Isn't this a Depression?

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Comment by Chris Clement on August 2, 2009 at 8:12pm

188. Install and utilize energy management systems to cut waste and itemize usage by submetering branch circuits with your pc. The return on these makes them fabulous investments.

Comment by Luane Todd on July 28, 2009 at 11:44am

This is the kind of information that can be helpful as one tries to redesign their life...some of the ideas are really interesting and fairly easy to implement...

Article location: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/meredith-gossland/green-leanings/200-green-business-ideas
July 23, 2009

200 Green Business Ideas
By Meredith Gossland
I'll be posting 10 green businesses a day over the next 20 days ....some are easy to get into and using free Internet services may actually be free or very low cost to start up..others may run into the hundreds of thousands (even millions) to start. But they will be in virtually every industry from pet care, health care, to sports, construction, and art. You name it there is a green business opportunity in every category of business.

Well here we go.....

1. Green Salons...using organic hair products (coloring products and nail care in particular) and water and energy conservation efforts, plus green furniture and all natural tools such as bamboo combs and brushes you can design your salon to be eco friendly and market it as a green Salon

2. Eco Gym..... get rid of the electronics and design all exercise areas to optimize green heating and cooling, reduce air conditioning costs using green cooling (Ice Bear) and create a more healthful environment with all natural flooring and eco friendly decor. Incorporate natural health supplements in your shop and bamboo and organic cotton sportswear.

3. Green Lobbyist....if legislation and government is something that peaks your interest the growth in environmental lobbyist positions is growing with the potential t open your own green lobbyist firm this is a high growth field.

4. Green Gardener....help homeowners reduce their water use (critical in California) by becoming a specialist in drought tolerate gardens and replacing wasteful grass lawns with native plants, stone gardens or organic herb gardens.

5. Green Bed and Breakfast....solar or wind powered, organic cotton or bamboo sheets, green meals (eco-friendly meats and fish and organic produce and fruits), and beautiful natural settings will attract eco-vacationers no matter where you are located.

6. Green Marketing Expert....help companies develop marketing plans that reduces costs and improve their reputations both with consumers and in their communities. From social media marketing to cooperative marketing and using green promotional products these green marketing methods are in demand!

7. Green Investment Adviser...Green people are looking for green ways to invest and want someone to do the due diligence to find green companies as opposed to green washed companies to invest in.

8. Green Business Consulting...help businesses, that can't afford full time environmental management departments, take the steps toward sustainability. Sometimes all they need is a plan and someone to show them how to move forward.

9. Boutique Organic Foods for Restaurants...this can be done on a small scale on less than 5 acres of land and can provide local restaurants with seasonal produce at premium prices.

10. Green Plumbers.....help homeowners and businesses reduce their water costs and pollution by promoting, selling, installing green toilets, faucets, and water heating systems.

11. Recycling Business...from thrift shops to art galleries, and scrap metal dealers the ability to reuse and recycle in America is huge. Can it be recycled or reused? It's a business opportunity only limited by your imagination.

12. Green Schools and Education....Really this opens up hundreds of entrepreneurial possibilities in and of itself, from energy efficiency to curriculum writing, to green job training vocational schools, being a school district vendor of organic foods for the cafeteria just let your imagination run wild.

13. Green Lawyer..... This can be anything from neighbor disputes about shade trees reducing solar panel output to representing corporations on environmental clean up operations, helping green businesses get started, once again just think of the possibilities...

14. Cool Roofs..... From actually doing the roofing jobs to supplying the products that help reduce heat gain in buildings both residential and commercial. Reflective roofing material and other technology

15. Green Light for Green Lighting.....design of lighting fixtures that use CFLs and LED lighting to on reducing energy consumption through natural lighting(solar tubes) and specializing in interior design lighting to businesses effeciently light retail spaces and offices...

16. Carbon Trader .....For a good resource on this check out www.ieta.org [1]

17. Green Shopping Bags..... Have you noticed the trend? More and more people are buying reusable cloth or heavy duty recycled plastic bags the artwork for these bags, the manufacturing, and design are all open and growing opportunities for small and medium size businesses alike

18. Recycled Furniture.....This is a great green business if you really want to make a huge impact on the environment. It is the furniture and construction industries that account to much of the destruction of the forests. From using old couches to make new ones to redesigning a huge oak table into 2 smaller ones this has a lot of possibilities for craftsman and retailer alike.

