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Image | On the Airwaves and InterTubes
On the Airwaves and InterTubes
by Adam Taggart

With the launch of the new book, Chris has been busy delivering the Three E message to a media slowly awakening to the severity of our predicament. Recent world developments (spiking silver/gold/oil/food prices, a plummeting US dollar, renewed PIIGS debt concerns, MENA unrest, and Japan’s woes, to name just a few) are sobering signals that we are far into the timeline that the Crash Course has predicted.

I thought I’d compile some of Chris’ more recent and notable media appearances for those who may not have seen them yet.

BNN

This morning, BNN – Canada’s Business News Network – aired this interview with Chris discussing the implications of the coming energy crunch (click image to launch the video):

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On the Airwaves and InterTubes
 by Adam Taggart

With the launch of the new book, Chris has been busy delivering the Three E message to a media slowly awakening to the severity of our predicament. Recent world developments (spiking silver/gold/oil/food prices, a plummeting US dollar, renewed PIIGS debt concerns, MENA unrest, and Japan’s woes, to name just a few) are sobering signals that we are far into the timeline that the Crash Course has predicted.

I thought I’d compile some of Chris’ more recent and notable media appearances for those who may not have seen them yet.

BNN

This morning, BNN – Canada’s Business News Network – aired this interview with Chris discussing the implications of the coming energy crunch (click image to launch the video):

height=

Image | Simon Black: The Most Sound Opportunities Are Outside the Western World
Simon Black: The Most Sound Opportunities Are Outside the Western World
by Chris Martenson

"In the long run, as decades of capital misallocations and inefficiencies in the global economy get shaken out, there’s going to be a redistribution of the wealth. And I think the wealth is going to go to where it’s treated best.

And at the end of the day, that’s really what I’m looking for: the places that have the most solid fundamentals and the best growth potential."

So states Simon Black, who travels the world (over 20 countries in the past 3 months) in order to assess and report on the investment and lifestyle opportunities offered by various international destinations for the readers of his blog, SovereignMan.com. His boots-on-the-ground observations lead him to conclude that there are a number of resource-rich and fiscally sound developing nations that are much better positioned to meet the future than the US and its developed counterparts. Smart investors, in his opinion, can't afford to ignore the stability and returns (both financial and lifestyle) that these countries offer. They should be asking themselves: Do I have sufficient exposure to these opportunities?

Click the play button below to listen to Chris' interview with Simon Black (runtime 33m:25s):

[swf file="http://media.PeakProsperity.com/audio/simon-black-2011-04-28-final.mp3"]

Download/Play the Podcast
Read the Transcript of the Podcast
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In this podcast, Simon details:

Simon Black: The Most Sound Opportunities Are Outside the Western World
 by Chris Martenson

"In the long run, as decades of capital misallocations and inefficiencies in the global economy get shaken out, there’s going to be a redistribution of the wealth. And I think the wealth is going to go to where it’s treated best.

And at the end of the day, that’s really what I’m looking for: the places that have the most solid fundamentals and the best growth potential."

So states Simon Black, who travels the world (over 20 countries in the past 3 months) in order to assess and report on the investment and lifestyle opportunities offered by various international destinations for the readers of his blog, SovereignMan.com. His boots-on-the-ground observations lead him to conclude that there are a number of resource-rich and fiscally sound developing nations that are much better positioned to meet the future than the US and its developed counterparts. Smart investors, in his opinion, can't afford to ignore the stability and returns (both financial and lifestyle) that these countries offer. They should be asking themselves: Do I have sufficient exposure to these opportunities?

Click the play button below to listen to Chris' interview with Simon Black (runtime 33m:25s):

[swf file="http://media.PeakProsperity.com/audio/simon-black-2011-04-28-final.mp3"]

Download/Play the Podcast
Read the Transcript of the Podcast
Report a Problem Playing the Podcast

In this podcast, Simon details:

Image | How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Existing Home
How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Existing Home
by Phil Williams

height=I am an energy auditor and weatherization contractor working primarily in the residential market in Central Pennsylvania. Through a variety of tests, I can tell a homeowner not only what home improvements should be done to improve the efficiency of the home, but also what the return on investment will be. Apart from the energy savings, I also pay particular attention to the health and safety of the home.

Energy auditing and building analysis is a fairly new industry. I received my training in Maine, through Maine Housing, and at the Weatherization Training Center at Penn College. I also went through the Building Performance Institute's Building Analyst certification.

I would like to share some of the tricks of my trade with the PeakProsperity.com community. I will also share an average of the return on investments that I have seen on my jobs. As I go through a home, these are the items I typically look at:

 

How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Existing Home
 by Phil Williams

height=I am an energy auditor and weatherization contractor working primarily in the residential market in Central Pennsylvania. Through a variety of tests, I can tell a homeowner not only what home improvements should be done to improve the efficiency of the home, but also what the return on investment will be. Apart from the energy savings, I also pay particular attention to the health and safety of the home.

Energy auditing and building analysis is a fairly new industry. I received my training in Maine, through Maine Housing, and at the Weatherization Training Center at Penn College. I also went through the Building Performance Institute's Building Analyst certification.

