Wealth & Wise Leadership

I got sidetracked this week when I saw a news item about CEO pay in Investor Place.  The article stated that CEO pay increases jumped almost 40% last year. It also specifically reported that the CEO for McKesson earned $145 million last year.  It was shocking to hear that anyone, let alone the CEO of a health care IT company, could earn $145 million. What Board of Directors could go along with this, helping to pick the pockets of both the stockholders and customers.  

In the meantime, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, pay increased just 1.8% for those workers in the U.S. who still had a job.  The median income for a worker in America is now $753 per week, or roughly $40,000 a year.  Compare $145 million a year versus $40,000 and check your gut reaction, your common sense – or your business sense. I'm sure no law was broken at McKesson, but it still feel like highway robbery or major fraud has taken place and someone needs to be dealt with harshly.

As the gap between CEO pay and that of their workers continues to widen out of all proportion, forces will emerge to correct this situation which is out of control.  Thus we see the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements continue to grow and gather strength. The situation could spiral out of control if business and political leaders don't work to correct the ridiculous imbalance we can all see. 

When I see something so wrong taking place and evil taking hold, I find myself turning to the Bible for wisdom, understanding, guidance, and comfort.  I accessed a copy of the Bible online and ran a quick search through Proverbs, the book of wisdom, and extracted verses on wealth and sorted them to see what God was telling us about wealth and what we should be doing – whether we be rich or poor.  Take a look at what emerged – see Proverbs on Wealth.

Like many of my fellow citizens across the U.S., I am a Christian and ultimately know we must put our trust in God, and then buckle down to do what we can to combat evil and make things better.  We need wise, righteous leadership  in our country. We can't continue to suffer under the leadership of fools or the wicked and expect our country to remain strong.

What do you think? Has the gap between the rich and poor gotten too big? Are the leaders in the public and private sectors acting wisely? What will you do to help correct the situation?

Open Revolution #6 - The 'Information Age' and the 'Open Way'

We are in the process of transitioning from the Industrial Age of the past century into the Information Age of the 21^st century.  Many acknowledge this but don't really grasped what it means. We are moving from the 'closed' protective systems that worked well in the Industrial Age to the new, more effective 'open' systems approach that is the hallmark of the Information Age. We are moving to a new way of doing things – the 'Open Way'.

The Open Source Way is more than a development model; it defines the characteristics of a culture. The open source way thrives on broad collaboration and shared effort. The open source way is about possibility. Open source presents a new way to solve old problems. To share ideas and effort. The open source way multiplies: Knowledge; Effort; Inspiration; Creativity; and Innovation. The impact is exponential. The open source way opens doors. Open source offers a new perspective. Open, not closed. Collaboration, not isolation. From www.opensource.com/open-source-way

Think about it. The 'Industrial Age' was primarily characterized by organizations that placed a high priority on internal development of proprietary solutions and making sure their products were patented or copyright protected. Sharing ideas, data, information, knowledge,  or resources were not generally accepted practices. The Industrial Age was characterized by hierarchical organizational structures, management styles that were heavily controlling, assembly line production processes, inhouse developed information systems, and many other 'closed' management practices.

The characteristics of the new 'Information Age' are quite different. Look around and what you will see is a growing emphasis by organizations on the 'Open Way' . Every where you look you see people advocating and working on open standards, open communities, open source, open access to data, information, and knowledge. Collaboration, sharing, open solutions, sharing, and more participative 'hands off' management styles.

We're still in the midst of the transition, so many organizations are still operating under the old rules that worked well in the fading Industrial Age.  Many owners, managers, and workers haven't fully grasped or understood the changes taking place all around them. The Tea Part movement is unhappy and fighting to retain a hold on old ways. The Occupy Wall Street movement  is unhappy because the old systems and ways of doing things no longer work in this new Information Age.

Bottom line - the war is over, but many organizations and people don't recognize this. We are leaving the Industrial Age behind and have entered the new Information Age. Unfortunately, we will be going through a somewhat chaotic period over the next decade as the changes being made continue to take hold.  It's time to start acknowledging and thinking about embracing the 'Information Age' and the 'Open Way' that will dominate this 21^st century.

