Home Solar Power

So Mike's last post got me curious about installing a PV solar power system at my home. Apart from the aesthetics of installing 800 sq feet of solar panels on my roof, I'm 100% open to the idea if it is cost feasible. I found a site that allows you to input your zip code (so they can determine how much sunlight on average you are going to receive), your utility company (so they know how much per KW/H you pay for power), and your average monthly bill for electricity.

Honestly, I was skeptical that it would be cost effective, but when I got my results, I was blown away. Including property value appreciation, it would take me less than one year to break even (this includes the state and federal rebates available). Removing property value appreciation from the equation, it would only take 7 years for this investment to break even. Not to mention the 203 tons of CO2 saved, or nearly half a million auto miles.

Check it out for yourself.

Hmmm, L.A. is kinda big...

"Los Angeles Unveils World's Largest Solar Plan"

How would you like to be involved with one of the suppliers for this project? I bet the economy's not too slow for them right now?

Blockbuster getting Green, whether they know it or not...

Okay, I don't know much at all about Blockbuster's GQ (Green Quotient), but their new online movie service can't be bad for the environment:

"Blockbuster Launches Internet Movie Downloads"

This is a prime example of how IT is making the Green Revolution possible.

By the way, I know Blockbuster isn't the first to offer this service, but they're so damn big that anything they do to cut down on auto travel can have a huge positive impact. Imagine no trips to the video store and no mail trucks carrying your DVD's to your mailbox.

So, what other items/activities in your life could be obtained/performed online, thus eliminating auto travel? Correspondence has long moved to e-mail and Facebook. You can renew driver's licenses and do other government-related crap online. I read the NY Times online. What hasn't been thought of yet?

Green Transportation article from Slate.com

"Trains vs. Planes vs. Automobiles"

The last part really caught my eye:

"...in some cases, construction is the biggest polluter. Roads were responsible for more particulate matter than tailpipes, for example. For rail travel, operating the trains actually accounts for less than half of a system's greenhouse-gas emissions. The implication: Making concrete and asphalt in a more environmentally friendly way can be just as important as getting vehicles to run more efficiently. In other words, it's not just the road you take, but what it's made out of, too."

Again, sustainable construction is a big deal, an important piece of the green movement. Running a cutting-edge green concrete company isn't glamorous, but I'd bet that it could be profitable in the near future. A smart green person could have an advantage on the usually slow-to-adapt traditional construction industry. I'm just sayin'...

Green Funeral

So I'm driving home from work today listening to how bad the Red Raiders choked on the local sports station, when a construction site catches my eye. I look closer, and its another freaking funeral home! Funeral homes and Senior living communities are popping up like Starbucks in the Dallas suburbs.

When I get home I do some research and learn that the National Funeral Directors Association needs a new website, and expects 2.6 million deaths in 2010...then over 3 mil in 2020. According to their fact sheet, in 2004 the average US cost of a funeral was $6,500. That cost includes an outer burial container, but does not include cemetery costs. Are you kidding me? These guys are ripping people off.

Then I start thinking more about the funeral ceremony and all the wastes involved in the process. Doesn't it seem weird that when a loved one dies, we embalm'em then store'em in a bulky, decay-resistant wooden casket?

So naturally I type 'green funerals' in google, and BAM....I'm inundated with great ideas that others (mostly Europeans) have already thought of. Things like cardboard biodegradable coffins, or super-eco friendly recycled newspaper coffins that look like those Yakima storage containers that the lesbians in Oregon put on top of their Subaru's.
The Spaniards are even getting creative with their new solar power cemetary. So what do you guys think? Maybe there's a serious future for an inexpensive green funeral service in the US.

Green Golf

If the green revolution is to take off, I think it has to affect every area of our lives. The top priority in many people's lives after all the answers they give out of obligation is golf. This article talks about how more and more golf courses are making environmentally friendly (and money-saving) changes to their courses to make them more green.

"If courses act as environmental stewards, there is the opportunity for them to actually benefit nature. The vast expanses of green grass and trees act as "air conditioners" and produce large quantities of oxygen while cleansing the air of pollution. Turfgrass can trap and hold pollutants in place, acting as a catch basin for residential and industrial runoff, according to the GCSAA. Golf courses can also be built on environmentally damaged sites, like landfills. And golf course managers, who often cite their love of nature for their career choice, continue to push new and innovative solutions to environmental problems."

