Lately, I have been sensing a fair amount of negativity here on Smart City Memphis. We may have been at this so long that frustration is getting difficult to shake off. Instead of rehashing all of the reasons we are right and restating the case for this idea or that solution one more time, I thought it might be fun to look at other messages that we could adopt.
I’m not suggesting that anyone here change their mind, tweak their agenda or anything like that. I am asking the few dozen writers, few hundred commenters and few thousand readers to consider helping simplify our message. Perhaps we can make city building fun, important or comfortable? How are we selling what we need to do in this city?
As a starting point, I am falling back to my greatest weakness. I love television. But more than television, I really love commercials. I am that guy who has to arrive at the theater 20 minutes early in order to sit through the slide-show of local restaurants, the National Guard commercials and catch every single preview. Ads are both art and entertainment to me.
The Serious Message
One of the top ads running on CNBC right now is one for Thomson Reuters. A young, but very professional, woman walks out of a subway… probably in Europe. She is looking at information on her mobile device and thinking the following to herself.
I don’t have time for old ideas.
I’m not interested in the old boys.
I’m not nostalgic for the old days.
I’m hungry for something new.
Why can’t this be the theme for the new Memphis? I know this doesn’t represent everyone but this represents precisely the one opportunity we are not currently taking advantage of. And it is historically consistent with why people walked out of the woods of Tennessee, road trains over from Arkansas and hitched wagons from the fields of Mississippi to build Memphis in the first place.
This is serious. This is important. This sums up exactly what Smart City Memphis has been trying to convey about the future of cities and why we must engage in creating a better environment. Frankly, because we want her to live here.
The Fun Leader
There may be a few people around here that have a man-crush on Denver Mayor (and Colorado Governor Candidate) John Hickenlooper. This guy has serious ideas but doesn’t take himself seriously. He is at ease dealing with budget problems and constituent complaints. He strikes me as someone that you don’t want to disappoint and still someone that you might bump into on the bus.
I don’t think that Colorado’s culture is that different than ours. They’re pretty conservative people overall. But not so much so that the leader of the community is scared to put beer and showers into his ads.
The point: Why do things like smart growth, budget reductions and sustainability have to be so awfully boring? We haven’t been able to scare people into doing the right thing. We haven’t been able to rationally reason with enough influencers. So, maybe we shouldn’t be so ashamed of drinking beer… if it gets our point across, of course.
The Comfort Factor
Maybe part of the problem is us? We are crusaders. We are honestly fearful of higher taxes and neighborhood identity loss and economic segregation. We don’t lose our minds over this stuff just because we are nerds. We are angry that people cannot see the future we believe is descending upon us at an extraordinary rate.
On the other hand, we forget what we have to build on. This community has more museums per capita than we should be able to support. We have remarkable access to parks. We have more restaurants than we could ever count. We have way more retail shops than we need. We have four colleges. We have sports teams coming out of our ears. We have competing arts districts. We could make a list that is a mile long of wonderful reasons that this city is special. And I believe this makes most people comfortable.
Comfort also translates into lazy sometimes. Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that things are good. Perhaps we need to remind our neighbors that they have it good too. Yes, we will have to pay the piper someday… probably sooner than even we SCMers want to admit. But, if it builds interest, maybe we can sell the façade of comfort?
One of the top foreign ads this week stars an army of kittens. If IKEA can use cats to make people interested in a discount furniture superstore, then we shouldn’t discount what this cutesy-comfort imagery holds for building Memphis pride.
Please Help
Let’s examine our messaging. It can contain serious information and still be inspirational. It can tell a story and still be fun. I am not sure exactly where the kittens fit in but I’m not ready to rule anything out.
I also think actions speak louder than words. I think that messaging can go horribly wrong, seem trite and eat up resources that should often be allocated elsewhere. I also think that there is already a wealth of very well produced urban design messages out there.
But we are just friends talking here. Will you please brainstorm below about ways to engage this city with a new message that sells them on something that most have never seen? At the very least, perhaps we need the distraction to help us before we move on to the next round of serious business.
This should be fun.
Unsolicited Plug: Each winter, the Brooks Museum is one of the few U.S. locations to screen the British Television Ad Awards. The event is remarkable. Look for it.
” Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that things are good. Perhaps we need to remind our neighbors that they have it good too. Yes, we will have to pay the piper someday… probably sooner than even we SCMers want to admit. But, if it builds interest, maybe we can sell the façade of comfort?”
BS!
