To prepare for peak oil, I've argued that nations need to rely less on imports and bring their manufacturing back home. But here's an import from China that I'd like to see come to the West. In advance of China's National Car-Free Day in September, Chen Guangbiao, a flamboyant but green-friendly billionaire, staged a publicity stunt where he had a Mercedes-Benz sedan … [Read more...]
A “Gospel of Wealth” for the 21st century
Andrew Carnegie once wrote that there is nothing more debasing than the worship of money: “The amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry.” Later in life, Carnegie developed this notion more fully in Gospel of Wealth. Published in 1901, this essay became a touchstone of the great American philanthropic tradition. Carnegie’s position on the “duty of the man of … [Read more...]
Corporations rule America. So what?
On the Hopeless Cause List, you'll find peace in the Mideast, making people floss after every meal, winning an argument with your husband or wife and deciding between Tastes Great and Less Filling. And global warming. Now, maybe it seems like we should stick peak oil up there too. After all, expert after expert tells us that peak oil means the end of economic growth. And … [Read more...]