During the initial Covid-19 outbreak, when the US was short of critical personal protective equipment at hospitals and care facilities, an interesting thing happened. Individuals, hobbyists, with access to inexpensive 3D printers, began a wave of distributed manufacturing to meet the shortages local to their communities. Crafters sewed thousands of masks with materials purchased at local thrift stores to protect those who worked on the frontlines and were short of this life saving, yet incredibly simple, tool. We knew as it was happening that while this display of resourcefulness was amazing to watch, it was also a sign of the failure of centralized government and business to protect our communities.

This morning, as I reflected on ways small things can make a massive difference, I was reminded of a 2010 episode from the BBC series The History of the World in 100 Objects. The final object was a solar charger and lamp.  This small, self-contained object, means that dark hours no longer have to mean the end of education for communities dependent on propane. How? The rationing of propane burning means the cost of light at night has to be balanced against the need for heat or to cook. With a solar lamp, light is cheap, and sharable. Books are readable and education can continue. That there is a need to get basic lighting to people wherever they might be is also a failure of resource distribution on a large scale.

When the coffee finally started to kick in, I realized that the solar lamp, and the wave of distributed manufacturing, were both pointing to something unheard of: true independence and a more just standard of living across the globe.  When individuals are able to source their power from the sun, or the wind, and are no longer dependent on larger corporations for extended periods, a radical shift can take place.  

Ongoing energy dependence can change. As the increase of efficiency in panels continues and with the creation of modular generators that allow for the upgrade of components rather than entire objects, independence can radically shift whole communities’ standard of living.

In Europe, Germany is experimenting with distributed grids right now, where the distribution of energy not just from solar farms, but from homes, has already started. How effective is this? Shell has purchased one of the leaders in this exploration and continues to invest in this experiment. Oil companies are becoming energy companies not because it’s the right thing to do, but because the independence of the individual is pushing the market away from them. 

Looking forward, as we consider possible futures, one thing is clear: even the most individual of solutions means we are still in this collectively, using distributed networks and resources to meet the needs of the many rather than fill the pockets of the few.