Money (Energy) and Time?

Money represents the ability to do work. Energy Is the ability to do work. I can use a dollar bill to buy gas for my car. That's energy. I can pay someone to come and clean my house. That's human energy. I can buy an appliance which was made with energy and uses energy. You spend currency to get energy to work for you. When there is no energy, or there is a perceived lack of energy, money essentially becomes valueless. The link of money and energy is such an important connection when thinking about money's relation to time. Sustainable energy infrastructures are crucial in assure the survival of a currency, and of a civilization. Our infrastructure IS oil and natural gas. It IS the energy source that allows everything we know to be here in existence today. They are truly indispensable to the American Dream and to our everyday lives. It is the basis of our culture, and of the population boom and all technological advancements. Oil and natural gas are finite sources. Between 2003-2006 there was not one 500 million barrel oil field discovered. To put that in perspective, earth uses 1 billion barrels of oil every 11.5 days. That means there wasn't even one discovery of a six day supply of oil. As of today, earth uses 4 barrels of oil for every barrel it finds, and that is a very kind statistic. (from the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources) It is this new energy situation that is shaping our modern political and economic landscapes.

It changes the relationship of Money and Time greatly. Economic growth is not possible unto infinity. We know that economic growth is tied directly to energy usage. Energy is not infinite. As the future unfolds, it is likely that workers time may become worth less and less, because the infrastructure that unites our culture will be become harder and harder to maintain as time goes on. Essential consumer goods will become worth more and more, because of the realization by government and people that our basis of energy comes from finite sources. Every barrel of oil discovered will increasingly become harder to obtain, and of lesser quality. Efficiency is essential in this era, which means you will likely be getting paid just enough to do your job, to actually show up for work and do your job everyday. According to Dick Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group, "America in the year 2001 faces the most serious energy shortage since the oil embargoes of the 1970s." This dates back to May 2001. Looking back to how this affects everyone today, there is no way in which these ideas of limited oil doesn't affect us. JIT business models can and will continue as usual as long as it is possible for them to do so, as they tend to be efficient business models where the workers can be paid minimal, and the highest ranking officials can reap the benefits of huge paychecks, and stock investment opportunities. This model has come so far since the days of Henry Ford (my great great great uncle btw), however it will continue to evolve in our new economic landscapes. I have faith in the American Dream . I believe there is a means to escape from poverty, as I grew up in a struggling family myself, and I watched my mom struggle everyday just to pay the rent in our little studio apartment. Today we are living our own American Dream in a sense. I hope this dream will somehow be accessible to all Americans in the generations to come.