Actually, there are a number of good reasons why we should slow way down on our consumption of fuel. Our personal money supply is just one. It is a good one, but we can see a number of other reasons affecting our family, our nation, and our way of life.

One can say that the oil companies are just trying to gouge us for all we’re worth. While you can argue that point, it doesn’t change this fact: This country was built, not on abundant petroleum, but on cheap and abundant petroleum. And here’s the next, equally important fact: Those days are over. Period. They are over and done. Never to return.

Others will say that we need to go through this "shock" period of economic dislocation so that we can get petroleum out of our national system and get to the point where we are forced to develop and adopt alternative lifestyles along with the alternative energies. Whether we want to or not, like it or not. It just has to be done. I understand their point; it’s just that I don’t also hear them saying how the kids will get to school (assuming there is a school) or how we will get groceries and other products (assuming there are groceries and other products).

There are a number of you out there who could wake up tomorrow morning with your solar panels and your wind turbines and be just fine. This is based on two assumptions, one being that you will have enough products produced locally, since shipping will not be available to keep you fat and sassy. Shipping will happen very rarely. The second assumption being that the American people, being jobless and without product, will decide to ignore your plenty with your air conditioning and mobility and just leave you be, much less idolize you.

This all worked just fine back in the 1930’s Great Depression. I just don’t see that happening again.

That being said, the rest of us should still conserve in order to make our lives (not to mention our children’s), last as long as possible.

We can conserve for the existence of our nation. Does our dependence on foreign oil make us vulnerable to foreign despots who dislike us even as they loot us as thoroughly and as efficiently as possible? Do you think those people really believe that it is important that the American nation survives?

Before you answer that, examine the growing demand from China and India specifically, and the industrializing world in general, then tell me why you think any country not next to us cares if we as a nation exist in ten years or so.

Some would point out that the Chinese and Indian economies need America to prosper and would suffer great economic and thereby social dislocation, were our markets to simply disappear. Sure. The only problem here is that the people in China who make the decisions and the people who would suffer the economic dislocations are entirely separated. And the people who make the decisions would see themselves as being on the top of the world when the dislocations are over. When it is ALL over.

Most of the petroleum products we use today come from foreign sources. Sources that do not wish us well. A governmental website now lists the amount at 60%. It’s probably higher. And that dependence percentage is going to go up rapidly as we deplete our domestic sources. We passed peak American production many years ago.

Some would look forward to Alaskan oil. Forget it. Even if our oil industry jumped right in with both feet tomorrow (and they’re not going to), that petroleum would be about ten years getting into your car.

According to an official United States governmental website, imported petroleum products cost us $5.2 billion dollars a week. That’s not petroleum products. That’s IMPORTED petroleum products. A week. That’s $5.2 billion a week and $270.4 billion dollars a year that is leaving our economy. Money that could be used to fuel our own economy. That means jobs and lifestyles that will not happen. At least not here.

I’m sure you have noticed that petroleum is what’s called a non-renewable resource. That means it will run out. Not decades from now, either. There is a lot of debate on how long it will take to start to dribble. Some will tell you shale oil in Wyoming or coal in Appalachia will keep everything on an even keel. Great. Tell me how sure you are that you will be able to fill your fuel tank (or the school district fill its buses fuel tanks) and take the kids to school next March on shale oil or coal. And to the doctor and the grocery store. How about the following December?

As oil gets in really short supply, tell me how much the government is going to keep for its own military and bureaucratic use and how much it will allow to the civilian market, and how much of that market will you get to use to take the kids to school and the grocery store. Are you a powerhouse of economic influence? If not, forget it.

But this is about reasons to conserve. Right here and now. Until alternatives are developed and spread to the struggling working classes, it just makes sense to conserve and try to make it last as long as possible.

Another good reason to conserve is our environment. Count all the cars and trucks on the roads around you that use petroleum. It’s really hard to find any that do not. They are there, but not enough of them to matter in a significant way. No one disputes the fact that all that carbon being slung all over the land and water is not good for it.

It really does makes sense to use our petroleum reserves more efficiently. But just remember all we are doing is just buying time till those new and better energy sources are developed and begin popular usage.

The authorities will tell you that the transition to alternative resources will be smooth and efficient. If you believe that, you better wake up and smell the petroleum. It’s not a good smell. But we’ll wish to hell we had it.

