Six billion people inhabit the earth; half in cities with 500 million of them driving cars every day. One of the single most important inventions of our lifetime, the vehicle, has created an ever increasingly appetite for oil.
We have built some 50,000 power plants across the globe and collectively these engines and coal burning power plants contribute significantly to global warming by emitting harmful gasses into the atmosphere – some reports estimate as much as 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. The earth's surface is trapping these" greenhouse "gases and the emissions are choking the planet of its natural heat circulation system.
Even a new study by McKinsey & Company details how the Internet is devouring more and more power and spewing out more and more greenhouse gases.
Normally nature has its way of restoring the balance through photosynthesis, but we as humans have changed the equilibrium. We have already dammed half of all rivers, converted one-third of all land for farms and pastures and deforested about 50% of the original 1.6 billion hectares of rain forests. Furthermore, rain forests are being destroyed at an ever-quickening pace and it is estimated that by 2030 we may only have 10% remaining.
That is the same year the US Department of Energy predicts that America will need 19% more energy than we use today. Another report estimates that by 2050 we will have 60 million cars and 160 million homes in America demanding more oil, electricity and power.
If you believe all the reports and numbers, we have a problem.
But, let’s step away from the greenhouse effect, oil crisis and global warming debate and take an introspective look into our industry and ponder the following questions:
1. What impact will the current path influence the decision of where future homebuyers will want to buy a home?
2. How will the current path impact property prices in cities and suburbia?
3. What could the ensuing result be on the real estate brokerage industry?
Love to hear your thoughts and invite you to email me. |
