can possibly help us understand a little more about energy, shining some light on the topic.

One story involving Helios is that of his son Phaeton who attempted to drive his father's chariot but lost control and set the earth on fire. Humans behave very much in the same way, harnessing powerful forces without possibly understanding the consequences. Is modern man following Pheaton's foot steps?

In this blog I plan to examine our connection to energy, our behavior towards earth, our interactions with our fellow man, and more importantly the future we leave to our children that will inhabit this planet in the wake of what we are doing today. I know there are great opportunities today for the current generation to build a prosperous future; one where we increase the well being of us all. However some of our recent actions have me concerned that we may well be remembered as the cause of future calamities.