I personally like the idea of golf courses built on former landfills. All that garbage would probably grow some nice grass. Would you pay more to golf at a green course? Would you play at a course that was green but the conditions weren't as perfect as the non-green course across the street?

Green Buildings = Easier Financing

"Environmentally friendly projects may have an edge in finding funding"

With the credit crunch, the ability to obtain funding has got to be nearly impossible.  Any advantage you can get is huge.  This is a huge opportunity for green builders, if they can impress lenders with their green building designs.

Green Construction article

"My View: We can create 'green' construction"

My favorite line from the article:

"Expect more locally sourced construction materials, saving transport costs and creating greater regional differences in buildings' appearances and regional adaptation."

It seems more natural to have variety based on locally/regionally available materials, don't you think?

I also like this quote:

"Today's younger people seem less tied to the idea of workplace. Face-to-face business interaction is essential, but imagine working where you are, rather than spending fuel and time to travel to work."

Brophy sells some cool high-def video solutions that make a lot of business travel unnecessary. Maybe he'll blog on this later.

The Greeniuses now on Facebook!

If you have a facebook account go to groups and search for "The Greeniuses." This is another great way to get the word out about the blog and all that is going on. Make sure to invite as many as your friends to join as you can so we can really get the discussion rolling.

Thanks,

Sean

link here: http://www.facebook.com/friends/?ref=tn#/group.php?gid=36674187377

From the University of Southern Miss' green blog

I'm speechless:  "Why Don't They Get It? Or, To Be or Not, That's the Real Question."

"Saving the World at Work" by Tim Sanders

Looks like I found a new book for everyone to start handing out around their offices. This was part of the earlier story I linked to about the fleet manager at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters challenging his drivers to reduce their use of diesel fuel due to idling.

The author Tim Sanders is the former chief solutions office at Yahoo. He uses three rules for change- 1) teach, don't preach; 2) follow up relentlessly; 3) welcome skeptics into the fold when they convert.

Man does that sound like Lean 101 to any one else!

Here is a link to his book on Amazon including some editorial reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Saving-World-Work-Individuals-Difference/dp/0385523572/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227544734&sr=1-2

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters- They just get it!

For all you Java heads out there make sure you check these guys out. Not only are they one of the most inventive coffee companies out there. They understand and embrace eco-friendly concepts.

Here is a link to their website and ways they go about protecting the environment:

http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/ContentPage.aspx?Name=BBW-Protecting-The-Environment

Also here is a link to the main page:

http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/

From all indications they are a very well run company and have a hit on their hands with the Keurig single cup brewers they are selling.

I just wanted to add one more link for Green Mountain as I came across this story from Investor's Business Daily this morning. Talks about a fleet manager at GMCR focusing his drivers on reducing their use of diesel fuel. Good stuff.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/081121/managing.html?.v=1

The "Slow Home" Movement

I came across a fascinating web site dealing with sustainable homebuilding: Slow Home.

The name initially interested me. 'Slow' Home? According to the web site, it...

"...takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. Suburban sprawl is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast lifestyle that is bad for us and for the environment. In the same way that slow food helps us to avoid the processed food industry and make healthier and more sustainable choices about the food we eat"

Also from the web site, their Three Principles for sustainable living: Close, Simple & Light. Read more about it on their site. These principles pretty much represent how I feel about how we should design our communities and homes.

If you have time, check out their series of videos: Slow Home Report.

University of Southern Miss Goes Green

Mississippi is definitely behind the times, as evidenced by the fact that my employer, USM, just created an Office of Sustainability this fall and there webstite just went livet this week. You can imagine where businesses are at in the state, if universities are just now catching on to green. Nonetheless, it's a move in the right direction and I'm gld for it.

Here is the Office of Sustainability's site: usm.edu/green

Our goals at Southern Miss are to be the model of sustainable thought and practice within our state and region. While we can “do” projects to “go” green, the end-game of our entire initiative is to “be” green. To do so, we have to affect the cognitive processes of our institution on every level. Every plan we make and every action we take should begin with consideration of the tenets of sustainability. As the first dedicated office of sustainability in the state, with the first full-time professional sustainability staff, we strive everyday to make such a cultural transformation a reality.

Green New Deal

Mike posted about this on Saturday, but I was reading an article this morning and came across the most amazing point.