Remember the days when the person at the checkout asked you “Paper or plastic?” Today you have to specifically ask for paper bag, and honestly, as much as you may think you are helping the environment by choosing paper over plastic, you really aren’t helping at all. To actually help the environment, you need to ideally use organically grown re-usable fiber bags.

Whoa, that’s a mouthful. But let’s look at the facts about plastic and paper bags first.

Plastic bags are made from non-renewable petroleum products. They also require a lot of chemicals to produce them and many of these chemicals are toxic. Plastics also produce 14% of the toxic air pollutants in the United States each year.

After their initial use, plastic bags are most likely to end up in landfills where they will last several lifetimes. If they don’t end up in a landfill, it is most likely due to the fact that plastic bags are prone to blowing away in the slightest breeze. So…they aren’t spending a hundred years in a landfill, they are now litter and can pose a danger to wildlife.

Most people think that paper bags are far more eco-friendly because paper is a renewable resource. Problem is that paper bags aren’t made of just paper; they are coated with plastic to increase their strength; and there we have the problem of disposing of a petroleum based product again.

OK yes, paper is made from trees which are a renewable resource, but let’s be real, trees don’t grow overnight. Many paper companies use clear cutting policies for harvesting their trees. This means that hundreds of acres of land are left fallow until these paper companies replant the land; and then the trees take 15 years or more to mature to a merchantable size.

Organically grown reusable fiber bags are the way to go to reduce plastic productions and to help save trees. There are no chemicals used in the growing of the cotton, which is the usual fiber in these bags, and they can be used for years of shopping trips, not only to the grocery store, but to any store you happen to find yourself in.

There are many stores where you can find organically grown re-usable fiber bags, one of those being Whole Foods. There are online stores that sell reusable shopping bags; it’s not hard to find them. Once you do buy them, use them and after you get home from the store and empty them, put them back in your car to ensure that you don’t forget them on your next shopping trip. It doesn’t help the environment if you buy organically grown reusable fiber bags, just to forget them at home when you go out shopping!

Will installing a solar power energy system in my home improve the property value for potential buyers? It is a fact, do the market research, USING SOLAR POWER RAISES THE VALUE OF ANY HOME.

The Shuffle To Make Improvements

Let’s be honest, when you are thinking about selling your home you start looking for ways to spruce it up for potential buyers.

Your looking in home improvement magazines, talking to a Realtor,(big mistake), looking for workshops at the local builders supply. All for the purpose of making substantial upgrades to make the house more appealing to buyers. This is all part of YOUR marketing strategy. Right!

Everyone wants to make a quick sale when it comes to a large item like your home. Instead of excessive painting, building a deck out back and generally doing all the projects you should have done over the years within the span of one month, STOP! Those things cost $1,000.00s of dollars. And most buyers don’t appreciate it anyway.

Selling Point Number 1

The new owners will be reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to a cleaner America.

While helping the environment does not add up to much financial gain in a real estate contract, giving the buyer this peace of mind coupled with federal and local tax credits and rebate incentives certainly would ensure them of increased equity for years to come.

Solar power places no demand on the utility companies to strip the earth of coal to burn and create steam to fire up turbines which produce electricity. And unlike nuclear power that produces tons of toxic waste, there is no poison emissions form using solar power.

Hydrogen, Geothermal, Solar from sun and wind are the only energy resources that can make this claim. As a seller you will be offering a cutting edge amenity today by installing even a small solar harnessing system in your home. What a politically correct selling point.

Most people with walking around sense don’t want to harm the delicate ecological balance between us and the environment. It would be the equivalent of sleeping on the same set of bed linens your whole life and expecting to feel refreshed every morning. We protect the environment and it protects us.

Everyone must do their part, it’s important now and into the future. An environmentally friendly attitude will inadvertently draw like minded buyers out of the woodwork.

Selling Point Number 2

You can not expect to immediately make a profit on a new installation of a solar water heater or some PV panels on the roof, but you will get back your investment plus the sale of your home which is all you wanted anyway.

This is especially true in states where extra incentives are being offered for homeowners going the solar energy route.

Try not to become too overly optimistic about the true increase in property value. A rule of thumb from existing data surfacing over using home based solar energy is that for every $1.00 spent you can reasonably see a $100.00 ROI. Not bad when you think about it. Of course like all formulas it is not exponential and would experience a leveling off at some point.

