Fixing Our Economy - A Few Suggestions

By now I think even the most skeptical and conservative would have to agree that we are in, at the least, a recession here in the U.S. Personally I’m inclined to agree with those that feel this started late last year as that is when my computer consulting business saw the bottom drop out of it.

Because this is an election year there has been much mud and smoke thrown about as both major political parties describe how wonderful their plan is and how bad the other party’s plan would make things. I’m not here to say which side is best, rather I want to point out some [possible] long-term solutions that are not being discussed:

Energy

Currently we import and consume too much oil. Oil is not a sustainable resource and, while we can’t agree on when it will run out, we will eventually run out of it. There are other ways to produce energy. We need to fund, at a national level, research on alternatives. There are a number of, I feel, obvious benefits from this, including:

• We reduce the amount of money flowing from this country and spend it here at home instead.
• Money spent on research should spur an increase in engineering and other related fields. This country desperately needs more high-wage jobs as opposed to our current choices of “paper or plastic?” and “you want fries with that?” opportunities.
• Reduction in air, water, and land pollution.

Check out official energy statistics from the U.S. Government showing how much we import and from which countries.
Read what the Apollo Alliance has to say on clean energy and good jobs.
I have more ideas posted on my alternative forms of energy blog post.

Science

Nations prosper that invest in science and engineering. For many years the U.S. was a leader in new technologies and we prospered because of it. Now, unfortunately, few students are interested in math and science because there are not enough new jobs being created.

I know that a lot of people feel that ‘pure science’ research is just money being thrown away. However, research spurs new ideas and new products. New products lead to new jobs. Have you seen the unemployment numbers lately? This country has been on a net job loss for too long. When people have a job they can spend money on things they need. Spending leads to investment with leads to even more jobs and a way out of this recession.

Check out what the HPC Wire has to say about current science funding.
See a comparison of U.S. to China science funding.

The future of this country

The U.S. is still a superpower, but for how much longer? China is in the process of outpacing us in both scientific funding and space exploration.

So what you say? Why waste money on science and space? Look at some of the spin-off products from our space program are now part of our daily life:

• NASA technology gave us a "cool" laser, which provides thousands of patients with an alternative to heart bypass surgery.
• Hubble Space Telescope technology has made it possible to do certain breast biopsies with a needle instead of a scalpel.
• The foam insulation that covers the shuttle's external tank, developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Lockheed-Martin, is used to make molds for fitting artificial limbs.
• Medical personnel can monitor fetal activity inside the womb using a small pill-shaped transmitter developed at NASA's Ames Research Center.
• The same material used for lightweight, durable spacesuits is used as permanent covering for shopping centers and sports stadiums. NASA technology also is used to pad football helmets and baseball and soccer chest protectors and shin guards.
• NASA-driven technology also makes possible satellite TV transmission and telephone signals that are beamed around the world.
• It has led to microcapsules that help clean up oil spills and to satellite remote sensing technology that locates and maps forest fires.

There's a lot more. Read the full list at the NASA Solutions site.
Read about recent developments in China’s space program.
Take a look at China’s overall space program and plans.
Read about some of the medical benefits that have come from space exploration.
Space exploration is important, read more here.
Mining resources from space, read more here.
Take a look at planet Earth as seen from space.

After World War II this country invested in both science and space. Our economy boomed. People from all over the world flocked to this nation because of the availability of high-paying jobs and the many opportunities for all to prosper. If we are going to get out of our current mess we need to look at what worked for us before. We can’t afford to wait.

Alternative Forms of Energy

Since blogging about our oil problem last week I’ve been thinking about what other sources of energy are available for us today. I’m not talking about all the things you hear about that someone is developing and touting as the salvation of us all. I fear that most of those will just disappear. However, there are other sources out there that we can use – maybe not for everything, but enough to reduce our oil consumption. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Solar power has been around for a long time. One of the simplest forms is to use solar energy to heat water, either for a pool or your home. Here’s a company, Solar Panels Plus, that has a variety of products for the average home. The U.S. Department of Energy has a site dedicated to information on home solar water heaters. If you live in a warm, southern climate costs for a system like this are very low. Even if you life in a colder, northern climate the total cost savings of a solar water heater over time can make it an excellent investment.

Another form of solar power is electricity generated by photovoltaic cells. Again this is a technology that has been around for quite a while; however, there have been a number of advancements in the last few years which have resulted in lower costs and higher energy production. In some locations it is possible to generate all your electrical needs using solar panels placed on the roof of your home. You might even be able to sell excess energy back to your power company! Check out this article in Business Week. Don’t want to do that much? Check out this how-to guide on building an inexpensive solar power generator.

Maybe you don’t get a lot of sun where you live but the wind is always blowing. Well, install a home wind turbine to get your energy. The American Wind Energy Association has some excellent information to get you up and running. Not sure about wind generated power? The Dutch have used wind power to run pumps to keep their land dry for centuries. The earliest reference to a windmill dates back to the 12th century. Something that has been around that long has to be reliable.

There are other sources for energy production; however, most of these are beyond the average homeowner. Water has been used to generate energy for centuries. Hydroelectric power plants are located throughout the world. Geothermal energy is also available in many places around the globe. But let’s get back to what we can do at home. Here are a few Web sites with information on what we can do NOW:

• HomePower Magazine
• Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
• Comparing Alternative Energy Forms
• Solar Power International
• Windpower 2008
• Apollo Alliance