19. Recycled Fashion....Open a shop on Melrose Place or thrift stores in low income neighborhoods..design new fashions using old fabrics, buy all the closeout fashions this year to make a whole new line for next year, outlet malls, designing women's shoes using men's suit material from last season or making fabric jewelry.... you get the picture....more endless possibilities

20. Microbial Clean Up for Toxic Waste Sites..... This is one of those heavy duty expensive businesses to get into but with corporations paying millions and even billions on cleaning up their messes this is a promising field from research to clean up teams to consulting may business opportunities here

21. Fish Farms..... with local oceans facing the extinction of marine life and with shrinking fish, abalone, squid and octopus populations fish farming is one way to help increase yield while allowing wild species to slowly recover. There are a myriad of businesses associated with fish farming from fish foods to tank systems.

22.Natural Pest Control..... a rapidly growing field especially for residential customers concerned about the health and welfare of children and pets.

23. Green Maid Service..... using all natural cleaners for both residential and commercial customers.

24.Green Dry Cleaning.... using safer solvents and advanced technology for non perc ( a dangerous carcinogen that may also cause kidney and liver damage to workers in the industry.)

25.Car Sharing ......Community car time share etc.

26. Eco-Tourism .....from stay-cations to eco-tours this is a growing industry and often travelers are willing to pay premium prices.

27.Virtual Business Meetings and Offices...... Internet business with high profit margin potential.

28. Bike Rentals and Parking Stations......great business for crowed urban centers where car parking fees can be hefty.

29. Lite Packaging...... Help companies rethink their packaging to save money and natural resources.

30. Building Material Reuse...... great way to make a huge impact on both the protection of natural resources and to reduce the cost of building from reusing bricks to doors and windows a great green opportunity

31. Home Food Test Kits..... product allowing people to test their foods for pesticides and toxins

32. Plant Breeding...... revive natural fruits and vegetables and reintroduce non-bio-engineered foods to our diets. Currently 70% of our produce has been genetically engineered. Some are developed to have pesticides in their DNA.

33. Recycled Water...... Develop ways to reuse water from home gray water use to using nutrient rich fish tank water to grow plants.

34. Environmental Design...... From product design to building and landscaping the actual design work is a business in itself.

35. Unbottled Water.....ways to deliver water without the plastic bottle. Filler stations, office water fountains that recycle grey water, usingreusable containers for water. Educating people about the lack of difference between tap and bottled water and making products that encourage use of tap water for drinking.

36. Recycled Heat..... Turning industrial wasted heat from machinery into usable heat for water and space heaters.

37. Eco Shoes .....Designing shoes using natural rubber instead of plastics and natural plants such as bamboo, hemp and cotton.

38. Water Purification Systems..... From irrigation water, mining water, to manufacturing waters most water used for industrial purposes come out of the process loaded with toxins which are being pumped into water ways and underground water tables. And of course there is the water purification system for the home as well as cleaning up waterways that are already polluted.

39. Land Revitalization...... Restoration plans and designs for land that has been mismanaged or those considered unusable such as the urban land beneath power line towers.

40. Automotive Accessories and Cleaning Products...... that make the cabin of cars less toxic and reduce the use of petroleum based products.

50. Battery Charging Stations...... for electric cars to designing safer and less toxic batteries for use with off grid solar and wind generators this is a field that is growing tremendously and many eco products now depend on batteries to store energy. The disposal of batteries is a waste management problem.

51. Green Retirement Apartments..... Using solar, wind, and serving organic healthy foods will attract Boomers.

52. Green Wedding Florist...... using organic flowers and plants for wedding decorations that can be planted after the wedding. (this can also apply to funeral arrangements.)

53. Green Taxi or Limo ......electric vehicles or hybrids

54. Green Vendor Directory....... Help green companies find green vendors and compile green marketing lists

55. Natural Playground Equipment..... using earth friendly or recycled materials

56. Green Parks Design..... Designing parks with less grass and more native plants and drought tolerant plants

57. Reusable Packaging Design .....HP laptops come in their own messenger bag instead of cardboard or foam. Using bamboo hemp or other natural renewable packaging materials can greatly reduce landfill.

58-65 Green Wedding Related Businesses ....Vintage recycled wedding dresses, recyclable wedding floral design, eco-travel honeymoons, solar powered entertainment using solar generators for the bands, organic catering service, organic wedding cakes, virtual invitation design, website design for wedding websites, eco wedding gift lists (help the couple find green furniture and products) then list the gifts on the website with local shopping suggestions. For more specific information on all of these fields there are many resources and I will be building the resource list as we go along.

