Looking for Opportunity

1. In today’s society there is a massive fundamental need for energy and resources. As we continue to pump oil and deplete our natural resources, this need will be harder and harder to fulfill.  This leaves an opportunity for clean and renewable resources to help meet the energy demands of the developing world. While start-up costs may be high, renewable resources like solar and wind energy can produce energy for years to come with little to no maintenance or fees.  This makes them a safe long term investment for any business or residence looking to reduce their energy bills over time. While people may be skeptical, the government and private banks offer various financing options that make the instillation of solar panels relatively inexpensive and simple.

As I pursue a minor or dual-major in sustainability studies, it is clear that this is an important opportunity for me.  I have always been passionate about the severity of global warming and I understand that without a transition to renewable resources, the developed world as we know it will face extreme environmental threats. This is transition is not only the smart environmental decision, but it also has extremely beneficial and far reaching financial benefits.

2. Today, less than 1% of the Earth’s water is readily drinkable.  Mllions of people across the globe lack clean water, and often die early due to waterborne illness. Even In america, it is becoming harder and harder to supply our societies demand for clean water.  Climate change and over pumping have caused us to deplete our underground aquifers. Because water is essentially for life, an opportunity has opened for an efficient water purification and desalination technology.  This would allow us to produce theoretically infinite water, not only for the convenience of the united states, but also for the health and prosperity of developing countries. As a sustainability student, this is another issue that resonates with me. 

3.  Recent regulatory changes have opened and entirely new and thriving industry. Namely in Colorado and a few more states, medical and recreational marijuana have opened massive entrepreneurial opportunities. Even in states where cannabis remains illegal, it is still prevalent and there is a significant black market client base.  When regulations nation wide begins to soften, there will be a huge unmet customer need for marijuana.  I think this market will be extremely easy to exploit as demand will start high and people will begin to support cannabis businesses instantly.

My sister actually lives in Denver and has already begun to see the financial benefits that come with legalization. Tax revenue brought in through the cannabis market is funding schools and infrastructure across the state. Additionally, as the legal market begins to consume the underground market, violent crime is down.  To me, this opportunity is massive and self evident. The only thing restricting it’s potential is government regulation.

4.  My final opportunity actually relates back to the first point I mentioned regarding energy.  The market for energy is clearly massive and it will be no easy feat to meet demand.  This causes some people to want to expand drilling efforts by oil companies.  However, recent tragedies like the BP incident may convince people otherwise. Recently, president Obama signed into law major restrictions on off shore drilling.  This will confine oil companies to their current places of operation and limit their supply.  As they begin to deplete their resources, people will need to look elsewhere to meet their energy demand.  This opens up a market, particularly in the transportation sector, for energy that does not come from oil and fossil fuels.

Right now there are very few options for electric transportation. However, a car that runs entirely on solar energy would save customers huge amounts of money in the long run.  Especially when supply of oil is low and gas prices begin to rise, such a vehicle would allow its owner to be completely independent of gas prices, avoiding the long term costs of filling and refilling a gas tank.