Archive for the ‘Economy’ Category

This economy has caught many people by surprise. Many have lost their jobs or their businesses to the unexpected downturn. If you really look at the situation in hindsight it was inevitable. Among other human missteps of late, part of the reason for the downturn, is our dependence on oil. It was bound to come back and bite us in the you know what eventually, just like it did back in the seventies. Our refusal to learn the lesson is bound to repeat itself over and over unless we put an end to the dependence on oil, and move on to other forms of energy. Luckily we have a president that seems to be interested in making this happen. I’m sure that part of this infrastructure plan involves Green infrastructure.

Which bring us to the question, why not look at the bad economy as an opportunity? Maybe it’s time for a turn around, a time for Greenies like us to look into not only helping the planet but making a living at it too. Here is a list of Green Start-ups put out by Entrepreneur Magazine:

• Eco-tourism Travel Guide: Eco-tourism travel has caught fire with people that care about the environment and the impact that they can make on that environment both ecologically and socially. This would include activities such as adventure sports, wilderness adventure trips, nature travel and education. This venture is for someone who loves to travel and is or can become a knowledgeable guide who can organize “Genuine Green Trips”. With a relatively small initial investment and the commitment learn and to teach people about their impact on natural systems and native communities, this can be turned into a viable business.
• Green Advertising Agency: The Green Trend is gaining ground and businesses will need of advertisers specializing in getting the message out about their commitment to sustainability. Anyone with experience in graphic design, media, communications and sustainability can make a go of this.
• Green Start-up Finance Broker:Someone with a financial background and connections could delve into a business that finds investment money for new Green businesses.
• Green Home Remodeling: A person with knowledge of building, redecorating, interior design and sustainable materials could find a place in the home remodeling niche. Green building and remodeling has become smart and chic, helping people realize the energy efficiency and safety of their space would become quite profitable. I’m sure most people have seen those commercials about mesothelioma, which is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, a commonly used building material of the past. Just like asbestos there are many other toxic materials used in building that can be avoided, and people are becoming more informed and interested in living and working in these toxic-free environments.
• Green Cleaning Services: Green Janitorial Companies are sprouting up everywhere. Cleaning a space without all those nasty chemicals and fumes is a concept that is catching on quickly. There is a growing demand for cleaning services that perform their function without harming the environment or the people that work or live in these spaces. Schools are a niche that could be sought out.
• Eco-Salon:The health and beauty industry and their wide use of chemicals may be a thing of the past. Now come the Eco-Salons or healthy salons that provide healthy alternatives to the chemical laden treatments of the past. Salons and Day Spas Non-toxic substitutes are now widely available and becoming the trend.
• Eco-Friendly Furniture: Whether you are a designer or a retailer of furniture, this niche could be something for you. With all the materials ending up in the landfill, there is a need for artistic and innovative people to come up with furniture options for all these materials. And with a more conscientious society furniture made with eco-friendly and recycled materials is catching on.
• Low- Water Landscaping: For those with a green thumb, this business could be something for you. Developing landscaping that requires low-water use. Landscaping can be beautiful, but it can also be very expensive when it comes to water usage. Water conservation is big, very popular especially in the dryer states of the west. Xeriscaping as it’s called, is not hard to sell, when you can show your customers that by using drought tolerant plants they can save up to 50% in their water consumption, they are beautiful and easy to take care.
• Green B&B: The Green B&B is not your typical hotel, it is a business that incorporates some of the other businesses mentioned earlier. It uses sustainable building materials, green cleaning materials that are non-toxic to it’s guests. Readily offers recycling opportunities, uses the local organic fair, employs water conservation throughout the garden and in the toilets and sinks. Energy efficiency throughout with sensor lights, and also asks the guest to participate in the green experience.

bibi

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Tonight September 11th there will be a town hall meeting in Salt Lake City , Utah to discuss America’s dependence on foreign oil and the need for an Energy Plan now. If you can make the meeting go, if you cannot watch the Webcast.

