SPOF – Single point of failure
Yesterday, the media showed us in a drastic way how dependent our society and industry are from aviation. Well, I can easily do without roses from Kenia and exotic fruits. After all, I already try not to consume these kinds of things.
Today, we heard about the first restriction in production at BMW – because the electronics are delivered just in time by the airborne transport companies.
These are the kinds of problems the future will bring more and more often. And we will have to and certainly will cope. I am convinced that we could quite well live in prosperity even with only 10 % of the current air traffic.
But let us assume for argument’s sake that I am wrong with my outsider opinion and aviation really is a SPOF. Well, then we should be quick about taking pains to minimize this dependence, shouldn’t we? Just imagine, for instance, a huge oil field breaking down (or the neighbouring volcano erupting).
Now I fear that air traffic is not the only SPOF in our highly civilized and technology-oriented lives. A diligent risk manager would then have to disarm every potential SPOF as fast as possible.
But this is only possible if we are prepared to change things, even if it means that we have to forego habits and comfort we have come to love. It is like if you wish to improve your health: you have to forego certain things (alcohol, nicotine, too much food) and exercise more.
It will prove double beneficial if we defuse social SPOFs: it might also serve to counter the climate change, the devastation and destruction of our planet and the ruin of this wonderful creation we are allowed to be part of.
There is much to do. Let us start. We should not let ourselves be disheartened by alleged dangers – such as the next (and basically already quite predictable) financial crises caused by overestimated and highly indebted business objects or defunct federal budgets. After all, money is and remains only money. The addition of a few zeros makes them look just so much more virtual.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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