Do Without Electricity: Carpets, Boilers, Kettles & More

  • Thread starter Thread starter wolram
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and implications of living without electricity in a modern context. Participants explore various aspects, including alternatives to common electrical appliances, lifestyle changes, and historical perspectives on energy use.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that without carpets, vacuum cleaners become unnecessary, and if heating is done with solid fuel, electric boilers and kettles are also redundant.
  • Others express a preference for maintaining modern conveniences like washing machines, questioning the motivation behind a proposed ban on home electricity.
  • There are arguments for a return to simpler, more self-reliant lifestyles, with some participants viewing modern gadgets as distractions from true happiness.
  • Concerns are raised about the environmental impact of solid fuel use, with references to historical issues of resource scarcity and pollution associated with wood and coal.
  • Participants discuss practical challenges, such as how to keep food cold without a refrigerator, suggesting alternatives like cold cellars or gardening.
  • Some express skepticism about the practicality of living without electricity, citing the need for certain appliances and conveniences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; multiple competing views remain regarding the desirability and practicality of living without electricity, as well as the implications of such a lifestyle change.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include unresolved questions about the environmental impact of solid fuels, the practicality of alternative food preservation methods, and the historical context of energy use in past civilizations.

wolram
Gold Member
Dearly Missed
Messages
4,411
Reaction score
551
ELECTRICITY, Ok if you do not have carpets, you will not need a vacuum
cleaner, If all your heating is done by solid fuel, you will not need electric
boilers, if the same solid fuel heated a cooking range, you do not need
electric kettles etc, etc, so i think it would be great if it was banned for
home use, the only exception is a small generator for pc.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
It's a free country: if you want to stand in a river and scrub your clothes clean, you can do so (unless the river-owner objects).
I prefer my washing machine fully functional, though.
 
Arildno

You san go back to the good old wash tub, a bit of exersise is good for you.
 
wolram said:
Arildno

You san go back to the good old wash tub, a bit of exersise is good for you.
:smile:
Very true; I'm planning to.
 
Just think, you could have candle lit dinners every night.
 
I'm not quite sure of your motivation on a home ban; environmental concerns?
 
arildno said:
I'm not quite sure of your motivation on a home ban; environmental concerns?

Not so much, its more getting back to a healthier life style, i mean if you look
around any home every thing is electrically powered, people are even buying
electric paper shredders, why?
 
So it is personal indulgence and laziness you dislike, then?
 
arildno said:
So it is personal indulgence and laziness you dislike, then?

More the modern world, life is to fast these days, and to heavily reliant
on oil and electricity, i know everyone has to earn a living, but making
paper shredders? People can live comfortably without all these gizmos
surly, so maybe a slow roll back in time.
 
  • #10
Well, I think of many of these gizmos as some sort of illusions and glamours by which you are fooled and, being in possession in them, believe yourself to be happy.

If you would promote a self-reliant lifestyle/happiness rather than gadget-dependent brainwashing, then I'm all for it.

Don't see why I should chuck out that washing machine, though..
 
  • #11
arildno said:
Well, I think of many of these gizmos as some sort of illusions and glamours by which you are fooled and, being in possession in them, believe yourself to be happy.

If you would promote a self-reliant lifestyle/happiness rather than gadget-dependent brainwashing, then I'm all for it.

Don't see why I should chuck out that washing machine, though..

Caus you got no lectrictisity that why. :biggrin:
 
  • #12
wolram!If you had a jealous wife/gf who wouldn't let you to spend time here or whetever else,you wouldn't need a small generator for pc too! :devil:
 
  • #13
PLease!
I love my lectricticity, don't take it away from me.
I'll give you anything butt my lectricticity! :cry:
 
  • #14
Lisa! said:
wolram!If you had a jealous wife/gf who wouldn't let you to spend time here or whetever else,you wouldn't need a small generator for pc too! :devil:

But i haven't one :cry: And i bet you use all them there lectrisical things :-p
 
  • #15
arildno and wolram
please stop crying.you don't need to worry about it.I'm sure your girlfriends,let's be hopeful you'll get one :rolleyes: , will have no problem if you spend whole the day everywhere except beside them! :wink: In fact they'll be pleased about that!
 
  • #16
Lisa! said:
arildno and wolram
please stop crying.you don't need to worry about it.I'm sure your girlfriends,let's be hopeful you'll get one :rolleyes: , will have no problem if you spend whole the day everywhere except beside them! :wink: In fact they'll be pleased about that!

Ah but if you got no lectrictisity they might be affraid of the dark, and want
to be by us :-p
 
  • #17
Let's keep moi out of this:
If wollie brings a ladyfriend home and he insists to carry her over the doorstep because the lack of lectric lamps might cause her to stumble in the dark, she'll simply slap him and refuse to enter his den.


(Nor would she like stumbling in the dark, either.)
 
  • #18
wolram said:
Ah but if you got no lectrictisity they might be affraid of the dark, and want
to be by us :-p
Do you know why people are afraif of the dark?
 
