Juggling Dynamite

It is a remarkable deja vu to behold: the Canadian stock market in June 2014 is once more within striking distance of its all time global-debt-fuelled-consumption-commodity-bubble-peak briefly seen 6 long years ago in June 2008. Four short months later, the index had lost 50% of its value by October 2008 (as it also did from its previous peak in the 2000 dot-bomb implosion). But Canada has much more going for it today than in 2007-08 right? With our top 3 world’s most expensive real estate markets, most indebted consumers ever and weakening global demand for our exports, surely this time will be different?

With WTI today about $107 and Brent about $112, it is fitting to review some basic facts about the unnecessary and crushing economic tax that is oil. The global economy was already slowing before the latest geopolitical tensions ramped fossil fuels to a renewed strangle hold on disposable income. This cartoons sums it up well.

On the other hand, everyday we can chose to stop the unnecessary pain, waste, conflict, and obscene environmental degradation and get serious about “retooling the fuel”. Free power is ours to take.

The following graphic reminds that all of the finite fossil fuels together pale in capacity to the free, clean, efficient sources like wind and solar that are endless and ample without any need for military control or poisoning the planet.

As Elon Musk gives key Tesla patents up for free so that other vehicle developers can leap ahead on zero emission technologies, cleaner air and lower health care costs are all within our reach.

Pollution is rarely big news these days. You’re more likely to hear about it in a history lesson on the Industrial Revolution. But many European cities are suffering as air pollution is becoming a serious problem. Here is a direct video link.

How are innovation and forward thinking laying the foundations for clean, green cities of the future? Here is a direct video link.