I will continue to blog on the Open Revolution. But let me end on this note. For many centuries, our society has been dominated by three major institutions – Government, Business, and Non-Government Organizations.  New technologies, the increasing  pace of innovation, proliferation of overwhelming global challenges, coupled with the use of new information technologies, social media, and the 'Open Way' by the 99% is leading to a major change in how societies are organized. The 99%, are learning to use the new technologies and approach to create and empower the missing fourth institution that will be at the table from now on – the people.  More to come in my next blog.

Looking for your thoughts and input on the Open Revolution.  Please share your ideas and thoughts.

Open Revolution #5 - Continuing to Unfold

Collaboration, 'Open' Solutions, and Innovation are key strategies for creating a better future.

I started writing about the 'Open Revolution' over 6 months ago as we saw people step up, speak out, and start to overthrow existing leaders, political systems, and oppressive hierarchies in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and other countries. That includes America. Look around at the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movements and you can see people stepping up, speaking out, and beginning to take action. But I also tried to make it clear that this was not just about political change, but about changing business practices and cultural change as we continue our transition from the Industrial Age into the Information Age and the 21^st century.

In this blog, though, I want to take a few minutes to raise and briefly address some key questions.  For example: Why are people mad? What are they mad about? And, what do they want? We have a pretty good idea what the answers are to these questions, but they haven't been clearly articulated yet, for various reasons. Partly because acknowledged leaders of this growing movement have not yet emerged. But those who are not taking what's happening seriously had best not belittle what is happening.

People seem to be mad about not being heard. The political system seems to be responding to big business and their lobbyists – not the people. Major corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes, have helped fund politicians to put loopholes into the tax system for these corporations and to siphon off tax dollars to add to their coffers. At the same time, the political and business leaders are lining their pockets with gold – earning millions of dollars in salaries and benefits as workers struggle to survive. There is some very real social and financial injustice and inequality that has outraged the people.

The message is becoming clear. Take heed! The people have woken up and are starting to take on 'big business' and corruption in our political and judicial systems. Lobbying needs to be curtailed. Large corporations and rich individuals should not be able to so blatantly buy off politicians and corrupt our representative government. The size, power, and influence of large corporations needs to be limited. Closing loopholes and raising taxes on large corporations and the rich may not be what some politicians want, but keep in mind that's because it's where they get their funding to remain in power. People are not happy with the blatant attacks on collective bargaining by teachers, the police, firemen, and other hard working folks that can't get a fair deal any other way. Liberals and conservatives have very similar concerns.

Many leaders in the public and private sector don't quite realize the power of the 'Open Revolution' taking place all around them. The growing web of collaborative open communities, of open access to information and knowledge that people can readily access, of social media and other innovations of the Information Age that are transforming our culture and will result in a shift in the balance of power back to individuals, to the people.  I'm sure I will be writing more about this as the impact of the 'Open Revolution' continues to be felt and progresses. Fortunately, I see a lot of potential good coming out of this for America.

What do you think? Share your thoughts about what is happening all around us. Is this going to ultimately be good for America?

* See excellent related article on Three Major Forces Disrupting Management & Society 
 

Open Revolution #4 - Ending Closed Systems

Collaboration, 'Open' Solutions, and Innovation are key strategies for creating a better future.

The growing number of protests on Wall Street and across the country by our citizenry reflects the belief that our system of American checks and balances has been circumvented by the influence of big corporations and financial organizations that have made it impossible for the people's voice to be heard. The winter may drive many of the protestors inside temporarily, but I surmise that they will be back in force in the coming year.

Both industry and the government leaders have created a 'closed system' that is ignoring the voice of the people. This in turn has led to a global 'Open Revolution'. People are speaking up and have taken to the street and cyberspace to protest and express their frustration and anger with the status quo. Existing systems that have been 'closed' need to change and become more 'open' and equitable.  Listen to the voices of the 99%.

Business and political leaders who have been selling out our country, putting their own personal or corporate interests first, need to be very wary. They also ought to remember that using their influence to have the police powers of the state used against the people, as they have done many times in the past, never works over the long haul. It simply enflames the people and solidifies their positions. The 99% will be heard.

There's no getting around it. As I have said before, the global 'Open Revolution' is well underway. The Internet, social media, mobile apps, open solutions, collaboration, crowdsourcing, innovation and constant change are all converging and empowering people as never before. Closed systems, closed communities, and close minded leaders do not work well in the 21^st century.

