>From Ed Storms: ...
> All we need now is the knowledge to make it > work on a large scale. If you think the present > economic problems are bad, wait until people > realize that most of the major cooperations would > go bankrupt as their products become worthless. > Another example of being careful about what you > wish for. This topic is fertile ground for much speculation. Who among us will live long enough to see the aftermath. Even under the most optimal conditions it is likely to take decades to mature, 20 - 30 years minimum. Probably more. Most of us, of course, dream (perhaps with some trepidation) of the day when energy will essentially become ubiquitous to everyone on the planet. Obviously, not everyone is "for" this because of their own personal agendas. Personally, I'm not entirely convinced that the global economic system will suffer so gravely. Granted, it will have to change, and change drastically in many ways. The lingering question in my mind is whether cool heads would prevail and allow for a reasonably careful transition to a different global economic system, one based on new paradigms and different values - one that no longer considers the possession of natural resources like petroleum as the key to maintaining national security and economic health & wealth. Not everything will change. Other kinds of natural resources will continue to be just as valued, and perhaps even more so. For example, demand for all sorts elements, metals, mined from ore-rich countries would likely benefit as everyone on the planet becomes wealthy enough to desire their own "Ipods", etc... Food production is sure to increase everywhere as everyone's diet improves. The arts & entertainment business will enter a golden age, though probably not soon enough for me to exploit. ;-) IMO there will be plenty of business to go around if one is willing to look at all the new opportunities that will inevitably present themselves. Jed has, of course, already outlined most of this in his book Regards Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