66. Green Flooring.... Specializing in bamboo and other sustainable sources of wood flooring. Carpeting made from organic and sustainable resources.

67. Green Window Treatments.....window coverings that help control indoor temperatures and are made from sustainable resources. Creative glass treatments that let in light but are insulated to control temperature changes. Double paned windows.

68. Permeable Surfaces..... around buildings to control run off into storm drains. Driveways, sidewalks, and parkinglots that allow for retained drainage and reuse of water for landscaping.

69. Urban Green Belt Design..... designing green belts that use native plants and drought resistant plants.

70. Landscape Water Control Service..... Cities see millions of gallons of water going down the drain because their sprinkler systems are misdirected or faulty. A service that checks and repairs sprinklers for both homes, commercial properties and municipal governments. Save water and reduce water costs for wasted water.

71. Green Mart..... A superstore that passes on savings from using green business practices to the customers, and sells only truly sustainable products a WalMart for the planet while making green affordable through volume purchasing.

72. Edible Organic Garden Service .....for families who want home grown plants but don't have the time to maintain them. A gardeners service for backyard farm areas. (A side product of this would be a composting service collecting cuttings and organic matter to compost and them sell.)

73. Neighborhood Produce Co-op..... where neighbors can trade barter or sell their produce. With annual membership fees.

74. Non Toxic Pool Service .....Non chemical control of algae and bacteria in pools.

75. Japanese Style Bathrooms...... Designing bathtubs with water to be used by everyone in the family and washing area outside the tub. Reduces the use of water and heating energy for the bathwater.

76. Neighborhood Tool Sharing..... To reduce the cost of buying tools that seldom get used and reduce the amount of these products being sold. (Hedge clippers, lawnmowers, drills, shop vacs etc.)

77. Manufactured Homes ......using only recycled building materials

78. Fashion Accessory Rental Shop...... One product being used by many reduces consumption while satisfying the desire to have a huge wardrobe. Belts, purses, scarves, costume jewelery.

79. Bulk Foods Store .....Packaging free grains, pastas, beans, spices, coffees, teas, aromatics. Customers purchase reusable containers and then bring them back every time they shop all products sold by weight.

80. Neighborhood Shopping Service..... Purchasing foods for multiple families reducing transportation pollution and impulse buying.

81. Hydrogen Powered Cargo Ships

82. Solar and Wind Powered Boats

83. Zero Waste Fabric Manufacturing..... Instead of using standard widths.... custom production of fabric (Currently with standard widths average 15% of fabric is wasted)

84.Shelter Pet Store .....Making shopping for a shelter pet less stressful on both animal and prospective owner all pets neutered or spayed all organic pet products in store.

85.Prison Green Manufacturing Programs..... Keeping green jobs in the USA and training prisoners for employment

86. Community Computer Space Sharing..... reducing waste by creating computer space sharing communities. Unused storage and ram can be sold to companies that need more computing power.

87. Commuter Couriers.... Businesses that regularly ship items locally can contract commuters to deliver shipments to destinations close to the commuters job. Typically 90% + of all commuters travel in their cars alone leaving plenty of space for shipping items and small packages.

89. Ceiling Lowering..... many business are in buildings with 15ft high ceilings which significantly increases heating and cooling costs. Installing lowered insulated ceilings without damaging the original ceiling can lower the carbon footprint and overhead of many businesses.

90. Gift Card Recycling..... trillions of gift cards and credit cards world wide are thrown into the trash. Collection and shredding machines located at businesses can recycle plastic and may benefit from small amounts of money left on gift cards.

91.-95. Writer..... Being green as a writer can take you down a multitude of paths but I'll only list 5 here. Children's picture books with green theme... green super hero comic books... green collar job curriculum... green resource guides local, national and global...textbooks for college and high school environmental studies...politics...coffee table books: green buildings, environmental landscapes, eco-disasters, and green celebrity profiles. OPPS I guess that's more than just five, but you get the picture, right?????

Now for some industrial strength businesses.

96. R&D Firms...... for solar, wind and hydro energy

97. Turbine Manufacturer

98. Desalination Plants...... Especially along coast lines of desert areas like southern California

99. Hydro Wave ......energy plants

100. Green Property Development...... building housing tracts of green houses and commercial properties

101. Heavy Machinery & Transportation.... for example electric semi trucks, bulldozers, and backhoes etc.

102. First All Green Mega Shopping Mall in America

103. All Green Amusement Park

104. White Top City Streets..... Black top streets significantly increase the temperature in urban areas developing cooler surfacing materials will certainly help many cities cool down and reduce the use of tar.

