When The Jetsons first aired, the idea of a robot maid or a flying car seemed too good to be true. In 2023, we have moving walkways, Roombas, and flying car prototypes. With the growth of green energy, could we live in Orbit City by 2062? Get more here.
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Maybe you were there for the original episodes 60 years ago or saw them in syndication in the 80s, but The Jetsons cartoons remain iconic today. The show wasn’t the first to imagine jetpacks, flying cars, or moving sidewalks, but it gave Americans hope for the possibilities ahead.
For those children from the 60s or the 80s, the idea of a robot maid like Rosie might have sounded too good to be true. (How great would that have been for tackling childhood chores?) But now we have our choice of Roombas to mop or vacuum the floors, self-propelled electric lawn mowers, and even self-cleaning litterboxes.
How times have changed! Imagine what the next 60 years will bring.
As we’re watching the developments, it’s clear that the futurists of our day are interested in making the best of the modern world less wasteful, less expensive, and more efficient. And both industry and government have established benchmarks and best practices for improving how “clean” our processes are.
Sectors in renewable energy, efficient energy systems, and more sustainable forms of transportation continue to grow all the time. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, our country’s wind power capacity has increased 60% in the past five years, and solar capacity has grown a whopping 200% in that same span. The share of energy humans harness from these sources is likely to continue growing, especially given the U.S. goal for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050—a goal other nations also share.
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to imagine more solar panels or wind turbines in our future. We believe there are opportunities that merit a place on our Buy List or at least deserve a closer look in the coming years. It makes sense to find positions that will help us invest in materials needed in the near future.
For instance, we keep our eye on various raw materials: we won’t be building any Jetsons-style Skypad Apartments without them, right? We are also closely tracking the potential of electric vehicles. No personal jetpacks yet, but EVs are an innovation worth our attention.
We don’t need our world to be hyper-futuristic to enjoy the benefits of technology, energy, or transportation. And we’d like this lovely planet to still be here for our children and grandchildren and the generations beyond.
So where are the opportunities between where we live now and the Jetson home in Orbit City? We can strive to invest in the world we’d like to see.
Clients, call or email if you would like to chat about this or anything else.
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For years we’ve had the theory that the next energy revolution would come from the declining costs of solar energy and battery storage.
According to research by Bloomberg, the most cost-effective way to provide new electricity generation for two-thirds of the Earth’s people right now is either solar or wind. The pattern is clear: green energy is winning.
Green energy costs continue to drop. Battery storage is 50% cheaper than it was two years ago. Wind projects are benefitting from larger scale. Solar photovoltaics continue to improve efficiency as time goes on.
These studies are based on actual costs of utility-scale projects. Compelling economics are the key factor—not a shift in consumer behavior. It remains to be seen whether dispersed generation and storage in user-owned systems reshapes the utility industry in the future.
Battery technology improvement has an impact on the price of electric vehicles, since batteries can represent about 30% of the total vehicle cost. Despite advantages in maintenance and fuel expense, acquisition cost remains a hurdle to wider adoption of electric cars and trucks.
But current trends point to a future in which electric vehicles cost less than those powered by internal combustion engines.
We think about winners and losers as the future unfolds. Companies that produce and transport fossil fuels for electricity generation may face a dimmer future. Those that provide the materials needed for the new equipment may prosper. Less expensive electricity will have effects we cannot predict, just as past energy revolutions reshaped society.
We will continue to research and think about these issues. Clients, if you would like to talk about this or share your views, please email us or call.
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