Things most certainly are NOT GOOD for he majority of Memphians in a LOT of areas, so much so, that one trip over Memphis in an airplane would make you sick. You can see vast areas of blight as the DOMINANT landscape.
Telling yourself things are good when they aren’t is called DENIAL.
Telling others things are good when the aren’t is called LYING>
There is nothing new about that kind of thinking or action, that’s EXACTLY what’s been done here for decades, from the top down.
STUPID idea.
Here’s what’s REAL.
We have a plethora of downtown property we can’t give away but we still want top dollar for garbage and won’t cooperate about how to build a downtown area.
We should be advertising how cheap our downtown is, but, these days even that wouldn’t be enough. We will have to wait till mass transit is a real thing here, not a “downtown trolly” = “waitin fo mo federal gubmint munny”. Our taxes are ridiculous and our school system is a black hole of funding with abysmal results. That’s what’s important to people moving here on a “matrix point”.
If they’re moving here for work, it’s a good bet they’ll move somewhere else at some point. What do you think the reputation of Memphis City Schools will end up being when they move to the next city and they find out their kids “A’s and B’s from MCS” = “D’s and F’s” anywhere else in the nation? How long does it take that reputation to get around? The internet “info-net” is not kind to MCS regarding this issue. Are you only trying to get the top people of a corporation here an they can use private school, or, are you going to be OK with other people who may elect to or need to use public schools?
Get that actually solved and then you can move past that to “comfort issues”. Our office in charge of restaurant health standards lets restaurants operate here with cockroach poop on their inspection certificate mounted on the wall. Unless you’re at a national chain, don’t bet that the guy who prepared your food washed his hands, or anything else. And don’t look for anything more adventurous than bad BBQ or parochial mexican”style” concoctions from the locals. The real mexicans do a better job at cleanliness and changing the grease and cleaning the fryer.
Our parks have no unlocked bathrooms, guess why. Softball games with kids are at parks can really be dicey, DON’T bring drinks!
If you’re too dumb to know what that means, there’s no hope for you.
No, Lying is not OK.
Ikea isn’t lying about what they sell. They tell you exactly what they sell. WE LIE in Memphis.
How do we create a message (not necessarily an advertisement) that resonates with people in a way that calls them to action?
“Come to Memphis Because We Suck” strikes me as unwise. “Fix This Stuff in Memphis Because it Sucks” hasn’t really caught on. “Don’t Get Out of Bed Because Memphis Sucks” is so yesterday.
I agree that the Kitten Strategy my not be the best plan. But how do we get people off of their behinds in a way that is not divisive, demeaning or defeatist? How do we instill confidence that an investment here makes sense and how do move people toward preparing for battle or enjoying the journey?
A lot needs to be done on multiple fronts. I am not suggesting lying but I am suggesting that we need to motivate people (especially ourselves) to stop wallowing around in misery and get busy.
What is that message?
Anon 8:56 – very helpful post. One of the reasons we get stuck in time in this town and have such self esteem problems is attitudes like yours. Our problems are not unique to Mphs – many metros are facing the same tough issues that we are. Save your complaints and whining for your friends and try to be part of the solution. There are so may great things here and I feel sorry for you that you can’t see that. Obviously, we have many problems as lots of big cities do – no one is suggesting otherwise. But complaining and doing nothing is not an option – there are tons of great people doing great things in town making changes for the better. My friend Margot’s Project Green Fork and my friend, Aaron’s skatepark come to mind but there are so many others making an effort to make this city a better, safer, more vibrant place. If you’re not interested in helping, you can kindly move and stop dragging the rest of us down….
Sounds like anon has some serious issues above and beyond what can be pinned on the existing city. If you think BBQ and mexican food is the best and only excellent cuisine this city has to offer, then you obviously don’t get out much. Outside of that, your rant makes such little sense it is hard to formulate an equally random assortment of sentences as a response.
As for a message, there are several approaches. There is always the “It’s your city” line. We could try to encourage some sort of neighborhood/ civic/rivalry and play on the notion of Memphis being a menagerie of villages- each neighborhood striving to be the best. You know: It takes a village- good thing we have 25 (or whatever number we might inert) of them. In an age where being unique and having an impact are motivating so many- maybe a message that communicates our manageable size and the ease to which an impact can be had should be trumpeted.
OK, John, NOW YOU’RE ASKING, the right questions. ASKING, key word.
Don’t do a Haslam and tell me what’s important now, I already know what’s important.
