Free energy – fact or fiction?

In a world where energy consumption is always rising, the cost of generating energy is becoming ever more expensive. So it is not surprising that in many countries, including Malta, this subject always features as an election issue.

This is because the cost of energy has a big impact on the cost of living. It also affects the country’s economy. Fortunately, many countries that rely on conventional methods of producing energy from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas are seeking alternative ways of meeting their energy demand.

The main concerns regarding fossil fuels are their price fluctuations, environmental pollution, dependence on other countries’ extraction and transport logistics of these fossil fuels. In the past five years, the price of crude oil has almost doubled.

Since 1985 there have been 19 cases of environmental disasters caused by oil spills, the latest major one in the Gulf of Mexico.

Current methods of generating energy harm the environment due to air pollution. An international study shows that asthma is one possible symptom of such pollution.

In Malta in 2002, almost 15 per cent of children suffered from asthma, though it cannot be attributed completely to air pollution. This rate is double that of 1995. The higher incidence of this condition indicates that it is not mainly a natural condition, but is being aggravated by more air pollution.

To date, Malta has no fossil fuel energy resources so it is at the mercy of other countries’ fuel extraction and delivery policies. In situations of political turmoil, energy-producing countries are in a strong position to penalise a country by refusing to supply it with this source of energy.

This is why, in today’s world, the struggle for power is directly linked to the struggle for oil. These concerns are enough to put pressure on governments to start exploiting renewable energy sources.

Although this form of power generation has many advantages, investing in this technology is still very costly, which is why some governments are reluctant to follow this route exclusively. For example, energy generation using solar panels has been around for more than a decade. Since then, technology, especially in semiconductors, has grown exponentially. However, there was little technological advancement in the field of renewable energy generation.

Today, it takes from six to 10 years to recover one’s investment in the renewable energy technology currently available on the market. After this time, a reinvestment might be necessary to keep up with advances in technology. To reinvest in the newer technology one needs to fork out even more money.

Is it really in the interest of the big oil corporations to invest in this technology to make it more efficient? The stakes for these corporations are high considering they have made their money by using traditional methods of energy generation for so long.

Besides, keeping control over oil is synonymous with controlling the world’s political fate. So it is not surprising that the big oil firms will lobby with all their might to keep the status quo and brand fossil fuels as the main sources of energy.

Everyone is led to believe that free energy generation is not possible. This might not be completely true. The cosmos, even the empty regions of the universe, is said to be composed of anti-matter (or dark matter). Anti-matter is linked to the generation of gravity. If one can harness this element, doubts that free energy generation is not possible will cease to exist.

An independent, non-profit foundation, known as Keshe Foundation (www.keshefoundation.org/en), was set up to promote new technologies for space exploration. It claims to have achieved success in generating free energy by using the concept of matter versus anti-matter, which can create a gravitational effect. This artificial gravity can then be used to generate electricity.

If what the Keshe Foundation claims is true, the opportunity of free energy generation will also cause the big oil corporations to lose their control on the world’s economic and political climate

Such an innovation will not be easily allowed to become readily available, and immense pressure will surely be exercised not to allow such technology to go out in the public domain.

Having access to free energy is one of the key elements to improve the world’s economic situation. Whether fact or fiction, we surely know that the world’s current main sources of energy are not infinite. The present generation needs to be much more responsible to create a world that is energy self-sufficient, for us and for future generations.

Earth is home to all of us and as humans we cannot continue to abuse its natural resources in an uncontrolled manner. We should not rely on governments to take action. We should start being more aware of the way energy is produced and put pressure on governments to follow the right energy policy.