So an average increase of between 12%-16% would not be out of the question. In the current real estate market, most areas are only seeing about 3% per year instead of the usual 8% growth factor. Times sure have changed. That is why we must do things differently if we want to get better and different results.

This is a really great selling point in a down economy. Something a good Realtor should use to your advantage. And even better if you are doing the FSBO route. Because you get to keep more of the profits from the investment of using solar.

That seemingly small percentage spread can translate into a large down payment on the next home you purchase. Hopefully it will be one with current solar equipment as well.

Selling Point Number 3

The selling point that raises resell value is that the new owners will walk right in on a home that has reduced overhead cost on heating, cooling and appliances.

No doubt, the money you spend on solar power devices and equipment will return to you once the home is on the market. This will serve the purpose of labeling your home as HOT! property and push it to the top of the MLS list.

Make sure the Realtor you choose understands the value that a solar power harnessing system brings to a home and the true marketing tools you are giving them. A smart Realtor will capitalize on your decision to invest in solar energy and market this in the list of extras. If they don’t realize the selling potential of solar energy, then get a different agent.

Today, we have the Internet, e-mail, and social networks. These social networks are now experiencing a new wave of innovation with text messaging and real-time updates to the life experience. These tweets and text messages can be shared with others. Some might call this the friends and family program on steroids. It is definitely a disruptive technology, but it seems to be geared towards the way in which humans naturally communicate.

That is to say, it is somewhat an extension of our social interaction. Is this current technology too disruptive, and where is it going? And if it is too disruptive now, might it be even more so in the very near future? Some believe so, but let me give you a scenario so you can think about this yourself.

In the future there will probably be an implant device in your brain which takes your thoughts, and changes them into ones and zeros and allows for storage of all your thoughts, and instant transmission to others whom you’d like to share your thoughts with.

Sounds like Sci Fi? Hardly, but let’s ponder this for a moment. One philosopher and acquaintance of mine in considering this notion and future progression of our current technology stated; “Yes, I can choose what to believe and what not to believe, but only in some cases- a lot of the time we are subtly and uncontrollably affected by an overwhelming world.”

This was in response to the scenario that others would be sending you their thoughts, and you would be taking them into your brain and it would be changing the way you think, with those in your thought swapping group, thought swapping social network, or friends which you’ve subscribed too. In other words, the interjection of thought into your brain would change who you are and how you think.

But, isn’t that happening already? And if you believe that the thoughts that you take in, or the ideas that you read in books are introducing new ideas that change how you think, then this is already happening and if you allow them to this it will be similar in the future, only a much faster transition.

This should not stop one from taking a gander at the bigger picture, or entertaining thoughts that perhaps, invade one’s belief system. After all, currently, one cannot have experienced every situation from all angles, thus have the advantage of multiple perception impressions, but with thought-swapping, one can get closer to that reality. I hope you will please consider all this.

Solar electricity may be today’s ultimate solution to the escalating need for electric power in the face of widespread scarcity in energy sources. And, as a form of clean renewable energy that environmentalists and green peace advocates support, solar power offers a great alternative to the rapidly depleting fossil fuel and electric supply we so depend on.

It is never-ending energy source and with its use, you do not have to worry about power cuts, sky high bills or any negative effect a generator of power may have on the environment. All you need is a solar generator, and voila! It is practically free electricity at your finger tips.

The notion of free electricity may come across to many of us as unlikely. But with a solar panel or generator, you can convert light energy from the sun into electricity, and it is just as competent in lighting and heating your homes and in helping you operate your business. It is generated naturally through photovoltaic technology and the process is free of any environmentally harmful emissions. The photovoltaic cells on the solar panel are responsible for converting sunlight into solar electricity and storing the converted energy for later use at night.

What is great about solar energy is that you do not have to pay for it in order to use it as electricity. It is simply there. All you need to do is to set up a solar panel in your home or at your business location and the rest is history. For this very reason solar electricity is considered cost effective. Though it is true that you will have to spend (and maybe quite a lot) for a solar power kit and have it installed by a professional, it is really just a one-time investment. Besides, you can always DIY it and by diligently following instructions you can easily build your very own solar power panel. Furthermore, maintenance of a solar generator cost very little, making solar electricity generally affordable.