What will it mean to be an American in the future

Today on the front page of the big local newspaper there was a headline “A green revolution”. I picked it up for that article since I’m in the Green business. It turned out to be an article about the world’s largest platinum environmental rated – the highest possible from the U.S. Green Building Council - construction project. It covers 16 square miles, it will have 20 elevators, 750 bicycle parking spaces, a conference room that doubles as a full-sized basket ball court. Incredible!! And where do you think they are building this amazing thing? Omaha, LA, Chicago… Nope, China! In Shanghai to be exact.

That’s right China, is going green in a major way. It is the fastest developing economy in the world, and has access to a major portion of the world’s resources. And, guess what? They’re serious about building that economy in a green way.

Over the past few years we have had several delegations visit us here to see what we are doing with green technology to address stormwater and sustainable building. Last year they top secretary for China’s environment was here in person. Also in the last year, China has paid to have delegations from our city go there and give presentations to their people on what we do. We aren’t the only people they’re talking to either. They are seeking out the best ideas and actively seeking ways to implement them. The Chinese have apparently taken Friedman to heart. If you haven’t noticed, it’s a whole new day!

In my last blog I asked the question, “What will it mean to be an American in the future?” As I see these types of articles it brings home to me that the rest of the world is catching up when we are trying to cut back. They are ready to go where the best minds can take them. Will those best minds be American minds?

In the past America has been the land where you can dream and create. It’s where other countries sent their college students to learn engineering, and hopefully to catch our “can do” spirit. Now India has opened an engineering university that rivals MIT, Columbia, or Stanford. Our students are having a harder time getting in a complete school year, and forget about niceties like textbooks. I fear we will very soon be falling behind.

It is my growing fear that in the future being an American will not mean what it has in the past. I see China and I see the dragon coming to life and setting itself up to reign as #1. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I see us so focused on the wrong things that we’re not tending to the real basics, education, the environment, and basic health care. If we want to maintain our place in the world, we have to be raising the people that have the skills to compete, the opportunity to grow those skills and the desire to keep us in the forefront. These people have to come from across all socio-economic levels. It’s true that a team is only as good as its weakest player.

We need to adopt the Army’s slogan, Leave no one behind, and then really make it work.