What a difference a century makes
<p><span word="Earlier">Earlier</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="summer">summer</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piloted">piloted</span> <span word="fixed">fixed</span>-<span word="wing">wing</span> <span word="aircraft">aircraft</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Solar">Solar</span> <span word="Impulse">Impulse</span> <span word="completed">completed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span>-<span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="circumnavigation">circumnavigation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sun">sun</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="ABB">ABB</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="builder">builder</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="electricity">electricity</span> <span word="grids">grids</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> $48.1 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="fortune">fortune</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="automation">automation</span> <span word="technology">technology</span>.</p><p><span word="Shortly">Shortly</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="aircraft">aircraft</span> <span word="triumphantly">triumphantly</span> <span word="touched">touched</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Abu">Abu</span> <span word="Dhabi">Dhabi</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="July">July</span> 26, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="happened">happened</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="PR">PR</span> <span word="piece">piece</span>, <span word="attributed">attributed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ABB">ABB</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="CEO">CEO</span> <span word="Ulrich">Ulrich</span> <span word="Spiesshofer">Spiesshofer</span>.</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="struck">struck</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Spiesshofer">Spiesshofer</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="spiel">spiel</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="paragraph">paragraph</span> <span word="describing">describing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="founding">founding</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ABB">ABB</span>, 125 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, "<span word="by">by</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="enterprising">enterprising</span> <span word="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</span>" <span word="who">who</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> "<span word="to">to</span> <span word="explore">explore</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="potential">potential</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="promising">promising</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="electricity">electricity</span>".</p><p><span word="Wow">Wow</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="thought">thought</span>. <span word="How">How</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="come">come</span>!</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="century">century</span> <span word="mankind">mankind</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="transformed">transformed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="lit">lit</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="candles">candles</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="lamps">lamps</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fastest">fastest</span> <span word="forms">forms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="travel">travel</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="horseback">horseback</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="steamship">steamship</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="globalized">globalized</span>, <span word="homogenized">homogenized</span> <span word="sphere">sphere</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="today">today</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="unrecognizable">unrecognizable</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="before">before</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="electricity">electricity</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="about">about</span> 85 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> - <span word="by">by</span> <span word="which">which</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="largely">largely</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="electricity">electricity</span> - <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="sources">sources</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="eventually">eventually</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="depleted">depleted</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mention">mention</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="impact">impact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="reserves">reserves</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="earth">earth</span> <span word="elements">elements</span> - <span word="those">those</span> <span word="magic">magic</span> <span word="metals">metals</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="smartphones">smartphones</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="MRI">MRI</span> <span word="machines">machines</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="batteries">batteries</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="powered">powered</span> <span word="Solar">Solar</span> <span word="Impulse">Impulse</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="groundbreaking">groundbreaking</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>.</p>
页:
[1]