Posts tagged business

Down with the Old – In with the New and Improved Auto Industry

December 13, 2008 · Filed under business, development, economics, green living, politics, public transporation, renewable energy · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I know Detroiters are depressed right now.  The Titanic is sinking and there aren’t any lifeboats, or life preservers, or lifesavers (go Ladysmith Black Mombazo)…  The region is running scared.  Just remember, cockroaches still run around post nuclear fallout.  Maybe bloggers are like cockroaches…

Developments abound!  Seriously folks.  After a forest fire, all the new life that springs up from the earthy floor (watch Planet Earth Forests) … or after a long winter, spring happens.  I know all that gooey positivity doesn’t pay January rent, but let’s set up the mindset.  Attitude is altitude.

Steven Chu, Nobel laureate in Physics, pro environmental veteran, new Energy Secretary and coordinator of climate policies.  We’ve got a green thumb in the white house.  This is sweet because new ideas will be heard, good ideas will be picked up, the more ideas the better, and then we’ll get to pick (let America decide, call in and vote).  New ideas = more ideas = better.

DONG Energy and Wind is opening a huge addition to their windfarm.  Ten more turbines have been added to an existing farm of twenty allowing Denmark to power 35,000 homes with wind power.  DONG Energy and Wind are putting up an offshore windfarm in 2009.  Get in on that goodness.

And finally, smart people unite.  The Detroit auto model is so 20th century.  (Which is why it’s failing in this, the 21st century.)  There’s hope.  I’ve already written about Better Place but I’m going to again because the idea is so big and amazing that I’ve become an electric car grid evangelist already.  Shai Agassi worked as a software exec in Silicon Valley and along with his crew of smart people has come up with a fantastic idea to change the world.  One hold up to the electric vehicle concept was the battery- how to recharge, how long would it take, where would this happen etc.  Agassi changed the entire question.  Understanding that everyone would need to recharge, he figured that recharging stations should be quick and easy- so he decided that at every station, the battery could just get swapped with a new full battery.  Brilliant.  In and out fully charged.  His company, Better Place, has contracts in Hawaii, will test in Israel and Australia and is getting bigger and bigger by the minute.  Agassi sees a future for us all in new ideas using this technology stuff that we all love.  Shaken, not stirred.  And the result will be a profitable cocktail for us all.  Sustainable mobility guys, sustainable mobility.

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The Solution for the Detroit Situation

December 5, 2008 · Filed under business, development, economics, green living, politics, public transporation, renewable energy · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So I’m reading the New York Times review of today’s congressional hearing, you must read it. and I’m coming up with THE SOLUTION.  Congress is debating all of the reasons to NOT bailout the Big Three that we’ve all been thinking about.  The companies aren’t competitive.  They haven’t been for a long time. The unions… (I can’t even go there, unions are such a good idea in theory…) Their product line is inconsistent with the needs of today (my consumer generation) and the people running the show think that it’s impossible to figure it out in time.  (As was suggested by the “tight calendar” line.)

Hey, I think to myself, that’s my money honey!  I have a BETTER idea.  (Actually, I believe many intelligent people have better ideas.  You can probably find a few of them here in the bloggoshere.  FYI, I love how Adrianna Huffington pronounces ‘bloggoshere!”)

What ELSE could we do with 34 billion dollars BESIDES give it to a crappy company.  (This is business, it’s not personal.  Ten cents for everytime you’ve heard that line…)

How about fund 34 of the best ideas for new green transportation (independent and community centric) with a billion dollars each.   Idea makers, lawyers, promotions people, sales people, producers, developers, engineers, advertisers, web people, (I could go on) start your engines!  What do you think will happen??

Alright- before the reveal- I don’t have a good name for this yet, you know, something catchy, quirky, with alteration… feel free to write in with ideas…

AMERICAN TRANSPORT THE TV SHOW!!!!!  Yes!! I said it!!  Make a reality tv show about our collective future.  It would be SO AWESOME!  As every intelligent reader knows, if there are 34 good ideas put on the MARKET, only the best idea will survive to change the world.  Or maybe a few of them will.  Who knows, this is live tv, I mean, economics.  The penultimate businesses will be voted of the island, the market won’t support them/America knows best.  The market naturally chooses the ideas that make the most cents/sense.   Great ideas surface like dot coms and blogs and only the best survive/ inspire audience participation.  (Well, except the Jennifer Hudson fiasco.)   A billion dollars is enough to get the process rolling and we can document it all, show it to America and we can call in and vote.  No,  I’m actually serious.  We vote on the best singers, the best dancers, Trump fires the crappiest employee, Heidi K tells the worst designer that he or she is out, even crappy chefs get chopped up, ON TV!  Let’s talk future transportation.  Let’s document it.  Let America Vote/Buy.  I mean, we are the target market, right?

I’d watch.  I’d call in, or text, or whatever.  If texting fees apply, maybe that can become a slush fund to the winner or something.  I actually think this could be the best idea I’ve ever come up with.  This would be the coolest show, so many people would get jobs.  These are my people.  We all  need jobs!!  Real jobs.  Crackberry style jobs.  Green adverting dollars…. Green fashion… Oh ya, did I mention that it’ll be good for the planet?

This is team building baby.  The bigger the ideas, the bigger the discussion, the better the outcome after everything is thought out.  I’m glad that congress isn’t just a Yes Man for the Big Three.  Way to debate you guys.  Points to Wagoner for a great statement, it’s just lacking proof… My way is better. It’s a huge idea.  Mind blowing actually.  But- we can do it.  Seriously.

Alright, the idea’s out now.  If anyone wants to collaborate, I’m right here.  Just think, you could save me from law school.

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