Billions of citizens are now on the Internet and using mobile technologies. These citizens of the 21^st century are 'always on', accessing information and exchanging their views. They are expressing a growing sense of political and economic disenfranchisement and they will be heard. The views of the 99% won't be silenced.

What does this all mean to us and our future? Where will this 'Open Revolution' take us? Will the 'closed' systems and existing business and political leaders change? Or will they be forced out? How soon before we see real constructive change?

Corruption in America?!

A couple of years ago I was on vacation in Chile and happened to pick up a book on doing business with America. I was very surprised to see a note of caution about the level of corruption one should expect to find. The booklet ranked the U.S. in 16th place on the list of corrupt nations. I always figured we were one of the least corrupt nations and was very surprised at this perception. I just checked the 2010 rankings and we have slipped to 20th place, just ahead of Uraguay. Apparently the perception of corruption in America by the international community is growing. See CorruptionPerceptionsIndex

Then I picked up the latest copy of Time magazine and read an article about corruption in the U.S. in which Mr. Zakaria states that Senator John McCain "pointed to the tax code as the foundation for corruption of American politics. Special interests pay politicians vast amounts of cash for their campaigns, and in return they get favorable exemptions or credits in the tax code. In other countries this sort of bribery takes place underneath bridges and with cash in brown envelopes. In America it is institutionalized and legal, but it is the same - cash for politicians in return for favorable treatment from the government. The U.S. tax system is not simply corrupt; it is corrupt in a deceptive manner that has degraded the entire system of American government. Congress is able to funnel vast sums of money to its favored funders through the tax code - without anyone realizing it."

Yes, it appears you can fool the people most of the time. We have been treated as fools by politicians and greedy corporations. Our system has become corrupt - it is broken. That's why the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street protests are taking place. We, the people, are now paying the price of allowing corrupt politicians, business leaders, and practices to flourish in America for decades. If you're religious, you know God is going to teach us a very bitter lesson over an extended period of time until we change our practices. Wake up America!

What are the solutions? Repentance? Holding leaders accountable? Punishing corrupt business leaders? Removing corrupt politicians by your vote? Not just paying attention to words, but actions and outcomes. Being relentless in protecting our country from these internal threats over the next decade and beyond. Tax code reform?

What 'serious' solutions do you think are needed? Share your serious views and recommendations with us.

Open Revolution #3

This the third blog I have written on the global 'Open Revolution'. As I have stated in the past, I believe we have moved into a century of massive, global collaboration, innovation, and 'open' solutions. There is a revolution taking place as we continue to move forward and embrace a wide range of open solutions in all sectors of the economy and our society. In education and publishing we are moving to open copyright, open access, open knowledge, and open journals. We're seeing collaborative and 'open' news organizations, religious, and political movements. In the high tech industry, open source systems and supportive communities are proliferating across the board. We are seeing an 'Open Revolution' breaking out on all fronts. We are seeing the successful strategies of global collaboration, open solutions, and innovation take hold and start to overwhelm current organizations and systems that are starting to fail.

The recent round of protest on Wall Street by our citizenry reflects the belief that our system of American checks and balances has been thoroughly trashed by the influence of big corporations and finance organizations that have made it impossible for the people's voice to be heard. Industry and the government leaders have created a 'closed system' that ignores the voice of the people. As a result, we are seeing the global 'Open Revolution' that started in the Middle East spreading to the west. It is now arriving on our shores. People are speaking up and beginning to take to the street and business and political leaders who have been selling out our country for their own greed need to be very wary. They also ought to remember that using their influence to have the police powers of the state used against the people, as they have many times in the past, never works over the long haul. It simply enflames the people and solidifies their positions.

Let me reiterate some of my previous observations on the topic of global collaboration and open solutions –

• There's no getting around it. The global 'Open Revolution' is well underway.
• Collaboration & open solutions are leading the way in this age of innovation and constant change.
• Unfortunately, many existing business & political systems have become self centered, destructive 'closed' communities.
• Billions of users of the Internet & mobile technologies are 'always on', accessing information and exchanging their views.
• There's a growing sense of political & economic disenfranchisement of billions of people around the world and across our own country – and these views are being voiced and exchanged.

Now, what does this all mean to us and our future? Where will this global 'Open Revolution' take us? Will the 'closed' system or community of existing business and political leaders be forced to change their behaviour? How do we harness the energy for 'constructive' purposes?

