America Needs A Goal
Posted by John on October 30, 2009
America needs a goal.
Something positive that brings us together.
Something tangible and something measurable.
Not something like the War On Poverty but more akin to the Space Race. Getting other countries (or the “world”) involved or inspired, and in a more positive way.
“To make sure a goal unleashes the power of (our) subconscious mind, it must meet two criteria. It must be stated in a way that you and anybody else could measure it. I will lose 10 pounds is not as powerful as I will weigh 135 pounds by 5 PM on June 30. The second is clearer, because anybody can show up at 5 o’clock on June 30 and look at the reading on the scale. It will either be 135 pounds or less or not. Notice that the two criteria are how much (some measurable quantity such as pages, pounds, dollars, square feet, or points) and by when (a specific time and date).”
-Jack Canfield, The Success Principles
There seems to be an energy revolution in process. Yesterday I read about a battery that can recharge 100 times faster than the current rate (i.e. recharge your mobile phone in 10 seconds). One catch: it needs the energy delivery source to be as powerful.
And if one hour of solar energy from the sun can satisfy civilization’s needs for an entire year, solar also seems destined to play a big part in this “energy revolution”. We simply need new technology that can harness its power. This, combined with planetary reforestation (which has already been accomplished on a micro level) can help balance our planet and possibly stimulate world peace.
Now I don’t want to make this a post about Al Gore’s global warming call to action or accompanying scientific counter-arguments because two things are apparent to me: 1) the world needs more energy and at a faster rate, 2) fossil fuels are not renewable, 3) human activity is destabilizing nature (mainly through the deforestation of the rainforest, topsoil erosion, mining of coal, and the burning of fossil fuels).
So no matter what you believe, what do we do? I will argue that cheaper and abundant energy is great for America and great for the world. We could do more to help developing nations and forward human innovation simply through developing a base of inexpensive, healthy, infinite energy.
What could America’s goal be? What can we do as individuals to effect this change if we believe we need it? What can inspire America and in turn the world? How can we make it measurable? It can’t be a percentage or a “war”. That’s far too vague. Especially with government cooperation. We can picture a man landing on the moon and we knew immediately when the goal was accomplished. We can do the same now.
I don’t know the answer—or even some of the possible answers. But what could we do? What would you do?
Originally published March 12, 2009
