The polls are pretty clear most Americans aren’t real thrilled with Washington and the economy. Anemic growth, crushing debt and shovel ready job proposals that sound more like short term construction projects than long term solutions to put us back to work permanently and for those of us concerned about the environment – continued degradation of environmental policy in an effort to stop the hemorrhaging of employment opportunities.
The truth is – the U.S. is not alone. Most of the world’s economies are right with us, struggling to keep their heads above water, forced to dramatically cut services, eliminate pensions and cut retirement and health benefits for citizens. Yet there is one economy that is doing pretty well, actually they have a big surplus, that country is Norway.
Fifteen years ago Norway discovered they had oil, not a lot of oil mind you but some. And knowing that there is a strong global market for oil and that there economy was doing OK without all that extra revenue from oil the Norwegians decided to do some moderate drilling and to take ALL the proceeds and create a fund. A fund that would not be touched until a rainy day, a fund which now stands at more than 570 billion dollars (about $100,000 per citizen) so while other countries are struggling with staggering debt the Norwegians are sitting on a massive fortune which they have no intention of touching.
That fund gives both Norwegians and their businesses a sense of security and their government a nice piece of recurring revenue. Even though Norway doesn’t touch the principal of the fund the government can spend the interest -thus providing services to citizens that don’t cost the country anything.
So back to Obama; we all know how bad it is out there and the reality is that without a big idea we’re screwed. Under the current economic situation this and any administration is going to forego the long term (i.e. environmental regulation and planning for the future) and think only of getting people back to work today. So why not follow in the footsteps of Norway with a twist.
The U.S. has an abundance of relatively easily attainable oil fields (ANWR, Bakkan, Devonian Oil Shale, Green River and the North Slope to name a few). Why not start drilling (as an environmentalist this pains me – but wait there’s more) in a responsible manner, one where concerns for the environmental impact are carefully weighed against the cost and benefits of the drilling, taking into consideration that all profits from drilling go into a US Alternative Energy Fund. A fund where 100% of all profits from this expanded oil drilling would be reinvested back into creating a clean sustainable economy.
The reality is we all live on the same planet and a gallon of oil pumped here has the same impact as one on the other side of the world. Actually if a gallon of crude is produced here in the U.S. it has a smaller environmental impact than if it was produced abroad and then shipped to the U.S. So why not use our natural resources to wean ourselves from Mid East oil while at the same time creating millions of jobs right here in the U.S. jobs not only from drilling, transporting and refining our oil into a global commodity but millions of new jobs and tax revenues in transforming us into a fossil-fuel-free and war free country.
All the drill here, drill now Tea-partiers rejoice, the White House looks like a hero, Democrats get to protect social programs because of all the new revenue being paid by big oil and payroll taxes, progressives cheer the salvation of the planet and millions of Americans go back to work in the new industries (i.e. long term jobs) created. It’s a win, win.
The proceeds should not only be invested into existing proven technology like solar, bio-fuels and wind energy but also investments into new R&D to create tomorrow’s clean sustainable technologies. Technology and solutions that once created can be exported (i.e. sold) to the rest of the world.
Not only does this proposal create millions of jobs in moving us towards a new economy but it also invests into creating the solutions that our world needs in the coming decades. It builds a strong America by utilizing our existing resources to solve our short term problems, creating a new manufacturing sector to export our technologies to the world and in true American spirit it spends every penny we collect on building something new. Take that Norway!
Hi all – we are taking a break from the show for a couple months. I am in the midst of training for some serious backpacking trips and also seeking out some new opportunities (consulting or maybe even a corporate gig!!!). Once things cool down we will be back.
See you soon,
Derrick
Albe Zakes Bio:
Albe Zakes is the 26 year-old Global VP, Media at TerraCycle, Inc., the world’s leading ‘upcycling’ company, which converts waste materials into eco-friendly, affordable products available at major retailers worldwide. Albe came to TerraCycle shortly after graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
In Colorado, Albe ran several grassroots student groups and worked as a Campaign Supervisor for CoPIRG (Colorado Public Interest Research Group.) With PIRG he helped to run the Environment Alert initiative for two years, hosting on-campus awareness events and running letter writing, petitioning and fundraising campaigns. He was also co-chair of the Colorado chapter of Hip Hop Congress a grassroots movement that spreads political and social awareness and activism through music and poetry.
