Photo: https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/articles/z643vwx
Welcome back to The Sunstone Way.
For every time there is a season – and the seasons are a-changin’.
Last Sunday, Sept. 22, was the autumnal equinox. As the word indicates, that’s when the earth is tilted so the sun is directly over the equator, and there is an equal amount of daylight and dark.
Which Way?
For us in the northern hemisphere, that means we will be experiencing shorter days as we head towards winter. Each day will be a little shorter until the winter solstice on Dec. 21, when there will be only nine hours and 53 minutes of daylight.
We’ll still have time to harvest what has grown this past summer. There will be homecoming footballs games at high schools everywhere. Temperatures cool and, at least in northern climes, leaves will change color and fall from the trees. (The season’s called fall, after all.)
Tastes Of The Season
Is there any pumpkin in Pumpkin Spice? Technically, no.
That ubiquitous seasoning is composed of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and mace, with some adding ginger and allspice – traditional ingredients of pumpkin pie.
Trivia time. Pumpkin spice has been around since the 17th century. The spice company McCormick began packaging it in 1950, and it became a fall cooking (particularly baking) staple.
But the much ballyhooed and often maligned Pumpkin Spice Latte didn’t become a thing until 2003. That’s when Starbucks product manager Peter Dukes rolled out what has become a staple in coffee shops around the world.
Bigger Changes On Way
The economy is a-changin’.
Last week, the Federal Reserve Board lowered the country’s base interest rate by a half percentage point, dropping it to 4.75%-5%. This was the first cut since March 2020 – the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic eased, the Fed has been raising interest rates in an effort to bring inflation down.
If the current economy follows past trends, the rates should continue to fall. Most economists are now forecasting two or three more rate drops before the end of the year. This approach should ease the credit crunch that has plagued housing, construction and more.
This has come about because inflation has slowed while the job market has remained strong as we continue to recover from the pandemic. The hope is that more affordable credit will increase the amount of capital available in a slow and steady way.
A More Seismic Shift
I see an even bigger economic change on the horizon. I believe that we are seeing the emergence of the Clean Energy Economy in the United States and elsewhere.
This trend is significant. In a few years, the Clean Energy Economy will have a major impact on our lives, and not long after that, it will be a dominant force in the market.
We have been talking about how to stop or slow climate change prompted by human action for years. The shift to clean energy sources – solar, wind, water, geothermal, bioenergy, and nuclear – has been picking up speed each year.
The point of critical mass for clean energy is on the horizon. Plans for everything from buildings to cargo haulers to computers are being based on clean energy, not fossil fuels.
What Can We Do?
Let us look forward instead of backwards. Let us plan to make clean energy of all forms viable.
As a society – heck, as a species – we face a huge challenge. If we want to continue to be successful, we must ride the Clean Energy wave into the future.
I’m excited about this opportunity. It’s been my goal, Sunstone’s goal, to help solve our world’s greatest problems. This surely is one way to do that.
It’s The Sunstone Way. Let’s do it together.
And remember, always be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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©Sunstone Management, Inc. 2024