"It's a smart thing to do for the economy and a strategically wonderful thing to do for the environment," said David Foster, executive director of the Blue Green Alliance, a partnership between the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers that works to develop green jobs. His group points to a University of Massachusetts report earlier this fall that said a $100 billion investment in clean technology could create 2 million new jobs in the next two years.

"It leads us down the path for energy independence," he said. "It's a historic opportunity."

That's 1/7 of the bank bailout, or roughly 10 months in Iraq to create 2 million new jobs. I think Obama needs to get rolling on this while he's got support in congress. Can't we inaugurate him now.

Sustainable Business channel on Edie.net

http://www.edie.net/channel.asp?channel=1

A good web site for anybody keeping track of green-collar job opportunities.

Sustainable Construction in Michigan

Michigan Redevelopment Project Featured

It might be a marketing challenge to sell homes on contaminated property, but if they package it as a EPA partnership promoting the latest in sustainable construction techniques, it might work.

Would you buy a home in that neighborhood?

Green Business Idea: Fresh Food Fast

As most of you guys know, I am a vegetarian. According to a University of Chicago study a vegetarian diet can lower your carbon footprint by as much as 1.5 tons. Unfortunately, I know that a chain of fast food vegetarian restaurants would not succeed, outside of perhaps a few niche cities like San Fransisco.

Perhaps though a chain of Fresh Food Fast restaurants could succeed. The idea would be that the basic assembly line method that has made restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King successful would be utilized, but coupled with local produce. Local franchisees would partner with local suppliers of meat, dairy, eggs, and seasonal vegetables. The economies of scale that McDonald's has would be lost, so prices would of course be higher. I for one, and I think a lot of educated folks who go out and drop $25-$30 at a sit-down restaurant, would be more than happy to pay $15-$20 to get great food while foregoing the sit-down service.

Worst Green Idea Ever...

Composting Toilet

That's just horrible.  I don't see my wife allowing one of those in our house.

Green Stocks

I'd like to start tracking a group of green stocks against the overall stock market.  Maybe we could pick out like 20 green stocks and see how they do.  I found literally dozens of web sites devoted to green stocks, so we should be able to research it pretty easily and pick the right companies to track.  Here are some of the sites I found:

• Progressive Investor
• "Six Great Green Stocks" by Kiplinger.com
• Green Chip Stocks
• Green Progress
• EcoBusiness Links

What are you suggestions for, let's say, five to ten green stocks that we should track?

CNN's "Green Warriors--The Fight for Solutions"

Just watched "Green Warriors--The Fight for Solutions" on CNN.  It highlights so many green innovations that it's almost too encouraging.  Here's the rundown:

1. Pond scum grown in greenhouses, to be used as biofuel
2. New generation of solar panels utilizing a tubular shape
3. E. Coli bacteria genetically engineered to generate diesel fuel
4. Huge dairy farm in Vermont turning all their cow poop into electricity
5. Chicago installing green alleyways that utilize an porous concrete/asphalt mixture
6. Calgary looking to generate 90% of its energy from renewables
7. Hypermilers that get 50 mpg in a regular Honda Accord by driving differently
8. Web site that allows you to stop unwanted catalogues from arriving in the mail
9. GreenPrint software that helps eliminate wasteful printing in offices
10. Factory turns recycled plastic bottles into carpet
11. GM plant in Flint produces no waste, recycles everything
12. Winery in Napa uses natural pesticides and fertilizers
13. Factory turns recycled tires into powder used for paint/coatings/sealants
14. Slingshot energy-efficient water purifying system
15. Earthworms being used in India to purify polluted soil
16. NASA installing water purifying systems in third-world countries
17. Bald eagles being protected in New York state
18. Farm raising endangered species of farm animals
19. Urban areas being designed with birds in mind

Which idea would be most available to you personally?  For me, it would probably be #5 (green concrete), since it's part of the construction industry.

Lots of companies gonna spring up to support these innovations.  It's a whole new economy.  Think about it.  We're just at the beginning of the Green Revolution, and this many amazing ideas are already being utilized right now.  Imagine what's going to be invented in the future.

Here's CNN's green web site:  http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/solutions/

Wal-Mart wind power in Texas

Courtesy of the Treehugger blog:  360 Wind Powered Wal-Mart Stores by April 2009

It would be pretty cool to be in sales for a supplier of one of these wind-power companies.

