More and more of the flow was diverted from production into the political mechanism. Whatever elements in motion compose a stream of energy, enough must go through to complete the circuit and renew production. Water running in an aqueduct to turn a millwheel is a stream of energy; or electricity going through insulated wires; or goods in process from raw materials to finished product and conveyed by a system of transport. If the water channel is pierced with many small openings en route; or electricity taken off by more and more outlets; or the goods expropiated piecemeal at each stage of the process, finally not enough will go through for maintenance of the system. In the energy system comprised in an exchange of goods, the producers and processors have to get back enough to enable them to keep on producing and working up the raw materials and to provide transport...
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- When too much of a resource stream is diverted away from production, the entire system eventually collapses due to lack of renewal.
- In plain terms
- If you divert too much energy away from production, the system breaks.
- What can you take from it?
- Systems require enough flow through production to stay viable.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does diversion become dangerous?
- How do you measure system health?
Another view
Not all diversion is bad; some supports maintenance and governance.
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