105. Eco Friendly Tires..... Finding a solution for tire pollution problems.

106. Solar Oven Bakery.... Commercial size solar ovens (hybrids that can be switched to electric on cloudy days)

107. Urban Forests..... to reduce the use of grass in parks, increase the oxygen levels, reduce CO2, and reintroduce wild life to urban areas.

108. Golf Course Design and Irrigation System...... Probably one of the worst wasters of water in California and other desert states Golf Courses need some real work to make them eco-friendly! Please someone work on this!!!! Please!!!

109. Solar Roofing for Parking Lots..... in malls and shopping centers, apartment complexes, and home carports. Providing shade for vehicles, while providing power to businesses and homes.

110. Eco Friendly Fireplaces...... Is there anyone out there who can figure this one out? Fireplaces add significant value to homes (and I love a good fire on a cold winter night) but they are horrible polluters and waste of trees....can't we have our cake and eat it too????

Well we are over half way there to 200 green business ideas....are you getting the picture? It's not just about solar panels and hybrid cars. The possibilities are absolutely endless. Come on America lets get our green on!

111. Green Business Alliances..... and associations to help improve and expand the green business community in your town or city.

112. Green Retail Store Supplies.....I.E. recycled hangers, mannequins made from recycled materials, recycled store shopping bags (not just for grocery stores), gift cards made from recycled plastic, recycled shelving and display cases.

113. Upholstery Fabrics.... using recycled materials or sustainable plants like bamboo

114. OK this one may be questionable but Creating Plastic Products Designed to Last Forever....aaaaaughhhhh But seriously, many cheap plastic products from shopping bags to plastic eating bowls have very short lives (some grocery bags don't even make it into the car without tearing.) Designing plastic products that will last and can be reused for years as opposed to days has its environmental benefits. (please don't throw rocks ! lol lol )

115. Solar Generator and Solar Oven Rentals at Campgrounds..... Especially during fire season solar ovens (no flame) are a wonderful product for campers.

116. Eco-Friendly Ranching

117. Organic fertilizers and pesticides

118. Waterway restorations, reforesting, and eco system restoration for superfund sites..... and all other areas that have been damaged by business.

119. Antique Restoration

120. Old Homes Restoration...... (historic district revitalization projects for commercially profitable resale)

All right, some of the ideas in the last 10 were very close to the kinds of activities usually associated with non profits. So this next 10 are actually non profit business ideas, that is they are closely socially beneficial services. But remember, non profits are in fact profit generating businesses...they must be or they will fail. Some executive directors are earnng six figure incomes. So it is possible to earn a living (even a good living) as the President or Executive Director of a non profit and it does wonders for your standing in the community.

121. Green Business Association.......Yes just like the Long Beach Green Business Association. lol lol lol A business that offers help to non green businesses interested in goinggreen, and a place for green businesses to market their businesses as vendors to other green businesses, a place to find financing, grant writing ...well you get the picture. By the way if you'd like to join the Long Beach Green Business Association just click here [2].

122. Green Low Income Housing ....similar to Habitat for Humanity

123. Green Job Training for the Unemployed..... this kind of school is in very high demand! Education is the second highest non profit group in terms of money donateed, second only to hospitals.

124. Organic Food CO-OP..... providing a venue for organic farms to sell their products and a resource for restaurants and families looking for organic foods

125. Holistic Health Centers...... Natural healing/ childbirth centers, herbalists, chiropractors, nursing homes, convalescent hospitals ( Did you know that medical facilities receive the largest amount of money of all non profit categories?)

126. Senior Centers..... As boomers age the demand for recreational facilities for them will be in high demand and they have the money to afford memberships. Yoga, healthy lunch programs, hiking trips, etc are just a few of the possible green and natural programs to offer.

127. Community Social Organizations.....that focus on green programs...similar to Rotary or Kawanis clubs but with a green spin on the do good activities.

128. Urban Nature Centers....... like the Aquarium of the Pacific or El Dorado Park Nature Center

129. Animal Sanctuaries..... these can run the gamut from dog and cat rescues to wildlife refuges. These sanctuaries can be anywhere from big cities to oceans, mountains, deserts, or virtually any eco system.

