Wizarding Teabags? and muggle inventions

[Joywitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 1578

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Sister Mary Lunatic" <klaatu at p...> 
wrote:
> What I find interesting are the contradictions that exist in JKR's 
wizard
> world/muggle world interfaces.  For instance, why should Hogwarts, 
built
> over a thousand years ago, have a thoroughly modern, even luxurious
> (prefects' bathroom) plumbing system, and yet have no electricity?  

Actually, as a professional in the energy field I have to blather a 
bit in response to the above (please forgive me). It makes sense to 
me that Hogwarts would have plumbing but not electricity.  Plumbing 
is actually a very ancient invention; the Romans had basic plumbing 
over 2000 years ago.  Pipes, aqueducts, most drainage systems, and 
even relatively modern inventions such as showers and toilets are all 
mechanical devices and require only a source of water and place to 
dump sewage (hopefully not the same place).  It is completely 
feasible that Hogwarts could run its own plumbing system with no 
connection to the muggle world.  They would need a few plumbers to 
install things, but there may well be wizard or witch plumbers (or 
maybe they use muggle plumbers and give them a memory charm 
afterwards).  Electricity (at least until the last 25 or so years 
since the invention of small renewable systems) requires large power 
plants, and transmission and distribution grids; and therefore would 
require constant interaction with the local electric company.  

What we usually call modern civilization is characterized by the 
replacement of human and animal labor by modern forms of energy 
consumption such as electricity and fossil fuel combustion.  We pay a 
very, very large price for our energy-intensive life style -- we 
cause tremendous amounts of destruction to the air, water, land, 
plants and animals and may well be destroying the ability of many 
species (including our own) to live on this planet.  It is clear from 
reading the Harry Potter books that one of the great advantages of 
magic is that it is an energy source.  A wizard or witch can use 
magic to create light, heat and motion, which we muggles mostly 
create using non-renewable resources such as fossil and wood fuels.  
Hence, we have yet another advantage of the wizarding world -- it is 
much more environmentally sustainable than the muggle world.

--Joywitch