Power, Part 1

I've been thinking about what I want to do when I grow up - that is, when I've retired from the military (I'll be eligible to retire in 6 years, at the ripe old age of 41).

I think it would be fun to write full-time... and will probably try that for a while. But, I might get a little stir-crazy after a decade or so of writing. That's tough to predict (what will I be like when I'm 50?), but I can imagine wanting to do more than just write.

I'm good at leading small teams to develop innovative technologies, but I'm not interested in just building new gadgets and toys - I want to do stuff with real substance. The world doesn't need another color television set (no offense if that's what you make). And after serving in the military-industrial complex for 20 years, I think I'd like to go do something non-defense-related. I'm kicking around a lot of other ideas, and the latest possibility is - alternative energy development.

I think it would be fun to lead a small team of creative, talented people, developing viable sources of alternative energy for consumers. Stuff like backyard wind turbines, rooftop solar panels, and what ever else we can think of. There's something to be said for large-scale energy projects, creating green utility companies, but I think I prefer going straight to the masses (not that we couldn't do both). The idea of people producing their own energy aligns with my distributist approach to economics.

I think developing alternative sources of energy, particularly solar, is a moral, political, social, environmental, even theological, imperative. Fossil fuels are expensive, dirty and irresponsible - not to mention the supply is limited. And don't get me started on the political situation in countries where oil is found.

More on this tomorrow...