Juggling Dynamite

This documentary is a worthwhile watch and useful reminder about how rapidly technology transforms whole sectors of the economy with different winners and losers in each phase.  Nothing is static.  As Charles Darwin observed “It is not the strongest or most intelligent that will survive, but those who can manage change.” What will the next decade bring?

An inside look at how Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos built one of the largest and most influential economic forces in the world — and the cost of Amazon’s convenience.  Here is a direct video link.

I’m working through Mark Z. Jacobson’s new text on the science and mechanics of migrating global power systems and transportation to 100% renewable water, wind, solar and storage.  Those interested in seeing where we are headed and what the opportunities look like should keep this book on their desk or coffee table as a daily resource.  (available on Amazon here.)

The evolution of batteries and other types of power storage are progressing at an unprecedented pace.  If you are not actively following it each month you have old data.

For some important updates see Black phosphorus makes a better battery and Battery recycling company Li-Cycle sees ‘tsunami’ of opportunity, eyes possible IPO to fund expansion.  Those who see the future can prosper with it, as Jeremy Grantham recently explained in the clip below.

In some ways, this industrial event is bigger than the introduction of oil, according to Jeremy Grantham, Co-Founder, GMO.   Here is a direct video link.

Some fossil fuel-producing countries have been aggressively transitioning to new energy production for over a decade now.  Canada needs to catch up fast, see Could Scotland be the Saudi Arabia of renewables?

Back in 2009, only 27.2% of Scotland’s electricity came from renewable energy sources. It was 90.1% in 2019.

The Scottish government has set a target of having the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity demand coming from renewable energy sources by the end of 2020….The PM said: “As Saudi Arabia is to oil, the UK is to wind – a place of almost limitless resource, but in the case of wind without the carbon emissions and without the damage to the environment.

“We’ve got huge, huge gusts of wind going around the north of our country – Scotland. Quite extraordinary potential we have for wind.”

This interview was recorded in 2016 and was released outside the paywall last week. The content is timeless and a must-watch. This is what we are dealing with in finance.  Bullshit and fraud are endemic, very few people actually do meaningful analysis, most are paid not to see.  Eyes wide open.

Harry Markopolos is the former derivatives professional turned independent financial fraud investigator who uncovered the $65 billion Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, only to be ignored by the SEC for over nine years. A vocal critic of the US regulator, Harry now has the audit world and insurance industry in his sights as the next big financial frauds yet to come to light. Here is a direct video link.