I would like to share some of the tricks of my trade with the PeakProsperity.com community. I will also share an average of the return on investments that I have seen on my jobs. As I go through a home, these are the items I typically look at:

 

Image | Axel Merk: Why Is Anyone Still Waiting to Sell the Dollar?
Axel Merk: Why Is Anyone Still Waiting to Sell the Dollar?
by Adam Taggart

"The Fed can buy billions, even a trillion or so, but if and when the market is moving against the policymakers, then there is no stopping. The Fed cannot stem that tide. There is only so much that they can manage and so it is something that they have to watch very carefully. At the same time, they are not terribly concerned. If the bond market is falling, you do not know whether it is because of more economic growth or because of more inflation, and you really only know after the fact.

So for now people think “We have economic growth kicking in,” until the next economic numbers are not as great as expected, and so it is a bit like a "boiling-frog" syndrome. You print in all this money, you think everything is great, and you have some warning signs, but you think, “Things are moving along.” And by the time that you really see the damage you have created, it is quite late to undo this damage and it is going to be very, very expensive and painful."

So remarks Axel Merk, currency specialist and founder of the Merk Mutual Funds, who is perplexed by those waiting for additional warning signs to sell the dollar. In his view, we have all the evidence we need. He and Chris discuss the inner workings of the Fed and the course it is determinedly charting – and the looming dangers ahead for the US dollar.
Axel Merk: Why Is Anyone Still Waiting to Sell the Dollar?
 by Adam Taggart

"The Fed can buy billions, even a trillion or so, but if and when the market is moving against the policymakers, then there is no stopping. The Fed cannot stem that tide. There is only so much that they can manage and so it is something that they have to watch very carefully. At the same time, they are not terribly concerned. If the bond market is falling, you do not know whether it is because of more economic growth or because of more inflation, and you really only know after the fact.

So for now people think “We have economic growth kicking in,” until the next economic numbers are not as great as expected, and so it is a bit like a "boiling-frog" syndrome. You print in all this money, you think everything is great, and you have some warning signs, but you think, “Things are moving along.” And by the time that you really see the damage you have created, it is quite late to undo this damage and it is going to be very, very expensive and painful."

So remarks Axel Merk, currency specialist and founder of the Merk Mutual Funds, who is perplexed by those waiting for additional warning signs to sell the dollar. In his view, we have all the evidence we need. He and Chris discuss the inner workings of the Fed and the course it is determinedly charting – and the looming dangers ahead for the US dollar.
Image | Why You Should Get Busy Now
Why You Should Get Busy Now
 PREVIEW
by Chris Martenson

I want to respond to a couple of member questions to the last report.  

Here are two flavors of the same question, written in response to “How This Will All Play Out,”  both wondering why I am advocating that people accelerate their plans, whatever they may be, to become more resilient.

Lemonyellowschwin wrote:

Chris wrote:

“If your plans include moving, selling a house, or making big improvements to your current house, I would strongly recommend putting those plans into high gear.”

Is this because of concerns about rapidly-rising interest rates (killing the ability to buy or sell real estate) and inflation increasing the cost of improvements?

nickbert wrote:

I myself am wondering the same thing. My family and I don’t own any real estate anymore (at least not in the US) and are not planning to buy anytime soon so that’s not an issue for us, but if there is another specific reason I would love to hear it.

As usual, there’s no easy answer to this, such as Because everything will stop working on June 12th, 2012 at 3:05 p.m.!! Nobody knows when the next difficulties will begin, obviously, or how serious they will be. Such is the nature of complex systems.

Given this, the best we can do is constantly weigh and then reweigh the various risks as circumstances change.

Why You Should Get Busy Now
 PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

I want to respond to a couple of member questions to the last report.  

Here are two flavors of the same question, written in response to “How This Will All Play Out,”  both wondering why I am advocating that people accelerate their plans, whatever they may be, to become more resilient.

Lemonyellowschwin wrote:

Chris wrote:

“If your plans include moving, selling a house, or making big improvements to your current house, I would strongly recommend putting those plans into high gear.”

Is this because of concerns about rapidly-rising interest rates (killing the ability to buy or sell real estate) and inflation increasing the cost of improvements?

nickbert wrote:

I myself am wondering the same thing. My family and I don’t own any real estate anymore (at least not in the US) and are not planning to buy anytime soon so that’s not an issue for us, but if there is another specific reason I would love to hear it.

As usual, there’s no easy answer to this, such as Because everything will stop working on June 12th, 2012 at 3:05 p.m.!! Nobody knows when the next difficulties will begin, obviously, or how serious they will be. Such is the nature of complex systems.

Given this, the best we can do is constantly weigh and then reweigh the various risks as circumstances change.

Image | How This Will Play Out
How This Will Play Out
 PREVIEW
by Chris Martenson

How This Will Play Out

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Executive Summary

  • Why downward pressure on the US dollar is building
  • What to expect when the Fed “ends” quantitative easing in June
  • The factors most likely to cause a major breakdown in the dollar
  • What you should do to protect against a dollar collapse
  • Why time is your most precious (and depleting) asset right now

Part I: The Breakdown Draws Near

If you have not yet read Part I, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.

