As the Powers of 10 increase, so does the range of their influence. This is often the power that becomes the political decision-making. If the scenarios take place in the New England area, then that area’s politicians become stakeholders, as do members of environmental organizations and neighboring regions who might breathe the air that flows from New England. Will the governor want to clean up the air if doing so only means using a different type of fuel? One other political arm that might become an ally is the policymakers who examine pollution. One such organization is NESCAUM, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. Capturing the attention of these policymakers may lead to a government subsidy for the more expensive EHF product, and may even lead to mandates for its use.
Although Felicia by herself wields little power, she may reach those who have considerable influence—someone like Deion, executive director of air quality management at NESCAUM. He received his Ph. D. in environmental policy and has worked his way up through the levels of the organization. His main task is to make proposals for regulations in the Northeast. He has earned the respect of his peers with his strong commitment to people, no matter what. Although he is adept at political maneuvering, he stays true to his ideals.
He recently learned about EHF as an alternative clean fuel. Because he works closely with industrial plants, he knows that all alternatives are costly, but this option requires little upfront capital because the current machines will not have to be replaced or retrofitted. The product offers significant and instant reduction in NOx and particulate matter.
The immediate solution of fossil fuel extension is appealing to Deion because converting to new fuels is either too far off in the future or has its own political and environmental issues. Retrofitting industrial sites with more efficient equipment is an option but has high upfront costs and takes time. Deion has the ability to look at the bigger picture, the cost of buying the EHF assembly versus other means of purifying the air. He will set up a committee to pursue the possibility of NOx credit trading with high-pollutant areas to reduce the cost of the new product to the industrial plants.
Powers of 10 Seven: Continent
At the next level is the continent, where the issues are the air in one country affecting that in another, leading to a potential increase in sales to improve air quality throughout the larger region.
Powers of 10 Eight: Global Environment
Finally, the highest power is the global environment. Problems of global warming and ozone depletion seek low-cost solutions that will have a profound impact on the human race. Might the world embrace EHF as a means to deal with this threat to humanity? This bold thought is one that the chemists and engineers who invented the product and the executives who support its commercialization might only dream of.