Don’t just try to do exactly what’s been done and call it “new” because it isn’t, and people who know Memphis are already expecting us to lie our butts off, steal all the money, and not perform as promised, agreed, or, negotiated.
We haven’t ever used “Memphis sux” as a campaign, we’ve always just lied and “justified it” with statements like, “everyone else is doing it, it’s not unique to Memphis” and other gems like that. As an ad campaign, yep, that would be pretty stupid to repeat.
Adrienne,
The reason we’re stuck is because we don’t ask the right questions, we settle for easy answers instead. Don’t blame Memphis’ self esteem problem on me, that’s pretty simple minded. Stuck is stuck, there is a mechanical principle to it.
“Our problems aren’t unique to Memphis”
Except that we ARE TALKING ABOUT MEMPHIS. Not Detroit.
So wrongo, they are unique to Memphis, and even if they weren’t, you’d get more mileage out operating like they are.
I see plenty of great things here, completely betrayed by simpleminded, take the easy way/lazy thinking like I see in this and your post. I see things getting better in Memphis, well, not better, but, “different”, as in “not the same old Memphis”, that is a very encouraging sign. Give the flower time to bloom before you go trying to sell it. You don’t even know what it is yet as you admit in your post.
Memphis has always had no shortage of “promise” or “possibilities”. Thing is, they’re always sabotaged and betrayed by lazy thinkers.
Trying to market a longstanding abysmal failure before some real stats of success come in is shooting yourself in the foot, not “commitment”.
WAIT, Let the stats come in for all the changes, you don’t even know what they’ll be yet, they will point you to exactly what you will be able to BRAG on Memphis about, and it will be great, but, don’t start a BS parade before that happens and piss everyone off.
Also, don’t go around assuming anyone posting here is doing nothing. You don’t know what I have accomplished and/or who I work with anonymously. You don’t know what plans I have put forth, to whom, or that every single one of them IS being implemented right now from the governor on to Memphis.
You assume too much, you assume you’ll be successful before the stats are in, but, you have no clue what to market us as, because the stats aren’t IN!
So just wait a minute. You may have to wait till 2016 to get all the stats you need. There are big things that have to happen here and they are on the slab ready to go. You go out there and do he same kind of marketing job we’re already infamous for an sell just one customer on it and you’ll do nothing more than create one more powerful enemy.
Is that what you want?
Memphis will be a solid desirable city when it can be sold by attractions that equal and surpass our competition in areas that are important to families with children, educated professionals, and self educated or institutionally educated creative services people and when they can live here, be healthy, work and put savings for retirement in the bank and eat out without fear of getting sick, afford health care, and drive down a street that doesn’t remind them of a dirt road, and not worry about themselves or their kids being accidentally shot in a drive by or other shootout, or, being targeted by an organized burglary ring operated by the police department, and politicians that accept money for campaigns from drug dealers.
Memphis sold by promotion is NOT NEW.
Deal with that and stop your whining!
Anonymous 6:53,
You are one lousy amateur psychologist and have even lousier reading comprehension. I never said it was the best we had to offer, just the most common.
Lok, any campaign you go on will fail, we’re already known liars, deal with it. When real stats of success, it will be obvious and very easy to market Memphis. Doing it now with no ammo is a big fat waste of time and money. You’re fishing with no bait. You don’t even have a plastic worm, you have a hook, it will damage your prospects and your only hope is to snag. Wait for the bait to get here, it’s coming. Don’t make desperate moves, they always fail.
Being desperate is a sin. That means exactly that it won’t work.
But we already have things going on that are unique to our city that are worth promoting – and I don’t mean Elvis; things like a vibrant african american middle class full of incredible entrepreneurs, a unique and passionate music/arts scene that cuts across all genres, incredible attractions like the best zoo in the country, etc. that would attract people here – there already are stats that can be used in promoting Memphis. This “let’s just wait until something happens and then we can start promoting” idea makes no sense to me. Too often people around here get mired in the bad and the negative. I’m sure our TV and print news around here just feeds into that feeling, and people wind up feeling like they live in a backwards, dangerous city that does nothing right. That is simply not the case. I’m just ready for the people who spend their days trash-talking this city and writing those inane and ignorant reader comments on the CA’s website to either be receptive to new ways of thinking and new ideas, or to quit their complaining. They hate the way things are done but they refuse to consider consolidation. Why are people so scared of change? We have problems but can’t continue to deal with them the way we have been – we’re getting nowhere because our current solutions are not working. Let’s embrace some new ideas and give those a chance – what do we have to lose?
