Jed, Do you know whether or not these numbers reflect services and products that a family can generate to supply their own basic needs? For example, you can construct a house from the local materials by your family labor which does not show up as direct income. The same is true for cattle or plant foods that are consumed before showing up within a market to be sold or taxed.
I know several people that are constructing houses that are quite valuable by sharing labor among themselves. In this manner, only the cost of materials shows up as a form of income. Of course, the guys I am speaking of have a saw mill and own timber lands from which much of the raw materials arise. Very little tax is being collected or actual money changing hands in this case when compared to the usual situation of hiring a company to perform the labor. I recall an expression concerning the poverty of self sufficiency, but if one can supply everything he needs to make a reasonable existance then money is less important. I would not recommend trying to live in that manner, but it might suggest that these people are not as 'poor' as we would expect when comparing the dollars of income. Dave -----Original Message----- From: Jed Rothwell <[email protected]> To: vortex-l <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, Jan 19, 2016 10:57 am Subject: [Vo]:Per capita income in Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest part of the world. The World Bank reports that per capita income there has increased from $899 in 2006, to $1638 in 2014. I believe that per capita means everyone, including children. This is $136 a month. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD/countries/ZF?display=graph I believe this means cold fusion devices will be well within reach of most families by the time they are developed. A 3.5 kW standby generator today cost $353. If these generators were mass-produced in large numbers, I believe the cost would fall to about $170. A bicycle in the Third World cost about $100. Most families can afford bicycles, so I expect they will be able to afford 3.5 kW generators. This is enough for cooking, heating, illumination, pumping water, or running power tools (albeit not all at the same time). Today's standby generator would not be suitable for constant use 365 days a year. However I do not think it would be difficult to engineer a constant duty machine, perhaps with a battery, a super capacitor, and/or forced air bearings. Regarding air bearings see: http://www.capstoneturbine.com/technology http://www.newwayairbearings.com/sites/default/files/new_way_application_and_design_guide_%20Rev_E_2006-01-18.pdf - Jed
