STUFF

An average 23 manufacturing facilities were shut down in the US every day last year. Average of 15/day over last 10 years. Since '01, over 56k facilities lost. Since '76, US has run up a $7.5T trade deficit. In '79, there were 19.5M manufacturing jobs in the US. Now 11.6M. US has lost average 50k manufacturing jobs/month since China joined the WTO in '01. The new World Trade Center tower will be made with glass from China and steel from Germany. In '08, 1.2B cellphones were sold worldwide. None made in US. I think we need a zero fed tax on manufacturing for at least ten years. I wish the President would propose it. I can't imagine a Republican being against it. But the Dems might stop it for some dam reason. And so it goes.

UK moves to abruptly slash feed-in tariffs for smaller and rooftop solar installs coming under increasing pressure as opposition gets more organized.

USDA awarded >$8M to 4 hydropower projects in CT, OR, UT and VT under Rural Energy for America Program. USDA also halted sales of mineral leases in OH's Wayne National Forest. Sets Utica shale development back a year for another fracking analysis. Could have created 200k jobs next 3 years and provided OH with $500M in revenue. If fracking poisons water supply, absolutely stop it, yes. But so far I understand the fracking takes place BELOW the aquifers. But, of course, better safe than sorry.

Senators have intro'd bills to provide additional $5B of tax credits for US manufacture of clean energy tech and 20% investment tax credit up to $40M for energy storage systems connected to grid, 30% ITC of up to $1M for on-site storage.

US hit $15T debt last week.

Anti-gravity device based on inertial propulsion awarded US patent #7,900,874.