Elvis’ Gracelend IS a big international attraction, don’t discount it, that’s been done to Memphis detriment for too long, Memphis screwed that pooch to death.
An African American Middle class is not an attraction. It’s just an ism.
Our music/art scene is over-promoted and miniscule, but, it does have some serious quality talent sold short.
Our zoo is the best “mid sized zoo” not the best zoo, but, I like it plenty. I know a LOT about zoos. Your venerable zoo director emeritus and I go way back.
As far as you telling people who’ve lived in non-backward cities that work that they are wrong and attempting to promote your rightness, that’s a losing proposition.
I do hear you about the comments at the CA, there are people who would be contrary to their own comments if they forgot they made them.
Let’s hear about those stats that you know about for promoting Memphis: Make a list.
Key question you ask and this speaks to your real intelligence:
“Why are people so scared of change?
Now you’re really onto something!
They aren’t scared of change per se.
What they are scared of is the history of “change” in Memphis = Memphians being screwed again. People don’t have any discretionary income, it ALL goes out the window here because of the backwardness that does exist here in almost all areas. MCS = taxes, the highest. Public schools = expensive and bad results, obviously throwing money at the people running it isn’t the answer. What if it were your company, and your budget far exceeded your income, your cost exceeded product going out the door properly?
You’d be out of business fast. MCS is a leach on the city and county, county schools are the same parasitic creature, not because they are schools, but, because they are not run efficiently, there is no accountability for results.
Have you seen the city’s utility bill? I have.
It’s HUMUNGOUS, like they run the air with the windows open.
Why haven’t they taken any steps to make their buildings run on alternative energy sources, do they think we enjoy high taxes?
So, I’m all for embracing new ideas, but, I’m not for whitewashing the same way we always have done, and that’s what the post amounts too, not promoting any new ideas.
Now, you gotta wonder why it isn’t, that’s another real good question
I’d like an answer to.
Your people, especially the original anon, anon 7:28 and BK need to get our more and actually experience this city and others It sounds like the oh so typical moaning from those who have never lived more than 50 miles from where they were born. Boring, insulated attitudes and viewpoints. I agree with anon 6:53- that first rant was akin to mental vomit. Try organizing your thoughts into complete, well articulated statements.
Alternate energy sources? Apparently BK has no idea that wind, solar and the like actually cost more per kwh than the going rate attached to their bill.
Sell the city on its strengths of which there are many that do not require the so called lies and whitewashing that certain blind individuals claim. Great musuems, more than a few fabulous parks, some really strong neighborhoods with real character, a growing downtown/urban culture and a significant group of individuals that can see the big picture- even though a few here can’t see the trees for the forest. The simple fact is it would be tough for a city the size of Memphis to be everything to everyone. Apparently a few here want it to be like a scene out of Leave it to Beaver. Grow up kids, it’s 2010.
Anon @ 9:12
Thanks for the hyperbole!
Maybe you shouldn’t trying a shoutdown of the descenters and instead gather info that they are right, if you like learning new things.
Maybe you don’t understand the mechanics of how to understand other people.
You do not have any stats or figures to back up your assertion about the cost of alternative energy, and for good reason, they don’t exist and you are dead wrong. The first solar cell created is still in operation, what do you think the ROI is on that?
You need to read more.
Here:
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: September 25, 2010
China is doing moon shots. Yes, that’s plural. When I say “moon shots” I mean big, multibillion-dollar, 25-year-horizon, game-changing investments. China has at least four going now: one is building a network of ultramodern airports; another is building a web of high-speed trains connecting major cities; a third is in bioscience, where the Beijing Genomics Institute this year ordered 128 DNA sequencers — from America — giving China the largest number in the world in one institute to launch its own stem cell/genetic engineering industry; and, finally, Beijing just announced that it was providing $15 billion in seed money for the country’s leading auto and battery companies to create an electric car industry, starting in 20 pilot cities. In essence, China Inc. just named its dream team of 16-state-owned enterprises to move China off oil and into the next industrial growth engine: electric cars.
I don’t think China has ever invested in anything not proven to be an auspicious asset to their dynasty.
That is your direct competition now, Memphis, and you don’t have a chance against China.
Bring some stats to support your claims or zip it. SELL the city? Bring stats! I’d LOVE to be able to sell the city.
BIG PICTURE?
Please explain, we’d all like to know what that is. So far all I see is hyperbole, BS trying to sell a dead product. Convince me, If your sales technique is what you have posted here in retort to any other post, you aren’t very good at it.
