Alex Malliaris - Driving Force and Critical Uncertainty

Predetermined element: The aging population will put pressure on our nation's health care system

The baby boomer generation is entering their retirement years. With age comes the certainty of health problems and the necessity for those problems to be addressed by medical professionals. It will be important for our schools to stir-up an interest in students to pursue degrees in the sciences so that we can adequately serve this generation of people. There is a shortage of nurses and therapists right now and many are receiving sign-on bonuses. Hospitals, convalescent homes and home health care providers will need to arm themselves with enough staff and skills to help these people navigate the bumps of life as they approach their later years.

Critical uncertainty: How our nation powers our automobiles is yet to be determined.

The gas prices have been raising steadily, especially over the past few years. When I first got my driver's license, it was the expense of cars that was getting my peers down. They wanted the freedom to drive, but to actually save up enough to get a car was a daunting task. Now, it's the fuel prices that is bringing frustration. Our Jeep requires fill-ups just about twice a week. It's over one hundred dollars per week to get to the places we need to go. I know that we're not the only ones that are outraged by the price of gas. Hybrid cars, though pricey, are increasing in popularity because they allow people to drive much further in between trips to the gas station. Fuel efficiency is the name of the game. Gas may sustain us for only a short time longer. Alternatives will need to be offered and it will be up to all of us to decide how we will power our cars. The relationship of our country to the oil-exporting coutries will in great part determine how we get around from place to place.