I walked passed the same small shoe repair shop yesterday on my way to the grocery store. Do you remember taking your shoes in for repair years ago, you know, maybe getting a new set of heels?
You'd never think of getting rid of those beat up brown shoes. There was of course that grumpy owner from Italy or maybe Spain, in his stained apron, fixing the leather. Anyway, the shoe repair shop was busy yesterday, which I was happy to see. I think it may be a good business to be in again.
The "trend," as the financial types say, is heading toward $180 for a barrel of oil, and almost $6.00 a gallon for gas within two years.
Even worse, just as it's getting more expensive, Mexico, Russia, and Nigeria are finding themselves short of cash; meaning global oil production could go into decline. Watch the posturing in Congress, especially among members of the Republican cult, who righteously demand that we start drilling in, well, everywhere, immediately.
Another trend is for constructing buildings that conserve energy and use recycled materials. According to Sustainable Business, in 1968 the recycling industry made around $4.6 billion in annual sales. Revenues today are approximately $236 billion and employing some 1.1 million people. It appears to be a good field to invest in and to work in.
We save about 256 billion barrels of crude oil with our current recycling rate of 32%, and according to the EPA this makes the equivalent of about 22 million cars vanish from the road. Should we try for a 50% recycling rate? Should we try using our brains?
We Americans were once known as a nation of people who liked to tinker, you know, fiddle around with things, maybe invent stuff. Well, there's a growing movement afoot right now.
It might have something to do with localization and the creation of "resilient" communities. It may have something to do with taking back some control from the "throwaway culture." Maybe we want to build our own cell phones and ipods.
For a sort of geek fest check out Maker Faire.
Are you thinking of telling corporate America to well just ... you know. Go to Make.
Want to know something and maybe share some "new know" with someone else? Go to Instructables.
How about a directory of a lot of cool things? Check out the popular BoingBoing.
And finally, do you want to learn something about flatulent cows and pollution? Then go to Go Green Myths.
If you need to increase supply, you increase supply. If you want to become more energy independent, you become more energy independent. Both require drilling in Alaska and off shore. Why some fail to see that is beyond me. oldworldconservative