Part II: How This Will Play Out

Meanwhile…

Inflation continues to climb in every market except the United States, which tells us that US inflation statistics are probably wrong. In a global economy where the dollar is the world’s reserve currency, and given the fact that the dollar is down roughly 8% over the past year, it is practically impossible for inflation to be higher everywhere besides the US.

In Europe, the highest monthly gain in inflation in the record series was just recorded:

How This Will Play Out
 PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

How This Will Play Out

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Executive Summary

  • Why downward pressure on the US dollar is building
  • What to expect when the Fed “ends” quantitative easing in June
  • The factors most likely to cause a major breakdown in the dollar
  • What you should do to protect against a dollar collapse
  • Why time is your most precious (and depleting) asset right now

Part I: The Breakdown Draws Near

If you have not yet read Part I, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.

Part II: How This Will Play Out

Meanwhile…

Inflation continues to climb in every market except the United States, which tells us that US inflation statistics are probably wrong. In a global economy where the dollar is the world’s reserve currency, and given the fact that the dollar is down roughly 8% over the past year, it is practically impossible for inflation to be higher everywhere besides the US.

In Europe, the highest monthly gain in inflation in the record series was just recorded:

Image | The Breakdown Draws Near
The Breakdown Draws Near
by Chris Martenson

Things are certainly speeding up, and it is my conclusion that we are not more than a year away from the next major financial and economic disruption.

Alas, predictions are tricky, especially about the future (credit: Yogi Berra), but here’s why I am convinced that the next big break is drawing near.
The Breakdown Draws Near
 by Chris Martenson

Things are certainly speeding up, and it is my conclusion that we are not more than a year away from the next major financial and economic disruption.

Alas, predictions are tricky, especially about the future (credit: Yogi Berra), but here’s why I am convinced that the next big break is drawing near.
Image | It Draws Near – Part II
It Draws Near – Part II
 PREVIEW
by Chris Martenson

Meanwhile…

Inflation continues to climb in every market except the United States, which tells us that US inflation statistics are probably wrong. In a global economy where the dollar is the world’s reserve currency, and given the fact that the dollar is down roughly 8% over the past year, it is practically impossible for inflation to be higher everywhere besides the US.

In Europe, the highest monthly gain in inflation in the record series was just recorded:
It Draws Near – Part II
 PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

Meanwhile…

Inflation continues to climb in every market except the United States, which tells us that US inflation statistics are probably wrong. In a global economy where the dollar is the world’s reserve currency, and given the fact that the dollar is down roughly 8% over the past year, it is practically impossible for inflation to be higher everywhere besides the US.

In Europe, the highest monthly gain in inflation in the record series was just recorded:
Image | It Draws Near
It Draws Near
 PREVIEW
by Chris Martenson

Things are certainly speeding up, and it is my conclusion that we are not more than a year away from the next major financial and economic disruption.

Alas, predictions are tricky, especially about the future (credit: Yogi Berra), but here’s why I am convinced that the next big break is drawing near.
It Draws Near
 PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

Things are certainly speeding up, and it is my conclusion that we are not more than a year away from the next major financial and economic disruption.

Alas, predictions are tricky, especially about the future (credit: Yogi Berra), but here’s why I am convinced that the next big break is drawing near.
Image | Insolvent and Going Deeper
Insolvent and Going Deeper
by Chris Martenson

The US budget process is entirely out of control. By extension, its fiscal future is rather bleak.

All one has to do is back up two steps, entirely ignoring the meaningless budget scuffles currently ongoing in DC, to see that the federal government’s fiscal situation is in complete shambles. In fact, as things currently stand in terms of spending and revenues, the US government is insolvent – its liabilities vastly exceed its assets on a net-present-value basis.

Yes, Obama has just laid out a plan that calls for cutting some $4 trillion of new, incremental deficit additions over the next 12 years, but this merely obscures the fact that the deficit will still grow by a rather hefty amount nonetheless. Plans from both sides of the aisle call for adding more debt but at a slower pace. True, that’s progress of a sort, but not the type of progress you want to bring home to meet your mother.

Insolvent and Going Deeper
 by Chris Martenson

The US budget process is entirely out of control. By extension, its fiscal future is rather bleak.

All one has to do is back up two steps, entirely ignoring the meaningless budget scuffles currently ongoing in DC, to see that the federal government’s fiscal situation is in complete shambles. In fact, as things currently stand in terms of spending and revenues, the US government is insolvent – its liabilities vastly exceed its assets on a net-present-value basis.

Yes, Obama has just laid out a plan that calls for cutting some $4 trillion of new, incremental deficit additions over the next 12 years, but this merely obscures the fact that the deficit will still grow by a rather hefty amount nonetheless. Plans from both sides of the aisle call for adding more debt but at a slower pace. True, that’s progress of a sort, but not the type of progress you want to bring home to meet your mother.

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