Charged Life

De: Mark A. Ashford

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Is this is the Information Age[1], the Digital Age[2] or the Electricity Age?[3]

I know of no digital device that functions without electricity. Even if fully off-grid, you’ll need electricity, likely from a solar panel, batteries, and a camera and laptop. In remote mountain cabins, Starlink internet can aid uploading. None of this works without electricity, so I declare the Electrical Age began on September 4, 1882, when Charles Edison lit up Manhattan, New York, USA.

A lot has changed since 1882. Most importantly, the need for electricity. Take a moment and think about your day from when you opened your eyes. If the alarm clock is mechanical and you wind it up, it does not need electricity but most of us use a clock radio or our phones they also charge overnight. Next, to the bathroom. Sorry, flushing the toilet and water for the shower involve electricity. Somewhere there is a pump maintaining the water pressure you enjoy and a heater for the water. Keep going, the toaster, the fridge, the electric light and so on, and so on.

Enter climate change, electric vehicles, and the push for electrification. Electricity must be everywhere today. Previous societal changes didn’t heavily depend on one energy source the way we depend on electricity. Wood, coal, and oil enabled previous changes, but electricity is different. It cannot be stored or moved without batteries, transmission cables, or wiring that has already been manufactured and installed.

The urgent need to address the environmental crisis, caused by fossil fuel dependency, is pressing. The escalating demand for electricity to power a project 14 Billion[4] Air Conditioning Units by 2050. Yes – you read that right! They will conflict with increasing numbers of EVs. We lack the preparedness and management strategies to cope.

This book examines challenges in reworking society, especially with electrification, air conditioning and electric vehicles, while addressing environmental challenges like commuting. Despite environmental improvements during the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing commuting, employers and politicians are ignoring the solution to the climate issue. We are simply not ready for the necessary changes.

Mark A. Ashford
[e-mail]



[1] Wikipeda, "Information Age," (2025).

[2] Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025, "Digital Age," (2025).

[3] Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project, "The Electrical Age," (2025).

[4] Climate Depot, "The Earth Has a Fever – the Only Solution Is 14 Billion Air Conditioners."