130. Nauture Camps...... for the disabled or terminally ill children

Want to manufacture items in the USA that are good for the earth? Here's a few ideas. Companies always are looking for Promotional Items for trade shows and EXPOs....think about some of these

131.-138. 1.)mechanical pencils made from corn plastic or recycled fabrics like denim, 2.) corn plastic shopping bags, 3.) seed cards post cards with plant seeds embedded when advertising is read... plant the post card and up pop tomatoes, or sweet peas..etc, 4.) pressed wash clothes when advertising is finished there is a usable product, 5.) razors with disposable blades but long lasting blade holders manufactured out of recycled steel or other metal have your customers waking up everyday to your product, 6.) bamboo toothbrush with replaceable brush element (like the blades in a razor), 7.) here's a good way to handle all those dang pennies....press machines to manufacture race medals than can be worn as jewelry instead of handing on a wall or in a drawer recycle pennies, nickles, dimes reduce the amount of metal used for race or award medals, reuse pennies, something unique can you imagine a runners charm bracelet with penny size finish medals. 8.) reloadable markers to reduce all those plastic marker barrels that wind up in the trash...especially for school etc. Gosh there are a ton of ideas like this...

Entertainment World : I'm not much for concerts etc. so I almost left out a huge industry segment...... Hollywood..I apologize! OK here we go.....

139.) Set Constructionusing only renewables, or recycled, or reused. Painting with toxin free paints...etc.

140. Wardrobes for TV and Movies using only organic or earth friendly materials, bamboo etc.

141. Locations Scouts that incorporate locations that demonstrate social responsibility...IE urban community gardens, solar panels, wind turbines, etc. as well as settings that point out the environmental damage to the earth.

142. Script Writer that weave social responsibility into their stories.

143. Caterers that use only organic foods and recycle left overs (Food Finders etc.)

144. Recording Companies , videographers, and artists for music with green message

145. Lighting Technicians using eco-friendly lighting

146. Mobile Power Generators for movies (solar and wind)

147. Award ceremony gift providers(eco only items and possible made in USA only items)

148. Movie theatres that are earth friendly..seating covering to eco-friendly paper products or reusable food containers(?)

149. Air conditioning systems for Theatres that don't turn the theatre into a refrigerator during the summer

150. Transportation Systems for Crewswhen shooting on location that are eco friendly.

151. Internet Marketing as opposed to paper ads, electronic billboards etc.

152. Electronic Billboards powered by Solar using LED lighting

Well here are some more random businesses.....

153. Eco Fashion Designer using the principle of mix and match wardrobe optimization designing a line of clothes that encourages the purchase of fewer clothes and extending the wardrobe with accessories, mix and match, and fashion conversion like turning a top strapless or using zippers to turn slacks into shorts. Making all clothing from organics or sustainable materials...

154. Adobe, strawbale, and earth bag building construction

155. Fencing using sustainable materials from bamboo to adobe bricks and recycled steel.

156-165 Do you think solar is all about roof tops? Solar power has a multitude of purposes from powering laptops, to heating water and homes, solar can be used to power air conditioners, fans, refrigerators, golf carts and can be used as recharging stations for small handheld electronics any of these areas are open for business and using the latest technology in concentrators it is possible to bring to market all of the above in highly competitive ways since most use the basic solar cell at this point. Concentrators can take a solar cell from 15% efficiency up to 75%. You can start the business that is the equivalent of the I-pod Touch of solar. Creativity is the key. (Here is where angel investors will chase you down begging to support your work, They are always looking for breakthrough technology.

166-175 OK you say....all this stuff is nice but I want to work globally....(well I don't approve but....) Emerging economies are looking for ways to ramp up production...unfortunately that means destruction of ecosystems, pollution of air, earth and water. (Do I HAVE to point a finger at China? They had to shut down factories in Bejing just to make the Olympics bearable) While some are concerned with the environment in these countries many more are simply concerned with their bottom line. So here's your business challenge. Create green business solutions that are cheap, easy to apply, and create jobs in these countries. Businesses that can be started to meet these needs run the gamut from science jobs, conservation, tooling, manufacturing plant design, mining operations, recycled water systems, employee transportation systems for large factories, green housing for factory dormitories, landscaping for factories in developing countries that supply food for the employees, import export business that requires suppliers to follow green guidelines. Let those creative juices flow... (Soap box time: Currently Americans 300 million of us use 50% of all consumer goods produced globally When the 3 BILLION Indians and Chinese start to consume like us it will take 5 planets like earth to produce the natural resources to meet the demand. This is NOT possible. Point 2 Most major wars have been fought over natural resources and their distribution.) We need solutions now before it is too late!