Town Hall Meeting

Time: September 11, 2008 at 5pm
Location: Salt Palace Convention Center
Street: 100 S. West Temple - Room 255
City/Town: Salt Lake City
Event Type: Town, Hall, Meeting
Organized By: Pickens Plan

WEBCAST - Town Hall meeting with T. Boone Pickens - Salt Lake City, UT

Time: September 11, 2008 at 5pm
Location: http://www.pickensplan.com/webcast/
Website or Map: http://www.pickensplan.com/…
Event Type: WEBCAST
Organized By: Pickens Plan

bibi

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In the midst of high oil prices and global warming scares, a 100 mpg car sounds like a dream, but it may not be for long. The X-Foundation has put together a contest with 10 million dollars in prizes, for the group that comes out with the first 100 mile per gallon vehicle. The contest mission is to inspire and promote innovation to come up with cars that are super-energy efficient, affordable, safe for people and the environment, “not just science projects.”

The winning vehicle will have to have gas mileage that exceeds 100 mpg or the equivalent of any other fuel source. Each team will have to go through a rigorous qualification process that will take a look at not only gas mileage but also costs, features, production capabilities, consumer friendliness, safety and meet strict emissions standards. After being chosen each team will race their cars at 2 cross-country stage races that will take place in 2009 and 2010. The winner will be chosen by the overall time, while still meeting the mpg and emission standards.

So far 93 contenders have signed up for the challenge but only one major manufacturer has taken up the challenge, and that is Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile company.

More detailed information on this contest can be found in this interview with the Auto X-Prize senior director, John Shore.

bibi

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T. Boone Pickens sounds like he could be a country singer, he’s even got a little bit of a twang, but he’s singing the “we are addicted to foreign oil blues…”

If you’ve never heard of T. Boone Pickens, he is a billionaire who made his money in oil, mergers and acquisitions of oil companies and is often referred to as a corporate raider and greenmailer. He is also known as an activist in the political arena as well as an animal rights champion and a philanthropist in the humanitarian and education causes.

According to his bio on Wikipedia, Pickens has been talking about alternative energy sources to oil since 1997, when he “began touting natural gas as the best vehicular fuel alternative because it’s a domestic resource”, pushing for Nuclear Energy and other Alternative Energies such as wind power. Now this is also around the time that he formed a corporation now called Clean Energy that owns and operates natural gas fueling stations from British Columbia to the Mexican border.

That being said, his personal reasons for coming up with this plan may seem partially self-serving, and only he knows the answer to that. It’s not a bad plan, maybe not a perfect plan but it is a plan, we went through  a similar thing back in the 70’s, let 30 years lapse without a plan and here we are again. I believe a plan is better than no plan, anything to get the oil monkey off our back, out of pockets and out of our air.

Check it out for yourself go to his website and see what you think, get involved if you want…Pickens Plan

bibi

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The price of oil is at an all time high of $105 a barrel. Opec’s decision not to increase production has not helped along with the steady decline of the U.S. dollar. The price oil is about 75% higher than it was a year ago. If that is not enough impetus to move in the direction of alternative energies, I don’t know what is.

We are being held hostage to our own addiction to oil, it is our drug of choice. Let’s at least admit that. We send billions of dollars to foreign nations to purchase oil, money that could otherwise be put to work right here. While the middle east is experiencing an economic boom due mostly to high oil prices, the U.S. and Europe are facing recession. Didn’t the same thing happen back in the 70’s. I was a kid but I remember the lines, do you? By not addressing our dependence on oil, the story repeats itself and here we are again in the same place we were almost 40 years ago. We didn’t fix the problem then , and the problem is still not fixed. What are we waiting for? Can we muster the vision that the last generation didn’t have?

The House of Representatives has passed bill H.R.5351 adding $18 billion dollars in new taxes on the biggest Oil companies over a 10 year period, which comes to $1.8 billion dollars a year. Sounds like a lot of money, but lets not forget the oil companies earned $123 billion just last year. The purpose of the extra taxes is to put them to work on renewable energy industries, keeping jobs and the money here helping the economy. The bill also gives credits for more efficient homes and Plug-in Gas/Electric Hybrid cars. Read More.

Unfortunately it now has to pass the Senate and then Bush is already expected to Veto it. A similar bill passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate.

How about we give it a push, let’s let the Senate and the president know how we feel about our dependency on foreign oil.

E-mail your Senator… Your Senator Here

alternative energy h.r.5351 oil prices

bibi

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