Leaders are supposed to provide a vision for the future. Unfortunately, the leaders at the Environmental Protection Agency are not providing much leadership or vision when it comes to biomass:

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/14/14greenwire-biomass-industry-sees-chilling-message-in-epas-60072.html

The EPA is charged with determining which sources of energy will be regulated as greenhouse gases. And according to this article, here’s what the EPA decided:

“U.S. EPA’s final rule determining which sources will be subject to greenhouse gas permitting requirements does not exempt biomass power, a decision that has raised concern in the biomass industry.”

What? An environmentally-friendly source of energy is going to be regulated like it’s a pollutant? Looks like we’re going to have to change government policy in order to change our environment.

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Remember when the Obama stimulus was going to turn the economy around?  These days, the White House doesn’t even pretend to believe that anymore:

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1209/stimulus_big_enough_d73b7ad9-b743-4181-92fa-bfb2bcadbe6f.html

As the article notes, the White House now sheepishly says that “we got what we could get” with the stimulus package and that it was the “political load that could be carried.”

What?  So we passed a $787 billion spending bill not because it would work but because it was politically feasible?  No wonder the stimulus hasn’t worked.  It wasn’t designed to work.  Instead it was designed to show the government busy doing something.  But as a great writer once put it, there is a difference between motion and action.  The Obama White House has given us lots of motion and little action.

But here’s the sad part: the White House is talking about doing even more to “stimulate” the economy.  I say “no thanks” to that.  Let’s let entrepeneurs and business leaders lead this economy.  We don’t need anymore of Washington’s “political load.”

Here is why you should be concerned about the government running health care: it can’t even stop carp.

In the Mississippi River, the torpedo-shaped Asian carp often leap out of the water as boats are approaching. But more serious than the danger they pose to ships is the danger they pose to other fish. They prey on other species and because they are so large pose a real threat to smaller fish. As the carp continue swimming north in the Mississippi, they could endanger the recreational fishing industry in the Great Lakes.

So here comes the government to save the day.

First, fish poison was pumped into the water to kill the carp. But it hasn’t worked. Now the government is considering separating the Great Lakes from the Mississippi water basin.

The question is: if the government can’t stop the carp, how can it run health care, or win a war or turn the economy around?

Earlier in the week we said we’d have some news on our biomass research. Here is the first big announcement:

The preliminary research that has been done by the University of Idaho shows that the Advanced Trailer for Biomass works well; in fact, even better than expected. The University is still testing, but the early returns show that the trailer has effectively dried a number of loads of wood chips. It has been effective in drying the wood chips using both heated air and non-heated air.  The university is putting together a report that will suggest how to adjust the trailer to make it even more effective.

But the bottom line is this: biomass has been held back in the past because there were no good ways to dry the wood chips. Now, there is. The future of energy in America is about to begin.

Today we conclude our series on the myths of wind power by discussing the top three complaints.

First, we are often told that wind turbines are too noisy. Not so according to Appalachian State University:

“Today’s large wind turbines make less noise (about 45 decibels-dB) than the background noise you hear in your own home (50 dB)! According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), today an operating wind farm at a distance of about 750 to 1,000 feet is no noisier than a kitchen refrigerator or a moderately quiet room.”

Second, we sometimes hear that lots of turbines are needed just to generate minimal energy. Again, not so:

“Improved technology has enabled far fewer turbines to produce more electricity. The standard output of a turbine grew from .5 mW in 1995 to 1.5 mW in 2003.”

And last but not least, we always hear that wind turbines are not very pretty. Not true at all:

“In North Carolina, a study to determine public attitudes towards wind energy was recently conducted. The study found that 77.1% of participants who had seen first hand a utility scale turbine said that they liked its appearance. Studies from numerous US states and other countries report that a majority of people think wind turbines are graceful, elegant structures. Many people find turbines to be interesting features in the landscape, enhancing the vista overall. In the UK, the British Wind Energy Association notes that wind farms are popular tourist attractions, with thousands of people each year flocking to visit attractions.”

So the myths against wind power are just that: myths. The reality is wind is a reliable, affordable and effective way to create supplemental energy power in the United States. So what are we waiting for? Part of the answer to our domestic energy challenge can be found blowin’ in the wind!

For two weeks now, I’ve warned that the economy is bad and will likely get worse.  But it’s not just me saying it.  So is the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aUgpE2pRx5eU

According to this Bloomberg article:

“There’s evidence, though, that Buffett is awake to America’s problems. He says there will be no quick rebound in consumer spending, the economy has ‘fallen off a cliff,’ and we are now ‘fighting a war.’ Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s real- estate arm just estimated that the backlog of unsold houses is double the official figures.”

So my advice to everyone reading this blog is: fasten your seatbelts.  We are not out of this rough stretch of road yet.

But there is also some good news: cash is again king.  So hold onto your cash; pay down your debt; and keep your eyes open.  In the next year or so there will be great deals.  Maybe it’s a new house; maybe it’s some land.  If you have the cash on hand, get ready to experience a buyer’s market.

And that buyer’s market will eventually, as always, bring the economy back.  So let’s keep a positive outlook as we endure today’s challenges and get ready for tomorrow’s opportunities. As Warren Buffett once said, “‘Buy American: I am.”

This week brought more seemingly bad news about the economy. Here in Texas, two major employers announced layoffs. In Arlington, National Semiconductor announced it would close its plant:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/031209dnbusnationalsemi.251f3213.html

In Austin, Dell Computer announced layoffs for many of its employees:

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/theticker/entries/2009/03/11/dell_cuts_jobs.html

Bad news, right? Yes and no. For those losing jobs, it’s absolutely bad news. But as I’ve previously written on this blog, sometimes good things take place in a bad economy. One of the Dell spokesman hinted at this when he said in announcing the layoffs:

“The layoffs are not about individual performance but about properly sizing Dell’s business for the economy and business environment.”

Exactly. Economic downturns force businesses and entrepreneurs to re-focus for their new environment. The bad news is that people lose jobs. The good news is they take with them their skill sets and they can then apply these skills to new endeavors. My guess is those employees let go by National Semiconductor and Dell will do just fine and end up using their high-tech skills in new fields, and maybe even create new jobs.

I’ll have more to say on this in a few days when I release my first ebook, “From Tragedy To Triumph: How Economic Challenges Often Create Economic Progress.” It will discuss the economic good that can come out of a bad economy. Stay tuned!