Obama's Energy & Environment Agenda

From the Change.gov web site:  Energy & Environment agenda

Some aspects of their agenda that could be good for start-ups:

1. "Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source--Energy Efficiency"...This seems like a great endorsement for consultants who could help businesses and individuals maximize their energy efficiency.  Especially if Obama puts in place incentives for reducing energy usage.
2. "Weatherize One Million Homes Annually"...This is pretty obviously a good omen for a construction company who would focus on this.

What other opportunities might be good for start-ups?

ClimateBiz web site & great article

Highly relevant web site:  ClimateBiz

Highly interesting article:  "Five Reasons You Should Consider Generating Green Energy On-Site"

My favorite part of the article:

With the energy crisis likely to outlast the current economic crisis, investing in onsite renewable energy generation can insulate your company from the shocks, scarcity, and rising prices of energy. And with recent political discussions about a "New Green Deal" and a climate change "Manhattan Project," it's even possible that governments will add to or reconfigure the $300 billion in energy subsidies around the world. 

A few ideas for potential start-ups based on the ideas in this article:

1. Consultant specializing in helping businesses find financing for their green projects
2. Construction company specializing in design, installation & maintenance of energy-generating systems
3. Marketing firm specializing in helping businesses highlight their investments in Green

Obama's weekly radio address on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y__slnk7oSU

This is the video of the speech that the article Lombard just posted references.

NY Times article: Obama Vows Swift Action on Vast Economic Stimulus Plan

Good article reinforcing yet again that the government will invest in our infrastructure, including a green energy system:

Obama Vows Swift Action on Vast Economic Stimulus Plan

The Green Revolution is inevitable in my mind.

Green Stocks to Watch

I added two stock watcher widegets to the sidebar. The first is watching ORA, Ormat Technologies (link), a geothermal power company that The Doctor has his eye on.

The second widget is watching FSLR, First Solar, Inc (link), who "designs and manufactures solar modules using a thin film semiconductor technology." While the company's stock has taken a beating like the rest, it's fundamentals are strong; positive net income for the past 2-3 years and return-on-equity greater than 20% during the same period.

T. Boone Picken's Wind Farm on Hold

Link: http://earth2tech.com/2008/11/12/the-debt-markets-cramped-t-boones-wind-plan/

This story is about a week old, so you may have already read it. I mentioned in an earlier e-mail that T. Boone was planning to build the world's larget wind farm company in Texas. According to this story the plans are on hold because the oil tycoon is having trouble uptaining financing due to the conditation of the debt markets.

E-Mail Thread Summation

This is our conversation to date, assembled by Sean, aka The Doctor.

1)Al Gore NY Times editorial:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/opinion/09gore.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

2) Brophy:

Hopefully. I think both the IT boom (still goin on) and the green movement are considered investments in the eyes of businesses. The investments come in many forms, for IT its things like improved efficiency and security, whereas for the green movement its things like renewable energy, positive PR, or reducing waste. Either way, the initiatives were and are undertaken with the promise of eventual cost savings and improved profitability…resources are committed with the belief of a future payout.

The difference though, is back when the IT world really boomed (like a Harrell/Crabtree connection – get them guns up!), the economy also was booming and investments in general were booming. Now, things are different, the economy has taken a downturn & credit has tightened…which makes me believe that investments will dry up for a while. Even though it’s the wrong thing to do, I think that businesses will pause their green efforts forcing the green revolution to slow down a little.

However, even with a half-fledged green revolution, I still think there is money to be made in the green movement. But it won’t be widespread like the dotcom boom/bust. For the GR to really flourish businesses must focus on efficiencies with short-term payouts, and more importantly consumers will have to be partners with companies (online bank statements, paying more for safer products, sacrificing convenience for the greater good, etc.)

Go Red Raiders!

3)Potential GeoThermal Company Investment:

Check out ORA (Ormat Technologies) NYSE Geothermal leaders

4)Lombard:

Just like in the IT Revolution, businesses are not the only players. Government and individuals also play a major role.