Yikes, I might suggest such attitudes toward those that would celebrate what this city has to offer actually have far more to do with any decline (perceived or real) than any school issue or non-commitment to renewable energy. As far as solar energy is concerned- let’s start with something simple like: http://greenecon.net/understanding-the-cost-of-solar-energy/energy_economics.html
It’s more than a little juvenile, but it does a reasonable job of describing the issues that are retarding the growth of the the “renewable energy” sector- mainly being the free market. China, of course, has the luxury of operating in a tightly controlled state economy. I led the exploration of solar power production for one of my company’s industrial facilities that would have placed Sharp solar cells (buy local!) on top of a large warehouse roof here locally. However, once we calculated the return on our investment considering our current electric rate and what the solar installation would have provided, we found that using Sharp’s optimistic numbers, it would require 23 years for us to break even on our investment. This of course assumed that the installation would not encounter any adverse events such as hail or other severe weather factors and is based on Sharp’s prediction regarding the rise in energy costs and assumes that our business model will remain stagnant over those 23 years regarding our need for warehouse space. Now we are in a free market. This same funding can go towards investment in equipment and facility upgrades, employee benefits or can be utilized to reduce our production costs to ensure we are even more competitive and thus are able to retain our employment base here in Memphis. I hate to interject an example from the real world, but just because you think you know the answer and tell people they are “wrong” hardly makes it so. I will trust our fact finding, utility cost analysis and Sharp’s numbers over your opinion any day.
What it fails to quantify are the very real issues surrounding renewable energy production such as the toxicity surrounding the production and disposal of solar cells, and the cultural and environmental impact of placing such renewable projects as wind turbines and hydroelectric facilities.
As for the city:
I suppose you have never been to the Brook, Stax, Fire, Dixon, Cotton, Metal or any other museum ? Perhaps you have yet to spend a day at the zoo. Maybe your negativity has prevented you from enjoying the Cooper Young Fest, Indian Festival, Italian Festival, Palestinian Festival, the Cajun/ Crawdad festival, one of several beer festivals, or any number of music festivals. Ever been to Overton Park on a sunny Saturday? Or maybe joined some of us that have taken an early ride on the greenline? Enjoyed Theater Memphis lately? Visiting lecturers at the University of Memphis? Noticed the number of farmer’s markets popping up around the city? Architecture Month has been interesting with more events than I can attend. It’s easy to enjoy this city if you allow yourself. While we are hardly an oasis of peace, yet a 20%+ drop in crime since 2006 is definitely a positive step. Our schools are no bastion of knowledge, but Gates does not hand out $90 million everyday to just anyone.
Your approach suggests that we celebrate none of these institutions or events simply because we do not live in some preconceived notion of an urban utopia. One can easily sell these notions and trumpet the positive aspects of this city without being dishonest with ourselves or others. Miami may have a serious crime and drug problem, but it also has a very diverse and lively population rich in creativity and overflowing with outdoor activities. You name the energetic prospering city in the United States and I bet I can find the negative issues in that community’s background. By the way, the original post said nothing about whitewashing the city’s existing condition but it did propose identifying inspirational messages that can unite the local populace around certain ideas. One would assume these messages would include directions for self improvement.
On second thought, perhaps it would be better to observe you are obviously passionate about something, so what are you doing about it? Hopefully you are not waiting for some direction from the government in focusing your passion in order to create real action.
No need to trash the city and others efforts in the process as whitewashing or and acknowledging there is plenty in this community to celebrate and of which we can be proud.
Well, based on the comments above, might I suggest a message along the lines of “Where good is not good enough” or “Where no failing or imperfection goes unexploited”.
Well, your info is way out of date and I don’t blame you for not knowing that after wht you’ve been through, look up “powerdish” google it, and you’ll see 3kw per 15 feet, ac grid ready, no extra nuttin required at a $20k price point. ROI 3 years, made in America, we oughta be making them here, flat panels are not very efficient per square foot. Agreed.
I’ve been to all our museums etc. and that is the past. They’re nice alright, but, little Rock has them too.
My approach doesn’t suggest we don’t do anything but whitewash our lack of livability till we have stats to prove otherwise versus our national stats. It’s a waste of time. No one you want to come here would give you the time of day.
I know all about the 20% drop in crime, it’s a 39% drop FYI and somebody had to get hurt to make that happen. Obviously it wasn’t you, as far as you know.
Bill Gates giving a school system that has proven it will not oversee the spending of it’s own already bloated budget income and won’t tolerate any oversight by any funding body, and is beholding to no one regarding it’s spending, well, he might as well light that money on fire.