Our National Priorities?!

The national news tends to focus on short term issues or problems, with an emphasis on stories about political conflict or current economic indicators. These short term issues and news stories are important and have an immediate impact on us, but the focus of this blog and the associated web site on America's Future: 2020-2050 is on the long term.

Long range national priorities for the U.S. ought to include – ensuring national security, providing clean and affordable energy, protecting the environment now and for future generations, educating an engaged citizenry and a capable workforce for the 21st century, improving our health care system, maintaining a leadership position in global economic competitiveness, and working internationally to build a safer world. A common element across all these urgent priorities is the key role that research and development (R&D) and technological innovation will play in solving problems and advancing our national interests across the board. 

What other key long range national priorities should be added to this list? Again, think long term - 10 years out at least.

The American Journey

We're all on a journey together. Americans are on a journey though time. But where are we going? That's the key question – Where are we going?  We're back to redefining the American Dream.

The heart of America's Dream is the act of dreaming itself. We started with these words from the Declaration of Independence – " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

The specifics of the American Dream, however, keeps changing over time. What is our American dream in this 21^st century? For example:

• Today, rather than seeking independence from England, we may be seeking energy independence from foreign powers.
• Rather than focusing on the rights of wealthy individuals and private corporations, perhaps we want our representatives to better protect the rights of all our citizens and think of the public good.
• Rather than funding contracts for mercenaries, perhaps we should revert back to having standing military forces composed of citizen soldiers.
• Rather than attacking educators in our public school system, we should be investing in the transformation of our education system.
• Rather than vilifying our public health system, we should be embracing health care for all of our citizens.
• Rather than attacking environmentalists, we should all be concerned with being good stewards of the world we have been given.

What else? What are the top 10 - 20 items that the majority of this country believes ought to compose the American Dream? Take a close look at the platforms of the major political parties in our country. Take the time to actually read them – see Political Party Platforms.

Our country needs a clearly articulated American Dream – a Vision of the Future for America.  Our leaders need to make sure our people know what the vision is.  We can disagree on how to best get there, but let's keep our dreams alive and remain focused on creating a positive future for our country.

'Open' Revolution #2

As I said in a previous blog simply entitled 'Open' Revolution, we have moved into a century of massive, global collaboration, innovation, and 'open' solutions. We now have open source software, open communities, open copyright licenses, open access, open knowledge, open standards, open journals and more.  I still haven't got a truly clear handle on what is happening, but the 'open' revolution is upon us, all around us. We need to understand what is happening and get a handle on it so it ends up being a constructive force for change, not a destructive one.

Here are some observation on the subject of Collaboration & Openness to consider –

• A global 'open' revolution is well underway
• Collaboration can be both good & bad
• Collaborative communities have emerged – but some may be 'close minded' communities
• Open solutions can be both good & bad
• This is an age of constant change & innovation – which may not necessarily always be good
• Internet & mobile technologies give us instant access – to what?
• Users of the Internet & mobile technologies are 'always on'
• Lots of information sharing going on – but is the information trustworthy
• People are sharing emotions – often in the form of destructive 'flaming' diatribes
• There's a growing sense of political & economic disenfranchisement of hundreds of millions of people

Now, what does this all mean to us, to America, and our future? Where will this global 'Open' Revolution take us? To more Freedom, Independence, Happiness, and Security? How do we harness the energy for 'constructive' purposes?

The Future of Education in the U.S.

Building on previous blogs about America's Future, let's get down to some specifics about Education. Where do we want to go over the next 20 years? What do want to achieve? What should we be doing?

Unfortunately, the Democratic and Republican party platforms lay out somewhat similar plans containing relatively uninspired ideas about the future of our Education system.  Neither party offers truly innovative programs to truly enhance and transform the future of Education in the America.  Check it out for yourself.

Republican Position [Selected excerpts on Education]

"Maintaining America’s preeminence requires a world-class system of education, with high standards, in which all students can reach their potential. That requires considerable improvement over our current 70 percent high school graduation rate and six-year graduation rate of only 57 percent for colleges."

"Education is essential to competitiveness, but it is more than just training for the work force of the future. It is through education that we ensure the transmission of a culture, a set of values we hold in common. It has prepared generations for responsible citizenship in a free society, and it must continue to do so."

