Entries for April 2009

Don't get me wrong: There is nothing fun about a recession. But there may be some hidden value. What we've got going on now is not just a recession but a tectonic shift in many industries—my own included. In many cases, jobs that long existed will never be coming back, no matter how quickly the economy recovers. The auto industry will never employ as many people as it once did, and it is unlikely that industries like housing, retail, and financial services will have anywhere near the jobs they've had for the past two decades.

But other opportunities are emerging. Fields like—healthcare, the environment, education and of course, the federal government—all are hiring even in bad times and show great promise when the economy turns up. The point is, now is a good time to take stock of your work life and where it's going. This is when to think not just about your next move but about the ones beyond that.

If you think the intertwined subjects of energy and the environment are uninteresting, the April print issue is not for you. (If you're on the fence, give me a minute to make my case.) I know the hesitation. We've seen it, we've heard it. We're locked in the same old debate we've been having at least since the '70s when Americans first realized that energy wasn't a free good—and how unpleasant life became when the price went up, to say nothing of the social costs of using too much. Over the years, we've written our share of stories that, while fascinating, essentially recapped the status quo.

But a lot has changed very recently, and the stalled debate is moving toward a critical mass for action. In our current print issue, our writers and editors take you through the new state of play of this crucial topic, which involves politics, economics, and technology—and maybe the health of the world. What's changed, in a word, is Obama. The president and the tide of voters who swept him into office want a change in the way we manage energy and the environment—and to put them at the top of the country's agenda. It looks like that will happen.