Here are some thoughts that came to my mind when reading this article. Most of what I am saying does not have to do with exports but rather popular topics in the news today. The alternative energy/ sustainability movement is unlike anything the United States has seen since WWII. Instead of blue collar jobs we will have “green collar jobs”. The battle between the political parties isn’t a question of if we should be developing these technologies; it’s who can do a better job developing these technologies. Who will be more creative and progressive? One difference that we might see between Obama and McCain is a tax on carbon emissions, or a carbon trading scheme similar to the wildly successful system already in place in the EU. The McCain-Lieberman Bill is something that McCain hopes to push if elected. http://www.pewclimate.org/policy_center/analyses/s_139_summary.cfm
That link does a decent job of explaining the bill if you are not familiar. Obama on the other had will probably place a tax on greenhouse emissions, which will help fund social reform programs. Either way, this will force a major shift in how businesses produce and transport products. For example, we might see a massive increase in rail transportation. Again, Warren Buffett was ahead of the curve by buying up rail lines all over the United States. We are also going to see a massive increase in infrastructure investment. I believe that this money will come from foreign investors because of the weak dollar. All the money that we are pushing out of the country will come back into our economy through the reformation of our infrastructure.
We are seeing all of this first hand in states such as Texas, California, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. 80% of homes in Maine are heated by oil. This is a major problem. People will be forced to choose between having heat or food. The state government unfolded a relief program three weeks ago so that those without the money to heat their homes can afford it. The American lifestyle cannot be sustained without sustainable changes.
