​Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter Volume 30

The latest from just above the Arctic Circle.

Labor Day Edition

In 1894, when Labor Day became a federal holiday, the American workforce faced challenges, such as long working hours, low wages, and poor working conditions. Labor and the workplace has changed significantly since then for most people. The challenges to day are different but no less significant particularly with the advent of remote work, gig work and the specter of technology replacing the need for human workers in many industries in the not too distant future. In honor of Labor Day I will take a look at some of the challenges that the laborers face.

Remote Work

Remote work has become increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work allows employees to work from anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection. This trend is expected to continue, leading to a more distributed workforce.

Remote work offers increased flexibility, reduced commuting time and costs, and improved work-life balance. It also has some challenges such as social isolation, lack of face-to-face interaction, and difficulty in maintaining work-life boundaries. For many organizations, especially in rural settings, adding remote workers can increase the talent they have available to them.

The Gig Economy

The gig economy has its roots in the 1990s, when the internet started to become more widely available, it was not until the advent of smartphones and mobile apps that the gig economy really took off. Initially, it was mostly focused on low-skilled jobs, such as driving and delivery services. However, it has since expanded to include a wide range of jobs, from creative work to professional services.

One of the main drivers of the gig economy's growth has been the rise of digital platforms that connect workers with customers such as Uber, TaskRabbit and Doordash. While workers can set their own schedules there are challenges such as lack of benefits and protections for gig workers. Unlike traditional employees, gig workers are not entitled to benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and retirement savings plans.

Will AI Replace the Human Workforce?

AI and automation are transforming businesses and increasing productivity. They are also disrupting “knowledge work”, many expect this trend to continue. However, AI and automation also create new opportunities in creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, workers need to harness the power of these tools to remain competitive in the job market. The worker of the future will be the worker who can leverage technology for more creativity, more efficiency, more communication and ultimately creating a better product and better future for humanity.

AI is early in its development, it’s going to get better and our ability to utilize it will increase. It will continue to reshape the nature of work and the workforce for the foreseeable future. Whether humans we be completely replaced remains to be seen. If they are then mans’ search for meaning becomes real, but if you look at history when food became abundant people created art and amazing structures. So in an abundant future, I expect something along those lines to happen.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the nature of labor and the workplace has changed significantly since the origin of Labor Day in 1894. The advent of AI, remote work and the gig economy has further accelerated these changes, leading to a more distributed and flexible workforce. While these changes bring many benefits, they also pose challenges. Workers and organizations need to adapt to these changes as they continue to evolve.

The News

​How One Device Could Help Transform Our Power Grid By Alexandra Witze

This article is a about NREL research into grid-forming inverters. I have spent the last couple weeks getting into the workings of the grid and grid-forming inverters are critical in a renewable energy future. Having them on wind and solar resources could be beneficial.

​Microgrid Updates Help Empower Alaska Towns to Take Control of their Energy By Lisa Cohn

This article highlight Hughes and Cordova Alaska as well as Ageto a microgrid control company.

​Power Grid Reliability Basics - NREL - Grid reliability learning overview.

Quote

"It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.."

-Theodore Roosevelt
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Take care,
​
Chad

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