"The challenge to American higher education is to make sure students can access education in whatever forms they want. As mobility increases in all aspects of American life, student mobility, from school to school and from campus to campus, will require new approaches to admissions, evaluations, and credentialing. Distance learning propelled by an expanding telecommunications sector and especially broadband, is certain to grow in importance – whether through public or private institutions – and federal law should not discriminate against the latter. Lifelong learning will continue to transform the demographics of higher education, bringing older students and real-world experience to campus."  

Democratic Position [Selected excerpts on Education]

"Democrats recognize education as the most pressing economic issue in America’s future, and we cannot allow our country to fall behind in a global economy. We must prepare the next generation for success in college and the workforce, ensuring that American children once again become global leaders in creativity and achievement."

"We will promote innovation within our public schools–because research shows that resources alone will not create the schools that we need to help our children succeed. We need to adapt curricula and the school calendar to the needs of the 21st century; reform the schools of education that produce most of our teachers; promote public charter schools that are accountable; and streamline the certification process for those with valuable skills who want to shift careers and teach."

"We believe that our universities, community colleges, and other institutions of higher learning must foster among their graduates the skills needed to enhance economic competitiveness. We will work with institutions of higher learning to produce highly skilled graduates in science,  technology, engineering, and math disciplines who will become innovative workers prepared for  the 21st century economy. "

What does our country really want and need?

How about true transformation of our Education system! Yes, we need to set educational standards, hire and retain great teachers,  and need to adapt programs to meet the changing educational and training needs of our times.  Both parties seem to be pretty much  in agreement about this.  Unfortunately, both parties seem to fall far short when it come to specific proposals about innovation and transformation.

For example, there is no mention of the growing popularity of  online, for profit universities, e.g. Phoenix University, American Public University System (APUS).  These are reasonably priced, high quality educational institutions with flexible programs tailored to meet the needs of working students. States could significantly reduce their expenditure of scarce tax dollars to support older, traditional 'brick & mortar' institutions. 

Similarly, what about offering some of our more advanced students access to an online high school curriculum. These students could go to school year round and finish in less than 4 years.  They could even take some introductory college courses if they are able.  Rather than drop out, some students that have to work could still attend school online and get their degrees.

Home schooling also continues to grow in popularity. Should states be providing expanded online educational resources for those parents and students? 

In fact, isn't Education a profitable growth industry for our country that we should be more proactively pursuing? This could spawn new companies and jobs, help reduce taxes, and contribute to a culture of continuing, life long education that is needed so our country will be competitive and continue to be a global leader in the 21^st century where Information & Knowledge rule.

In a way, the fact that both major political parties have not really advanced any real innovative, transformative changes in quite some time may end up working out well for the country.  It's funny how our governmental system always seems to work things out eventually – sometimes by taking no action and letting the private sector or local communities take the lead in developing and testing innovative new solutions.

What do you think? Would you like to  see a highly competitive and privatized Education industry with high paid teachers challenging our students? What else should we be doing to radically transform the future of Education in the U.S.?

Open Leadership & Other Key Strategies for the 21st Century

Collaboration, Open Solutions, and Innovation (COSI) are key strategies for individuals and organizations to adopt as America strives to thrive in the 21^st century global operating environment.  Of these three strategies, the key strategy to pursue is Open Solutions. Open Leadership, Open Communities, Open Source, Open Standards, Open Access, Open Information, Open …   As I have said before, we are in the midst of the 'Age of Open Revolution'. 

I recently ran across several new good books and articles about Leadership in the 21^st century  – "Open Leadership " by Charlene Li; "What Has Happened to Leadership?" by Dr. Tony Beam; and "Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything" by  Don Tapscott and A. Williams. The first is focused on what it means to provide Open Leadership; the second is an article on the moral dimensions of leadership from a Christian perspective; and the third provides examples of leading organizations that are in the process of implementing business strategies of global collaboration and open solutions to succeed in this new millennium.  

* See http://future.cositech.net for other related books, articles, and reports.

Tell us about successful examples of global 'Collaboration' and 'Open Leadership' by American organizations in the 21^st century?  And how morality and righteous behavior should fit into this picture.

