Cycling to generate electricity in ‘15 Million Merits’, Black Mirror:S1E2
In Black Mirror season 1, episode 2, ‘15 Million Merits’, a dystopian world is shown where the majority of masses are reduced to cycling to generate electricity in return of a digital currency that they can use to afford a livelihood. Let us analyze how this would work out in reality.
The average human consumes about 3000 kcal per day. Since one kcal is 4.2 kJ, this gives us about $1.3 \times 10^7$ J of energy that they work with everyday. Let us call this unit of energy $x$ and try to understand what this energy scale means by comparing it with other relevant quantities we are familiar with.
Firstly, 1 kWh is a unit of energy which equals $3.6 \times 10^6$ J. So, $x$ equals about 4 units of energy. Assuming a domestic electricity price of about Rs. 5 per unit in India, this equates a salary of Rs. 20 per day. Way below the minimum wage, and not enough to sustain a living as per present costs.
Assuming that an average indian household consumes 97 units of electricity per month1, and on average there are 5 people per household in India as of now. Then this comes down to about $0.66$ units consumed per person per day. So, this leaves with about $3.33$ units surplus for other expenditures.
It is possible for people to over eat and run the bike more, but only if the price of food (or atleast sugar) is brought way less the Rs. 20. Currently, the price of sugar is Rs. 45 per kg2 and 1 kg of sugar contains about 4000 kcal. The price would have to be brought way down for the whole scheme to work out. This could be possible through automation.
Next, let us ask another question. What area of solar panel in india will generate the same amount of energy per day?
On average, 6 units of solar energy is incident per meter square per day on earth surface, ignoring clouds.3 Assume a solar panel efficiency of 33%, which is a theoretical limit4. Then, assuming that it is cloudy 50% of the day in india, we have 1 unit of electricty production per meter square per day. That is, one person in this fictional universe is worth about $2 m \times 2 m$ solar panel, roughly the size of a double bed.
Comments
Given the little economic value of making people cycle for a living, the actual reason could be that due to automation, there is no need for a large human workforce. But providing universal basic income could make people lazy. So, why not make them work for it. Plus, it will have health benefits, so less economic burden. Capitalism at its peak.