Thoughts on Communications

Sweden is a small export oriented country that is highly dependent on how it is linked to other countries in the world. The volcano Eyjafjallajökull debacle has given us a feeling, some say, of how life without flights would be.

People say that we should fly less in the future. I must say that the idea of flying is so powerful that I cannot imagine a world without flights. People say that we should replace flying with trains, for the environment's sake.

High speed trains have the advantage that they don't start at a position outside the city and that they are more comfortable in other ways. However, people say that in a small country like Sweden with a dispersed population they will not be economical. We dont know how they will work in the winter either. The Swedish Press so far doesn't seem to be able to make up their mind if it is a good investment to pour 200bn crowns into this project or not. Apparently it is advicable to start out with smaller test lines for evaluation if there is enough people that would use it for it to function.

Then there is the car. This absolutely ideal vehicle for furthering the quest of the individual. I look forward to electric cars. According to The Economist the engines are going to sit on each wheel and the suspension has therefore to change dramatically. Such a car was envisioned already a hundred years ago by Ferdinand Porsche.

My conclusion is that trains are perhaps good between the larger cities but then the car and the airplane would be used elsewhere. In due time these modes of transportation will be environmentally exquisite.