'Open' Revolution

I believe we have moved into a century of massive, global collaboration, innovation, and 'open' solutions. There is a revolution taking place in the high tech industry as we continue to move to open source solutions. In education and publishing we are moving to open copyright, open access, open knowledge, and open journals. We're seeing collaborative and 'open' news organizations, religious, and political movements. I think its very real, this period of 'open' revolution' on all fronts, I just haven't got a truly clear handle on what it really looks like, how it operates, and what its impact will be on me, our country, and our way of life.  But something big is afoot -  this is not just the Information Age, we've also entered an Age of Open Revolution!  And America is right in the middle of it.

Help us understand what this all means and portends. What does this mean for the future of America?

The American Dream & the Information Age

The cover of Time magazine's March 14, 2011, issue asked the question – Is America Still #1 or Is America in Decline?  I don't know why news organizations and political parties often feel they need to simply give you two extreme alternatives when presenting arguments about important issues. The truth is that there is usually some reasonable middle ground. 

For example, in this instance we can still say America is #1 but  America is being challenged in many areas and must now work harder to remain #1 or be one of the leaders in a particular industry or situation.  In fact, in some areas we may have elected to hand over the lead position as we shift our resources and attention to new industries and the challenges of the future.

As the world continues the transition into this new Information Age, we're facing great  turmoil and challenges – much like what we faced when we moved from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age over a century ago.  We're in the midst of the transition, but America is well positioned for the future. The key is to persevere and continue to pursue the American Dream in this 21^st Century. 

Let us continue to strive to be a strong and God fearing nation, not one that is fearful and weak-minded.  As a country, let us continue to make sound long term investments in our economy while also making sure we show respect and care for fellow citizens in our communities, especially when they are in need. Let's not become a nation of self centered individuals driven by excessive greed. 

The future is starting to look good.  We're making the transition into 'green' technology, biotechnology, information technology,  new transportation systems, online education, open source solutions, ehealth systems, and more.  We're changing old ways of doing business, moving to a global focus, industry collaboration, virtual offices, more and more government and business going online.  

It's one exciting time. What are some of the positive things you are seeing happen across our country? New businesses, new opportunities, new technologies that will positively impact us all in the coming decades.

Updated List of Predictive 2020-2050 Reports

The following are a selection of special reports posted on the COSI America's Future: 2020-2050 web site that provide information that may provide insight  on our future:

• American Infrastructure: 2050
• Future Timeline: 2020-2029
• Future of American Innovation
• Global Strategic Trends Out to 2040
• Life Sciences & America's Future 
• Life in 2050: A Pew Research Report
• MetLife "2010 Study of the American Dream"
• National Intelligence Council: Global Trends 2025
• RAND Report: Global Technology Revolution 2020
• Reports from 2050 on the Environment & Conservation
• Smithsonian: Americans Predict Life in 2050
• U.S. Committment to Global Health
• Vision 2050: The New Agenda for Business
• World Future Society Forecasts:  2010-2025

To obtain copies of these reports and to see other related information, visit America's Future: 2020-2050 web site at http://future.cositech.net

If you know of any other published reports on the future that can be shared, please let us know and provide a link to them. Thanks

Solar Panels & Water Heaters For U.S. Homes ?!?

I made several trips overseas last year.  In Turkey, we went on an excursion from our cruise ship to Ephesus to see where Jesus mother Mary went with John towards the end of her life. We also saw where Paul preached while he was in that ancient city. On the bus ride to Ephesus on a super highway just like the Interstate highways we have in the U.S., all the farm houses and apartment buildings we passed had solar panels and solar water heaters on their roofs.  Later in the year I went out to Polynesia and saw the same thing.  In fact, when I looked at the yellow pages in the phone book for plumbers and water heaters, all I saw were ads for solar water heaters. When I came back to the states it really hit me – in these supposedly third world or emerging nations they were well along the way to using everyday modern alternative energy technology. I couldn't find hardly any sign of solar panels or solar water heaters installed in homes or building anywhere in the D.C. area.  I'm afraid we're falling way behind many other countries. Plumbers and roofers across this country should already be trained and busy installing alternative solar and wind energy systems in our homes.  What's going on? We shouldn't have to wait for politicians or multi-national corporations.  Let's get moving into the future. This is vital to our national economy and our security.

What are your thoughts? Do you know of any neighborhoods or towns that have clearly moved ahead aggressively and installed alternative energy systems in large numbers of homes and businesses? Where plumbers, roofers, and home builders have been retrained and adjusted to this era. Tell us about it.