I just got done reading Ed's response and as thorough as it was I
believe that it was not completely based on facts. But since this is
a business forum we can roll with a little passion to mix things up.
I currently don't have answers but I have some points to ponder.
Food, Housing, Energy, and Transportation are so entwined as to
become the "Four Horsemen of the Economic Apocalypse" and approaching
one without considering the others is like baking a cake and not
adding the flour until after it comes out of the oven. If we were to
solve problems, no matter where those problems exist, then we need to
make our solutions as comprehensive as possible.
That brings in human-rights and the "pursuit of happiness" issues.
This post won't be long enough to address those so just make note
that solutions solve problems and do not create more to replace
them. No matter the plan, choice must be paramount.
In today's society, all progress comes from only two sources, war (or
the threat of it) and innovation. I believe that only innovation can
avoid traipsing on the two rights eluded to above.
Therefore, innovation is where our efforts should be applied.
You may have heard of the X-prizes being awarded for innovative
transportation or space travel but those are esoteric concepts to
someone who doesn't have the money to buy gas to get to work so that
they may earn a living, and provide food and shelter for themselves
and their loved one. People can't appreciate a car that drives
itself or the fact that one day someone will be vacationing in space
when their very survival feels threatened.
Why couldn't there be an "X-prize" for the "Four Horsemen of the
Economic Apocalypse" and instead of paying a prize for the
development, pay the prize for the "Solution Implementation".
Here's an example of the set-up:
If someone was to produce an alternative power source and want to
commercialize it, he would receive his prize when, rather than
hooking (any and all) new construction to a power-grid, it is cost
effective to replace that connection with his alternative.
The current marketplace would be the arbiter of any awards simply by
the fact that there is always a baseline cost of a solution and the
benefit; as each prize is rewarded that baseline would be pressured
downward.
Win-Win-Win. Capitalism, innovation, and cost reductions. What more
could a man/woman dream for?
Patrick
Author of "Buckets of Food for Pennies"
------------------------------------
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