Government. There's a good chance that government will fund a major overhaul of our energy infrastructure in order to stimulate our depressed economy. A New Deal for the modern age is how Obama described it recently. This overhaul will probably include the creation of a modernized power grid that links our homes to renewable energy sources and utilizes smart software that can better balance the energy needs of buildings. In addition to direct investment, tax breaks for Green investments are highly probable. In addition to direct investment and tax breaks, mandates for power companies to use more renewable energies and for automakers to improve their fleet efficiencies are likely. Even Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens is all for eliminating foreign oil and dirty coal (he wants renewables and natural gas). Once government commits to Green long-term, many companies big and small will place bets on Green, and Green Technology experts will be in high-demand (like software programmers in the 90's).

Individuals. Think of all the PC's that people bought for their homes during the IT Revolution. Now imagine all the appliances in a home being energy smart (able to interact with a smart energy grid). Imagine HOA's working with local power companies to install community solar arrays in order to produce their own power. Imagine people demanding and actually using mass transit. Electric vehicles. Green roofs. Locally-grown food. More recycling. The list goes on and on, and each item on the list will require solutions by entrepreneurs and companies.

Government creates the market for Green technology. People & businesses start demanding it. Green people & green businesses start supplying it. The Green Technology revolution begins.

5) Green Beer:

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/07/30/anheuser-busch-to-pour-5-billion-green-beers-in-2009/

6) Green Infrastructure Investments:

http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSTRE4AH8LC20081118

7) Obama green video:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-dorner/obama-hits-green-homerun_b_144691.html

8) Carbon footprint calculator:

http://www.agilewaves.com/

9) Lombard + Funny W video:

Don't worry, thanks to YouTube, you'll always be able to relive patented Bush word-mangling like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKgPY1adc0A

I like that energy tracking software, by the way. From what I'm reading, as part of a green energy grid, every building would be equipped with a brain box that would be tied into an "energy internet." This would give the power companies the data they need to operate their grid more efficiently. They'd know when the peak hours were, and could adjust prices accordingly. They'd know instantly when the power went out, so you wouldn't have to notify them. They could let people generate their own power (via solar panels or whatever) and sell surpluses to the grid. Limitless opportunities, and it all requires software. If I had any money left in the stock market, I'd put some of it into green software companies. Too bad my 401k looks like a piggy bank. Thanks Wall Street!

10) Green Water Products:

Check out these green water items:

• http://www.buildinggreentv.com/keywords/interview/4520
• http://www.buildinggreentv.com/4594
• http://www.buildinggreentv.com/keywords/pools/4697

11) Buki + Electrise!

That rain reserve thing is a great idea, especially since it appears to be very simple to install. I saw a show on PBS about a guy in Georgia who was showing friends and family how to setup their own rain barrels with parts from Lowe's, but this is much easier and thus perfect for us lazy Americans.

I DID have an idea last night that is unique, green and ludicrous. A gym where instead of the exercise equipment being powered by electricity, the equipment provides electricity to the grid. So you hop on an old fashioned tread mill, get up to speed, and start powering society. Members who produce enough kilowatts would get lowered or free membership fees. Sweaty men and women are one of the great untapped resources in this country. We could call it Electricise. Genius!

12) Green Gyms:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/03/08/human-powered-gyms-in-hong-kong/

13) Obama and Green article:

http://www.iclei-usa.org/news-events/obama-and-local-governments-merging-two-visions

14) Michael Moore on Larry King transcript discussing GM:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/20/lkl.michael.moore/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

15) JayLee- Pimpin’:

I recently saw a great quote from Obama on this exact line of thinking that really blew me away:

"Now first come the cash, then come the ass
Then come big blunts with big chunks of hash
When I score with a whore she be game for sure
Pimp so hard, a nigga drag his mink on the floor
Won't you admit it? I ain't gotta talk because I live it
Any chick fuckin with me, believe me that's a privelege
I won't be satisfied, till all my niggaz get it
See you hit it then I hit it, we get it back to split it
And Big be that nigga we be flyin through your hood
And hoodrats scopin with they eyes on my goods
See we date em like we hate em, see em like we don't need em
Treat em like we meet em, and never give up freedom
And we only give our number to selected few
And it's best that you, never knew, what good head'll do
Turn a freak to a bisexual
and if she's flexible fuck the nigga next to you"

I don't know about you guys, but that sums up what I'm looking to do quite well.

The Notorious J.A.Y.