You can tout our parks all you want, but I’ve been around, near and far, and I’ve seen what a park hat hasn’t had all it’s funding riped off and all it’s planning subverted and there’ plenty of them around.
What your reply seems to me to miss is that we are COMPETING against our neighbors, and we don’t measure up well.
We can, we are moving that way, but, we’re far away.
You want to know what to sell our city on that is great right now?
Our People.
We have some superb people here. We have some baddies too, but, our goodies, like all you guys, are second to none on this planet. The badness has sharpened the good people and lemme tell you, we’re ready for some serious future making. Just hang in there, It’s coming. It’s going to be great.
What am I doing about it?
Every single thing I can at all times everywhere. Same thing you should do. I have nothing better to do. I have conversations with people who do have the power to effect big changes and I make sense with them in my conversations, I use first hand examples that can be proven, I back most of it up with stats when they exist. I write letters, describing problems, core causes, and workable doable solutions. The happen to correlate with the experts and power moves.
ONE person can make all the difference he chooses to. But a group of focused people, with powerful allies can do the work of many more than their numbers, but, when everyone signs on to a new future, it can’t be denied. The people of Memphis, they are the most valuable and powerful people in the world right now. They are creating a new future for themselves, we don’t need to re-inject their past into their plans, or, cover their eyes or smother them with it, we don’t need to sell Memphis to Memphians, we need to give space, Memphians, ordinary Memphians are opening their eyes for the first time in a long time and they are intelligent enough to create a new future using real data.
Lets just give them 1.5 years to see what the stats say about how the plan was put into action. I think you’ll be amazed!
The points put forth wouldn’t sell me on Memphis, LeBonHeur’s stats would. Tunica would not, Liberty bowl would. The Forum would not, the Tigers & Grizz would. BBQ would not, Neely’s would, but those are all ancillaries, the real deal is the people, now, if we don’t sell them too cheap like our past would have, we have a future.
Context. You have to think in the right context, and it isn’t as obvious as it will look if done properly.
Here ya go.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/nyregion/16turbines.html?_r=2&scp=3&sq=energy&st=cse
If NYC can do it, so can Memphis TN.
…and it’s a wonderful thing that they are doing. However, you are not taking into account the local conditions and potential for renewable energy. The first conditions being demand for power and the local market. What are the average local costs per kwH? Transmission lines are both expensive and inefficient thus proximity of the generation site to consumers is an important factor.
Our wind energy potential is rated fairly low- much lower than coastal locations, downslope of the Rockys and very specific ridges and passes: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_maps.asp
Essentially, installing major wind power generation sites in this area would be a waste of money when the same investment could install equipment in more efficient locals.
As for solar power, once again the potential in our area is fairly low- regardless of the generation method.
http://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html
If capital available for such installations is limited, is it not better to create such sites where solar power can create the biggest bang for the buck? Yes, I am referring specifically to the solar plant being built in Haywood County.
Until efficiencies can be improved for both solar and wind generation techniques, large scale implementation will remain economically unsustainable and thus marginal. That is not to say the local area lacks potential for renewable energy production. The Mississippi River turbine proposal has a lot of potential should the many engineering obstacles be overcome. Micro-hydroelectric generation is employed in many locations and better management of our urbanized creek and stream system could utilize such technology. Our bio-fuel potential is exceptionally high, especially if the efficiencies for converting crops suited to the Mid South and various agricultural waste products can be improved upon.
When they start talking about replacing the torch in Liberty’s hand with a turbine then we’ll know we’ve reached a point where we can start thinking about placing windmills at Graceland.
Don’t be ridiculous nut-
Why be wasteful with wind installations at graceland when we could simply hitch a generator to the turnstile.
Urbanaut, did you here that they are placing them on he whitehouse now?
We’re getting close to putting one in Liberty’s hand, inch by inch…. maybe next week.
If you look at the wrong gear, from the wrong company, you get a really out of touch price, the paradigm of business has changed so much that right now you CAN’T operate like it hasn’t and survive in a LOT of industries.
I hate to say it, but, Clintons new plan is right for Memphis, and I DON’T wonder where he got the idea, but, it’s only part of a plan, there’s so much you can do to maximize the efficiency of energy use and reclamation of material and repurposing of durable goods, and you can use it to reduce our energy requirements. I can think of a thousand things with open patents we can use and make right here for peanuts and make money on, just by repurposing “junk”.