Economic silver linings

As house values fall, houses become less expensive.

As oil prices go up, alternative energy and transportation becomes more viable.

As the dollar drops, domestic products fair better on world markets. American consumption of foreign goods goes down. Trade deficit can get better.

As bad economic news appears in the media, Bush looks even worse and Democrats tend to look better.

Sorry, if we do have a recession, it does hurt real people, but prosperity can hurt real people also. For instance, prosperity pushes up the cost of housing. Cheap oil imports can make alternative energy a laughing stalk.

Hope there can be some new thinking for ways to create a more sustainable economy. Hope we don't have to go all the way into a recession to start thinking in better ways.

New thinking can create opportunities and the future can still be brighter, depending on how people are willing to define brighter. For instance less cars and more buses can mean less traffic and less car accidents.

A push for alternative energy can mean new and possibly more fulfilling jobs.

In some cases, a slower economy can mean less rat race and more free time.

Still, there can be sources of prosperity in a more sustainable future. Just different definitions of prosperity.

Innovation is something we've been good at before, so we can use innovation again.

"Better" does not always have to mean "consuming more," but it can still mean new and even exciting technology. Often the newer technology consumes less. For instance natural gas furnaces pollute less than wood burning. Just think, solar and wind would pollute even less. Remember, when the transistor came out, it used less space and energy than the vacuum tube.

Lots of interesting things being talked about like carbon sequestration. Maybe that can mean using some of our coal reserves.

Nuclear power is controversial, but maybe it isn't such a monster.

On another front, living more simply sure has it's benefits. Less stuff to maintain. More of one's personal energy can go to spiritual qualities.

The future is likely to be a mixture of many things.

A compromise.

You say, "people using less energy, but it becomes a nuclear world anyway?"

Maybe some consensus can slowly evolve on how to create a more sustainable future. I would like to believe it's a slow learning process that culture is going through.

No, the whole thing is going to blow up.

Maybe you're sick of the dialog, but I find it quite interesting. Economic geography is a favorite subject.

I am more or less of an optimist.