16) NY Times Green taking over congress article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/us/politics/21dingell.html?_r=1&hp

17) Kevin + fool.com – excellent investment website….btw:

Yeah, what I don’t like about that is it makes us a socialist economy…I think Michael Moore is a fat turd that looks at issues on a far too simplistic level. If the government comes in and starts telling what businesses can and can’t produce I am moving to Ccmmunist China!! The government needs to stop propping these companies up that can’t hack it! Our market will pay for it in the long run!! If you guys want a good site that gives really good insight on the economy look at www.fool.com There are tons of articles about the current sichiation with the automotive industry.

BTW…In the one Obama article earlier, he recommends $9.50 minimum wage while adding jobs by 2011…. Is he high! I am all for job creation, but say goodbye to them when that happens. I am sure all manufacturers will hold price on goods and services while their fixed costs go up…FAT CHANCE! In the words of Dickie V…..”Inflation city baby!!”

Just my thoughts,

Dizzle

18) Lombard:

Damn, is Sarah Palin in the house? Those are some extreme words buddy. It's not like the government is going to force GM to build anything; it's just that if they want to get bailed-out with taxpayer money, they should have to agree to some preconditions. That's voluntary for GM. The government is just nudging them towards what is right for the country, but in a passive manner. No regulations, no taxes, no interference; just the ol' stick & carrot. This type of government involvement has been referred to as "paternal libertarianism." As you know, libertarianism is on the opposite end of the spectrum from socialism.

And it's not ridiculous to think we can increase wages and employment at the same time. It happened during the 90's, when minimum wage was raised to $5.15 amidst historically low unemployment levels and an unprecedentedly bullish stock market. It actually happens a lot (click here for a better explanation). I think the best explanation for this is that "a rising tide lifts all boats." When the economy's humming, there are more jobs and they pay better. The IT Boom did this in the 90's. Obama is probably anticipating a similar Green boom now, which is why he thinks $9.50 and more jobs is possible.

All that being said, I'm with you on letting the Detroit 3 automakers fall flat on their incompetent asses. They fought and fought against any initiative to improve their fleet MPG standards and killed the electric car, thus actively pursuing their own suicide. Fire the entire management team and retrain the workers to build green products.

19) Kevin:

Different time brotha…the dollar was also a hell of a lot stronger against other currencies at the time…I think that there has to be a huge shift in the workforce, maybe green, maybe something else, but until we as a nation find a way to do this at a cost that makes sense, oil will be around for quite some time. Analysts predict that Saudi’s and other Middle Eastern oil companies will not be able to keep up with demand when production ramps up and the economy starts to turn. That being said, there is a good chance that domestic production in already existing oil fields is where there is money to be made in the next 3-7 years. I know it is shitty now, but China’s demand for oil is growing and we may be supplying the little Jungs of the world….sorry, that is not fair b/c my Korean brother is not here to defend…low blow.

Short end of this, domestic oil companies Valero, Kimball Morgan, and Denbury are all trading relatively low, and should bounce back when oil comes around… I deducted all of this from a recent article I read, so I am not that good, I am just regurgitating what I took from it.

20) Article on reforming the auto industry:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/11/what-to-do-abou.html

21) Buki:

The environment has become a lot hotter since I last checked in. Kev, I had no idea you had sold your soul already. It's sad to see one go so young, so very young. But, it's good to get some opposing views in the mix.

As for a living wage, we will never pull the impoverished up to even lower middle-class status if we cling to a minimum wage that can't come close to covering basic necessities. If we can't do this we will never get urban ghettos, crime, etc under control. I think we all can agree reducing these aspects of our society is good for everyone, rich and poor alike. Economically, if we pay more we can expect more from our workers. This will make our industries, manufacturing and service, more efficient and productive.

This ideology of trickle-down economics, or "voodoo economics," is just redistribution of wealth from bottom to top. The fact is the feds give tax-breaks to corporations and leave loop-holes for the wealthy allowing them to pay lower taxes than the vast majority of Americans. Face it, the rich are rich largely because of their workers and their consumers. They are rich because of society. Of course I am in no way discounting drive and talent. I think the spirit of entrepreneurship and competition is essential to our economic system, but I think the followers should benefit along with the leaders.

Welcome!

Welcome to the home of the Greeniuses. A bunch of twenty..er..thirty year old fella's  who think green is not only good for the earth but will be good for our pockets if we can find our niche.

The Green Revolution may or may not be televised, but we sure as hell will talk about it here. Join in!