Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Michael asks…
What market trends, shifts, or focuses offer the most opportunity for entrepreneurs in the coming years?
Will it be something like nanotechnology or biomedicine? Or senior home care and home retrofitting? What about emergency preparedness and readiness and security? Or urban renewal vs. living in the suburbs? Or even sustainable energy, outsourcing to India and China, global warming, collaborative and social networks, and alternative fuels and energies? Or some other area?
I’d like know what you think.
admin answers:
Well, first off, if anyone knew the exact answer to your question, they would be a bazillionaire. That being said, I’m going to make a feeble attempt to predict:
I think that the national security/defense/military sector, while always a big market, may slow down in the next ten years. Despite the explosion of the national security market since Sept. 11, it will begin to slow, especially if a Democrat gets elected president in 2008, and the US pulls out of Iraq.
RFIDs, and related technologies, will be growing, and people who really get creative about marketing new applications for this technology will make it big.
The internet, despite the dotcom “bust”, is always evolving and growing. Blogging, podcasting, collaborative and social networks, and all of the other new developments will be big players. However, be wary of “e-fads” which will come and go quickly.
China is going to be HUGE. Experts are predicting that China will replace the US as the major world economic power. China’s massive population and the outsourcing trends from the US and Japan have come together to create massive economic growth in China. Their use and applications of technology are head and shoulders above the US. For example, in Asia you can wave your cell phone in front of a Coke machine and it will automatically dispense a drink and charge your checking account or credit card.
Sustainable energy and alternative fuels could be big, but there will have to be a LOT more investment in research and development, and consumer acceptance will have to grow dramatically. The major automakers have rolled out several hybrid vehicles, but sales have been slow due to lagging performance, increased cost, and the fact that they are marketed to the super-progressive ecowarriors instead of the average Joe Autobuyer.
Finally, despite talk of a real estate bust, there is always a need for housing and office space. There is a huge trend of urban revitalization, and outdoor shopping malls called “lifestyle centers” are leading the way. Case Study: Atlanta’s Atlantic Station. The developers replaced an abandoned steel mill with a massive shopping center, movie theatre, and enough housing for 100,000 people.
Nanotech and biomed will continue to grow, but super high-tech industries such as these can have large barriers to entry for the entrepreneur.
Hope this helps.
Carol asks…
What is the benefit of a local economy if we use all sustainable energy?
I think the benefit of a local economy now is the use of less fossil fuels. If we change over completely to sustainable fuels, would the world or its local communities benefit from local economies, more than if we continue our large scale international trade? Detailed answers appreciated.
admin answers:
If we switch from oil-based energy reliance to a local resource like biomass it would bring $ to the US that would have gone to the middle east or elsewhere, boosting the US economy. HOWEVER, the real opportunity is not just sustainable energy but a sustainable society – one where we reduce consumption dramatically and insist on renewable natural resources. One where we embrace abundant living (wind and sun, gardens, music, friends) and minimize economic living (oil, steel, walmart, plastic). If that happens, we won’t even think to ask about “economic impact” as a primary concern. But don’t bet your Prius on it!
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