Living Car Free - The Car-pocalypse is Upon Us.

I've noticed the failings of such businesses as airlines, car companies, small gas stations, advertising agencies, mortgage lenders.

The optimist in me assumes that our economy functions on supply and demand. So, since the Car-pocalypse is near, what businesses will thrive and grow as a result of these changes? Someone please reassure me that there will be growth in other industries that will counter act the huge job loss that our economy is about to witness.

How about the alternative energy industry? In the end, corporations will continue to win; they'll just capitalize on different things. As long as our society is based on the idea of big businesses and self-reliance rather than on programs designed to benefit all members of society, small businesses and individuals are always going to be at the losing end.

I would think city to city trains will become popular.

Any local manufacturing facility that makes something that is needed: ie; clothing, hand tools, gardening supplies, local farms that can provide food and the like. I think that the best place to live is going to be a small to medium sized town 10-30k range looks about right to me. Small enough to be able to get around in with the minimum of mass transit and motor vehicles, large enough to provide a employee base and consumers. Access to rail and interstate a plus. There is a small town of 10k near us that we have a small retail shop in, it is ideal in some aspects and not so in other. It has several small manufacturers, it is surrounded by farms that produce just about anything you could ask for, double mainline rail, 2 major US highways and an interstate. Town is mostly flat and covers about 12 square miles, laid out on a grid so it is very cyclable and walkable.

Aaron:)

id invest in biking parts / bikes. :)

Any local manufacturing facility that makes something that is needed: ie; clothing, hand tools, gardening supplies, local farms that can provide food and the like. I think that the best place to live is going to be a small to medium sized town 10-30k range looks about right to me. Small enough to be able to get around in with the minimum of mass transit and motor vehicles, large enough to provide a employee base and consumers. Access to rail and interstate a plus. There is a small town of 10k near us that we have a small retail shop in, it is ideal in some aspects and not so in other. It has several small manufacturers, it is surrounded by farms that produce just about anything you could ask for, double mainline rail, 2 major US highways and an interstate. Town is mostly flat and covers about 12 square miles, laid out on a grid so it is very cyclable and walkable.

Aaron:)

A while back, I read a book by Jane Jacobs called Dark Age Ahead. In one section of it, she pointed out how the city of Toronto (where she lived) came through the recession of 1992 through several lucky measures. She argued that much of the slack in the economy was made up because vendors were able to move to local suppliers.

In every belt-tightening situation, you have 2 choices: a) sit and lament your problems or b) look for opportunities for development. However, sometimes the development might just personal/spiritual rather than economic.

I would think city to city trains will become popular.

We even used to have rail service here in Monroe, Ga.
It ran from Monroe to Social Circle, and from there to Atlanta.
Hasn't run in my lifetime, but the track is still on the ground.
I would love to see it back in service.

How about bike shops? I went into a local bike shop today, one that specializes in transportational cycling , and the place was packed, and this was in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. I was there for maybe 15-20 minutes, and I saw four or five people leave with bikes they had just purchased, and another four or five going out on test rides. (They won't even sell mountain bikes, either, because the owner thinks their use depends too much on cars.) Apparently, their sales so far this year have exceeded last year's sales by over 20%, and last year was a good year, too. I bought a new touring bike at the same store a few weeks ago, and they have a lot of road bikes too, but, by the looks of things, most of the bikes being sold were street/hybrid type bikes that people would use for light commuting or running errands. It seemed like a lot of the shoppers were people who either were complete novices, or who hadn't been on a bike in a while. And this isn't a unique event; lately, whenever I go into any bike shop that sells anything besides just high-end recreational bikes is doing pretty good business. (Some people waste their time in book stores or cafes; lately, I've been wasting mine looking in the used-parts bins of bike shops....)

Someone please reassure me that there will be growth in other industries that will counter act the huge job loss that our economy is about to witness.

Good question. The occupational handbook has changed over the past 25 years as new jobs have appeared and old ones faded away. My job is only about 30 years old and born thanks to the computer. However, it may also go by the wayside just like sewing machine operator did in this country about 20 years ago. The jobs of the future have not been created yet so not to worry, there will always be jobs.

If you want to see what industries will be around after all the oil dries up, go to your local library and read newspapers from 1908. You'll find there were plenty of jobs to go around before the dawn of the automobile as we were in the middle of an industrial revolution. I kid you not, life was just as enjoyable and abundant back then as it is today.

I would think city to city trains will become popular.

Good point! Guess what the 'Oracle of Omaha' has been buying plenty of stocks in during the last few years??

I've noticed the failings of such businesses as airlines, car companies, small gas stations, advertising agencies, mortgage lenders.

The optimist in me assumes that our economy functions on supply and demand. So, since the Car-pocalypse is near, what businesses will thrive and grow as a result of these changes? Someone please reassure me that there will be growth in other industries that will counter act the huge job loss that our economy is about to witness.


Good question. The occupational handbook has changed over the past 25 years as new jobs have appeared and old ones faded away. My job is only about 30 years old and born thanks to the computer. However, it may also go by the wayside just like sewing machine operator did in this country about 20 years ago. The jobs of the future have not been created yet so not to worry, there will always be jobs.

If you want to see what industries will be around after all the oil dries up, go to your local library and read newspapers from 1908. You'll find there were plenty of jobs to go around before the dawn of the automobile as we were in the middle of an industrial revolution. I kid you not, life was just as enjoyable and abundant back then as it is today.

Interesting points; I think we are going to lose jobs for a while, but as Dahon.Steve pointed out, jobs will replace them. I think a lot of manual labor type work is going to make a comeback, I just wonder if people are going to want to work, or are going to try and depend on a handout? FWIW my company is hiring mode, but getting qualified applicants that are willing to do physical labor out doors is difficult. Our average crew member age has increased steadily over the past 15-20 years.

Jobs will continue to evolve, if people will let them. We used to have horses and carriages, those people must have taken up jobs in the auto industry. Unfortunately when we started losing a lot of our manufacturing base those jobs were replaced by lower paying retail/service sector jobs. That is going to be a hard one to overcome.

Aaron:)

My job is only about 30 years old and born thanks to the computer. However, it may also go by the wayside just like sewing machine operator did in this country about 20 years ago.

If you want to see what industries will be around after all the oil dries up, go to your local library and read newspapers from 1908. You'll find there were plenty of jobs to go around before the dawn of the automobile as we were in the middle of an industrial revolution. I kid you not, life was just as enjoyable and abundant back then as it is today.

Sewing machine operator may just come back - with foot power rather than electric. I think for most Americans life was difficult in 1908. Our knowledge shouldn't go away, we'll still know about medicine and electronics and be able to apply that knowledge so life should still be better than 1908 even if our energy use patterns revert to that level.

Any goods that are shipped from overseas will begin to be replaced by local goods.
The price will still be higher than before though.

According to Gerold Celente of the Trends Research Institute the industries that will thrive in the next decade are green industries. Such things as recycling, environmental reclamation, energy efficiency, and anything to do with making the environment better through technology.

Any company producing a high quality expensive product will continue to survive and thrive. High-end products don't suffer as much during recessions and depressions.

Anti-aging and nutrition companies will grow in the next decade due to the baby-boomer generation because they are now 45 years old or older. They spend more money on health and lifestyle products than any other generation has in the past.

Fortunately for me I'm in the anti-aging business with the best products in the industry.