  • #19
Lisa! said:
Do you know why people are afraif of the dark?

Well it could be because of things like that giant spider just above your head.
 
  • #20
wolram said:
Well it could be because of things like that giant spider just above your head.
Personaly I'm not afraid of the dark since I'm sure there isn't any dangerous guy around.But I don't think it's a good idea to be with someone who you're afraid of the dark because of him! :wink:
 
  • #21
Lisa! said:
Personaly I'm not afraid of the dark since I'm sure there isn't any dangerous guy around.But I don't think it's a good idea to be with someone who you're afraid of the dark because of him! :wink:

there's nowt t fear bout t dark ceptin fear I am self, so i am going to continue
with my anti lectrictisity campaign.
ps I hope therse no boogy men in your street
 
  • #22
wolram said:
ELECTRICITY, Ok if you do not have carpets, you will not need a vacuum
cleaner, If all your heating is done by solid fuel, you will not need electric
boilers, if the same solid fuel heated a cooking range, you do not need
electric kettles etc, etc, so i think it would be great if it was banned for
home use, the only exception is a small generator for pc.
So naturally you are speaking of a wood stove for heating and cooking. This is a very wonderful idea... except... I live in one of the more heavily forested regions of the world (out of the tropical rain forests) Here, in many areas the use of wood stoves has become a pollution problem and are banned for at least part of the year.

Also ancient Rome and other old civilizations relied heavily on wood as a source of energy, it did not take long before you had to travel miles to find wood to burn. This self created scarcity may have been a factor in the fall of several civilizations.

Air pollution was a sever problem in cities of the early industrial age which used coal as the main fuel. While such solid fuels seem to be a convenient solution they also carry and number of problems of their own.
 
  • #23
Guys,how can one live without a refrigerator...? How do you suggest to keep the food cold without electric energy...?


Daniel.
 
  • #24
Integral said:
So naturally you are speaking of a wood stove for heating and cooking. This is a very wonderful idea... except... I live in one of the more heavily forested regions of the world (out of the tropical rain forests) Here, in many areas the use of wood stoves has become a pollution problem and are banned for at least part of the year.

Also ancient Rome and other old civilizations relied heavily on wood as a source of energy, it did not take long before you had to travel miles to find wood to burn. This self created scarcity may have been a factor in the fall of several civilizations.

Air pollution was a sever problem in cities of the early industrial age which used coal as the main fuel. While such solid fuels seem to be a convenient solution they also carry and number of problems of their own.

Well what about methane? we could have a policy that all bio degrade ables
are used for this,
 
  • #25
dextercioby said:
Guys,how can one live without a refrigerator...? How do you suggest to keep the food cold without electric energy...?


Daniel.

You have a cold cellar, if you stay away from mass produced food stuff it
should keep well.
 
  • #26
dextercioby said:
Guys,how can one live without a refrigerator...? How do you suggest to keep the food cold without electric energy...?


Daniel.
you could be a vegetarian and even produce what you need in a garden.
 
Last edited:
  • #27
You can wring the necks of your own hens.
 
  • #28
My grandmother lived in what was once a hunting lodge for King Louis in the Jura mountains in France (not sure which one, there was a huge plaque imbedded in the wall stating it was his property). It was very rustic, she had electricity for lights, but used bottled gas or wood to cook. There was an outhouse. The barn doors were the mouth of a cat, you couldn't tell unless you walked downhill then looked up and the barn was the cat's face. I loved that place.

Part of the house was bricked off and my sister and I used to pretend that someone had been walled up alive in that section.
 
  • #29
Evo said:
My grandmother lived in what was once a hunting lodge for King Louis in the Jura mountains in France (not sure which one, there was a huge plaque imbedded in the wall stating it was his property). It was very rustic, she had electricity for lights, but used bottled gas or wood to cook. There was an outhouse. The barn doors were the mouth of a cat, you couldn't tell unless you walked downhill then looked up and the barn was the cat's face. I loved that place.

Part of the house was bricked off and my sister and I used to pretend that someone had been walled up alive in that section.

That sounds ideal, i bet you and your sister got up to no good.
 
  • #30
wolram said:
ELECTRICITY, Ok if you do not have carpets, you will not need a vacuum
cleaner, If all your heating is done by solid fuel, you will not need electric
boilers, if the same solid fuel heated a cooking range, you do not need
electric kettles etc, etc, so i think it would be great if it was banned for
home use, the only exception is a small generator for pc.
Sounds like camping! How about we just swap my electric stove for a gas stove and I keep all the other electrical things. I wouldn't be too happy right now without a fan or air conditioner running, especially if I also didn't have a cold refrigerator full of cold beverages. Candle light is nice, but really tough to read by at night. Oh, and don't forget there's electricity required for that phone line so your generator-powered PC can connect to the internet so we can be charmed by your presence. :biggrin:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 117 ·
4
Replies
117
Views
12K
Replies
13
Views
7K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 39 ·
2
Replies
39
Views
6K