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On the Brink of a New Stage in the Industrial Revolution

Salin, Edgar

Kyklos (Basel), 1955-01, Vol.8 (1), p.1-39 [Periódico revisado por pares]

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Título:
On the Brink of a New Stage in the Industrial Revolution
Autor: Salin, Edgar
Assuntos: Adoption of Innovations ; Futures (of Society) ; Industrialization ; International Relations ; Natural Resources ; Nuclear Energy ; Resource Management ; World Economy
É parte de: Kyklos (Basel), 1955-01, Vol.8 (1), p.1-39
Notas: ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
content type line 23
ObjectType-Feature-2
Descrição: What is the coming importance of atomic energy and nuclear physics in the order and structure of world economy? The industrial revolution began with the change in the source of energy and materials from wood to coal and iron. 'Energy' has become the slogan of the entrepreneurial personality type. Monopolies in the field of electronic developments are unavoidably increasing. Changes in the source of energy bring about changes in the location of production. The independent prospector of uranium is bound to disappear faster than the old gold washer. Uranium must be refined in a plant which represents a large outlay of capital. The era of monopoly capitalism (with the aid of price and buying guarantees on the part of the AEC), spells the acquisition of uranium sites by capitalized old enterprises with established mining interests. The establishment of privately owned atomic power plants is encouraged by hidden gov subventions in the US (giving to private industry the results of yrs of gov sponsored atomic research). In addition, the price of plutonium is guaranteed for 7 yrs, and fissionable materials are given free to industries who will pay later only for actually used quantities. This should soon lead to appreciable amounts of energy production by atomic means. This new phase of the industrial revolution occurs at a time when society is in full decomposition. Its success will depend upon whether or not it can stop the social deterioration and establish a basis for new social ties. Today the electricity produced by an atomic plant is competitive in cost with thermically and sometimes even with water produced electricity. Consequently the following considerations become important: if use of water power lowers the water table, atomic power should replace it; countries whose coal resources are nearing exhaustion and those who import coal at high cost must shift to atomic production; where industrialization is being started, atomic energy should be introduced from the outset. Since it can be freely located, many cultural and social dislocations connected with the last cent industrial massing can be avoided. Coal will first become an export item in the US and even England and later lose ground. Thus, there will be a battle between uranium, and, coal and iron interests. The following social and political consequences may be envisaged: anxiety will increase as the amount of fissionable materials and radioactive waste products continually increases; with the increase of anxiety grows the need for security; this brings about the danger of a technocracy, (more powerful than any past dictatorship); restriction of freedom implies restriction of business, monopolistic capitalism and state control become inextricably combined and, due to an irreversible development, lead to state capitalism, state socialism, or state-monopolistic interventionism; finally, on the international scene, only the US, Russia, the Commonwealth and the Congo will remain centers of power because only they have sufficient sources of uranium to be economically and militarily competitive. F. Adler.
Idioma: Alemão

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On the Brink of a New Stage in the Industrial Revolution

Salin, Edgar

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