Giving Thanks

The Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. We've stuffed ourselves with turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and all of the other goodies; and for many, the Black Friday shopping day was a chance to fight the crowds and try to work some of it off.

But with December here and the year heading to a close, where are we at right now (we being the collective HVACR industry)? I would hazard a guess that few industry veterans have seen a time when so much is going on at so many levels throughout the trade. From the legislative discussions on the Hill regarding climate change and cap-and-trade; associations and groups promoting new energy-efficiency guidelines, regulations and proposals; and continuing pressure from different groups to explore new refrigerant solutions, incent home/businessowners to reduce energy use and promote the use of alternative energy sources, does anyone REALLY know what the future holds?

The quick and simple answer is no. But if one digs a little deeper, their certainly are signs of what is to come. And for that reason, I want to take a moment to give thanks. Thanks because those of us who are in this business/industry/career are going to continue to see dynamic change and growth, and have the opportunity to really change the way HVACR business is both seen and conducted in the next decade.

The Obama administration has made energy policy a key component of its strategy, both to grow jobs (yes, the old "Green Jobs mantra") and also position itself as an administration who worked to make "change" possible. What that change is remains any one's guess, but with the bills currently being debated and hammered out, there is no question that it will be a central issue in the 2010 legislative sessions of Congress.

So for a moment, take a step back and give thanks. We in this industry have a chance to be a dramatic force, to positively impact the work and world environment for future generations on a vast scale. It won't be easy. As we've already seen, there will be a lot of disagreements on the way. But at the end of the day, I'm hopeful (and hopefully not naive) that those changes will be for the better.