Juggling Dynamite

In one day, 20 new fueling stations were added to a local parking lot, with a fraction of the construction costs, mess and upheaval.  Beauty efficiency.  Just add solar and drive.

With policy interest rates already near zero in much of the developed world, and heavily indebted households and businesses (that drive world demand), struggling with flat and shrinking incomes, monetary ‘stimulus’ is not what it used to be.  Fresh thinking is needed, and luckily technological progress has arrived just in time.

Shrinking electric and transport costs toward zero is the next big economic stimulus, and it’s not environmental and health concerns that are driving the evolution, it’s the math.  Finally those who are good with numbers are looking past the status quo and political dogma to recognize this obvious path forward.

Staunch Republican, certified public accountant and Georgetown, Texas Mayor, Dale Ross is the new face of the energy revolution, because he understands the numbers. He explains that the decision to source all the town’s energy from renewable resources was based in cold-eyed pragmatism.  See:  This is what America’s eco city of the future looks like:

“The revolution is here,” he said. “And I’m a good little Republican, a rightwing fiscal conservative, but when it comes to making decisions based on facts, that’s what we do.

…“How is anybody going to compete with wind and solar?” said Ross, who has ordered an electric-powered BMW scooter from California and plans to fit solar panels at his home and office….

When Trump was campaigning he was talking about clean coal and we’re going to bring coal jobs back? That is a mirage, that is not going to happen,” he said. “Coal is one of the most expensive forms of fossil fuels to produce. And those jobs are never going to come back, ever. They’re done.”

Realty prices in Ontario, dropped sharply in September.  In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) 1 hour north of the city (where I live), average prices have already come off about 20%+ from last spring.  And while the stricter mortgage rules announced for January will doubtless prompt some to try and squeeze into properties before Christmas, market weakness in 2018 is likely to continue.  See New mortgage rules expected to heat up Toronto housing before winter chill:

While the industry hoped for, and failed to see, a surge of back-to-school homebuyers, the further tightening of mortgage rules could add some temporary autumn heat. BNN’s Greg Bonnell looks at what the experts are saying about one of Canada’s hottest housing markets. Here is a direct video link.

After peaking at 69.2% on subprime mortgage madness into 2005, the US homeownership rate spent 12 years round-tripping back to its 50-year average around 63% as shown here.

In comparison, after 20 years of steady increases, the Canadian Homeownership rate from the most recent 2016 census was 67.8% —down from the 69% peak in 2011.  Since both US and Canadian rates of ownership were driven higher by baby boomers and ever easier credit availability, it is likely that Canada’s rate, like the US, will also mean revert over the next several years, as boomers look to downsize and credit availability and appetite contract.