176. - 180. Well this is just something that has been burning in my brain every since I saw the nighttime picture of the earth. While most Americans sleep we leave signage, street lights, and office building lightsburning up energy for hours and many of those lights serve no real purpose. Motion sensors on street lights? Led only lighting for signage, solar powered lights for signage, come on somebody ....create some solutions for this American crime! We would probably never have a blackout ever if someone could orchestrate a nationwide end to this waste. (Las Vegas are you listening?)

181. Tech villages in rural America. One of the reasons people flood into the city is to find work. Todays technology can reverse the flow. Since virtually every business imaginable can be done on line these days, and since many entrepreneurs are opening virtual stores the need to be physically at work in a city has been greatly reduced. Virtual meetings on the internet makes it easier for employees to work from home. Where most work has been paid based on hourly wages and employers have been reluctant to let workers work from home... now wages are being based on production and it doesn't matter how long it takes just so long as the job gets done. So buying up towns in rural areas and making sure they have the technology required to supply residents with work can be a new urban planning trend. Many towns are for sale at dirt-cheap rock-bottom prices. Investment in a techno infrastructure can turn these ghost towns into profitable retreats from the hectic urban lifestyle that is so harmful to our health. Beautiful natural settings and eco friendly homes with city power stations run on renewable energy its not a fantasy anymore...its possible for land developers to promote such new communities.

182. A green book store all things organic and green (hopefully full of books printed on recycled paper)

183. Here's a real fun one! I Phone apps.....30,000,000 in sales last year and rapidly growing. Help businesses run paperless offices and consumers save gas. Make it green themed.

184. Speakerand adviser for all things green.

185. Employee Green Trainer The boss decides to go green and conserve energy, reduce waste and recycle..the employees just think he's being cheap ...and will do everything in their power to sabotage his efforts. Businesses going green need help with employee buy in from 3 party sources.

186. Green Focused Home Schooling Curriculum with an earth friendly focus many homeschoolers come from pretty earth friendly homes who would welcome green curriculum that meets state standards.

187. Scuba Diving Trips that have earth friendly focus using solar and wind powered boats and visiting sites affected by global warming or areas in need to protection.


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Links:
[1] http://www.ieta.org
[2] http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=714607

Comment by Luane Todd on July 27, 2009 at 6:19pm

Be very sad that these people's world is torn up. Be even sadder that it seems they are unable to accept the situation and move past it. Be sad that there probably isn't anything we can say that will help and most likely nothing we can do to bring back what is gone. They will have to ask for suggestions before there is tiny chance that we can help. Many of them won't be able to do that...their pride won't allow it.

Everyone of us, sooner or later, faces a major change that seems impossible to accept.
There is no way we can know how we will react until it happens.

I decided to remake my life when my turn came at age 50. I had done the suicide thinking some years earlier for another reason and had ruled that out as a solution. I'm not afraid to die, but I'm in no hurry either. And I refuse to give anyone the satisfaction of removing myself from their 'hair'.

Because I have always found the world and all its parts so interesting I decided to learn things I still didn't know and do things I hadn't done. Fortunately I finally got past the social standing problem connected with doing manual labor of the menial sort so that is how I generate the money to do the things I want to do. One plus about this approach is that I do not bring my office home with me. I do the work, get paid and go on to interesting things.

A survivor is one who sees possibilities when others can only see disaster. Americans as a group had the ability to ride out and ride over problems in the past. Sadly it seems we have lost much of our adventuring spirit and adaptiveness over the past 75 to 150 years. I expect we will see a lot of people give up over our current mess. I visited with a friend in Missouri yesterday who said suicides among farmers is on the rise also. That saddens me a lot because we are really going to need people who know how to grow food to start the recovery process.

The real wealth of America and most other countries has always been the fruit of the earth and the people who understood how to keep that wealth flowing. This is a field that is wide open and needs players on the local level everywhere. We are starting to see people learning how to do it and getting into the act. Maybe some of the people in the article you referenced will decide to try it. Just putting food on the table that you nurtured is a soul healing, empowering thing. You feel that you have control of your life...and to an extent you do. You also put yourself in a position to help others and that can be very healing also.

This is the best answer I can give right now...maybe something else will occur to me.