Albe started at TerraCycle as an unpaid intern in the PR department, after being told he did not have enough experience for a full time position! After spending two months as an intern he was offered a full time position and never looked back. In the last four years, Albe has worked his way to the top of the PR department. With little PR experience he helped TerraCycle battle Scotts Miracle-Gro, by running the “Sued by Scotts” Campaign in 2007, which received national media attention from the New York Times, Businessweek, the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and many more.
Under Albe’s management the PR department has secured over 7,000 unique media placements since 2007 and secured over 150 million dllars in adv value for TerraCycle’s partners and products. He help secure appearances for his CEO on Oprah, Good Morning America, The Today Show, 20/20, CNN and many more.
Today, TerraCycle conducts 100% of their PR in-house, despite managing expansion in 13 countries on 4 continents. In addition to managing the company’s public relations activities, Albe organizes TerraCycle’s yearly Graffiti Jam and helps run the summer Internship program which hosts over 100 college students every summer and several during the school year as well.
Albe’s speaking platforms have included Harvard, Harvard Business School, Wharton School of Business, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Environmental Protection, Denver University, the American Horticultural Society Annual Conference as well as countless ‘green’ and business conferences including the HBA Global Beauty Summit and Go Green Expos.
Check out Idle Air the company that Stan talked about on today’s show.
Cool stuff.
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/827766894
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/827766894
Join host Derrick Mains (Your3BL Radio) and guests Marc Stoiber and Park Howell for the Green Chamber’s first webinar!
Park is (in)famous in the AZ marketing scene and is known as the creator of the global “Water Use it Wisely” Campaign. His company Park&Co inspires movements that ignite the growth of people, poducts, companies and causes that dare to make the world a better place.
Park was recently named the “2010 Advertising Person of the Year” by the American Advertising Federation – Metro Phoenix during the ADDY Awards. Park’s specialty is sustainable and green marketing.
Marc Stoiber is a creative director, entrepreneur, green brand specialist and writer. He works with clients to build resilient, futureproof brands.
Marc’s leadership positions have included VP of Green Innovation at Maddock Douglas, President and Founder of Change Advertising, National Creative Director of Grey Canada and Creative Director of DDB Toronto.
He has helped two ad agencies rise from obscurity to market prominence, and his work has been recognized by virtually every international industry award for advertising and design.
Marc writes on brand innovation for Huffington Post, Fast Company, GreenBiz and Sustainable Life Media. He also speaks on the subject from coast to coast, and has been featured at TED. His campaign for Mr. Clean helped save the brand from near-bankruptcy to win Procter & Gamble’s Worldwide Turnaround Award in 2004.
Title: Link-n-Learn Online – ‘Is green marketing dying of irrelevance?’.
Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Lars is the Senior Director, Marketing & Public Affairs at Ascent, A Stryker Sustainability Solution
That if focused on the reprocessing of single use medical devices.
Scott Cassel is the Executive Director of the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), which pursues initiatives to ensure that all those involved in the lifecycle of a product share responsibility for
reducing its health and environmental impacts. Prior to founding the Institute in 2000, Scott served seven years as the Director of Waste Policy and Planning for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. He is a founding Board Member and past-President of the North
American Hazardous
Materials Management Association, whose mission is to reduce the toxicity of the municipal waste stream. He is also a founding Board Member of the Global Product Stewardship Council, which harmonizes product stewardship programs internationally. Scott has worked on product and waste management issues for the past 25 years, for a start-up solid waste management company
, a non-profit statewide environmental group, and several other government agencies, including the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. He is author of a comprehensive book chapter on product stewardship in the 2008 Handbook on Household Hazardous Waste. He was also a syndicated newspaper columnist in Massachusetts, including the Boston Business Journal. Scott has a master’s degree in environmental policy and dispute resolution from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
an undergraduate degree in Geology and Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
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