Europe fights inflation even as energy costs drop

As the European Union makes headway on energy, inflation in the food and services industries offsets any real economic progress.

In April, Europe’s inflation rate increased from 1.2% to 1.4%. Sure, that may not sound like much, but when you consider how many transactions the average consumer makes on a daily basis (fill up the gas tank, coffee break, lunch, etc.) – it adds up. The inflation rate has been under the European Central Bank’s 2% cap since February, and as long as it stays there, economists don’t foresee any catastrophes on the horizon.

However, with Europe stuck in an 18-month long recession, politicians are seeking ways to boost economic growth. President Mario Draghi has already said he’s willing to reduce lending rates if the economy continues to deteriorate. That would allow more small business to open, and hopefully stimulate consumer spending.

Janet Henry, primary economic adviser at HSBC Holdings, has hope for the future. “As long as the European Central Bank’s baseline scenario of some recovery in the second half of the year remains in place, I would be very surprised if they cut rates again over the next couple of months,” she says. “They need to see a further deterioration from where we are currently rather than the stabilization they expect to see around the middle of the year.”

The recession is expected to come to an end in Europe’s second quarter. According to a survey performed by Bloomberg, their economy should see a return to growth in as little as three months.

However, as the price of energy drops (0.2 % this month after a 0.4% drop in April), food, alcohol, and tobacco prices are on the RISE - 3.3% to be exact. The service industry has suffered from inflation as well. They saw an increase of 1.4% compared to last month.

So although Europeans may be paying a fraction of a penny less for energy, they’re making up for it at the market. Unless you expect people to give up drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, and gorging on junk food, which is even less likely than an immediate solution to the climate crisis.

NRGLab is helping people save as much money as possible. With the SH-Box, a light-weight, carbon-free generator, you could be paying as little as $0.03 per kW for all-natural electricity. Forget about your allegiance to the utility company. Break free, and gain energy independence with the SH-Box.

Plus – you’ll have more money in that “rainy day beer fund.”

It’s going to take a lot more money to meet UN energy goals

We need to start spending more money – a lot more money (roughly $400 billion annually) – in order to meet the United Nation’s goal of making clean electricity universally available by the year 2030. According to a study performed by the World Bank, that equates to doubling, or even tripling, most countries’ current spending on green technology.

Developing countries are not only struggling to play catch-up with the rest of the world, they’re struggling with population control. Approximately 1.2 billion people, almost as many as the entire population of India, continue to live without reliable access to electricity, while another 2.8 billion people rely on wood, agricultural waste, and biomass to perform simple chores, like heat their homes and cook their food. And those numbers keep growing by the minute!

If we fail to address energy poverty, our other efforts to create economic sustainability are likely to fall short, the study showed. "Access to energy is absolutely fundamental in the struggle against poverty," said Rachel Kyte, World Bank Vice President. "It’s energy that lights the lamp that lets you do your homework, that keeps the heat on in a hospital, that lights the small businesses where most people work. Without energy, there is no economic growth, there is no dynamism, and there is no opportunity."

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is tasked with meeting the UN's Sustainable Energy for All goals. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim is serving as co-chairman on his advisory board. Their goal is simple – figure out how to make clean, low-cost electricity available to every man, woman, and child on Earth. Ok – maybe not so simple.

But their task could be made simpler with the help of NRGLab. We’ve developed a carbon-free generator that’s affordable, portable, and dependable in every sense of the word. It’s called the SH-Box, and it’s changing lives. By affording people access to an independent, renewable source of energy, we’re freeing them from the necessity of public utility. So it doesn’t matter if you live in Singapore, New York City, or a deserted island somewhere in the South Pacific – you, too, can enjoy first-world amenities.

Executive director of the UN’s universal energy initiative, Richenda van Leeuwan, claims the data is "a critical step forward" in resolving the issue. "It is impossible to determine how we are doing in the absence of a measurement mechanism," said van Leeuwan. "Having credible data is key to being able to determine and report back on where we are—as a world—in achieving these common goals, and where efforts need to be redoubled."

Want to break free from your power supplier, and pay a fraction of what you’re spending right now for electricity? Visit nrglab.asia for more information on the SH-Box, and NRGLab’s various green energy projects.

Spend a dime, save a dollar with NRGLab

It used to be that companies invested in green technology just to look trendy. Solar and wind alternatives made for good publicity, but as soon as they ceased to be economically viable, executives wouldn't hesitate to cut their losses.

Now it seems as if green technology is here to stay! Earlier this month, Verizon Wireless announced plans to generate 70 million kilowatt-hours' worth of solar energy to power its 19 nation-wide facilities. From Starbucks' conservation efforts to Apple's commitment to solar, corporate America is finally realizing that investing in green energy cuts costs and, as a result, bolsters their bottom lines.

The average cost of electricity has risen by more than 35% since 2001, and for many businesses (especially smaller, independently-owned ones), that increase constitutes a major concern. So what are their options?

Layoffs? Reduced hours and overtime? Cut employee benefits?

Surely, these measures, extrapolated over the global economy, would prove devastating. But there are responsible ways in which companies can stay afloat and competitive in today’s market. For instance, Starbucks is reducing its energy consumption costs by 25%. Based on conservative estimates and current electricity prices, the renovations will save the company approximately $50 million a year by the end of 2015.

Don’t chase the dream – follow the green. (Only in this case, green represents money and renewable energy!) It’s a lot easier to get ahead in the free market when your costs are less than your competitors’.

Today’s Fortune 500s are betting the future of their companies on the green revolution being victorious. In March, Apple revealed that 75% of their operations are powered by alternative energy.  Energy bills can represent as much as 75% of total operating costs for a single data center (of which Apples owns TONS), so the investment in a low-cost energy source can pay for itself in relatively no time at all!

Sound like something your business might be interested in?

Don’t tremble at the sight of your utility bills. Never worry about making the rent versus keeping the lights on. By investing in a cost-effective generator like NRGLab’s SH-Box, not only could you be paying as little as $0.03 per kW, but you could help solve global warming. The SH-Box is 100% carbon-free; powered by a poly-crystalline core that harnesses geothermal energy. It’s light-weight and portable. When you’re done at the office, you could even bring the SH-Box home with you!

Sound like a pretty good deal? You can learn more about NRGLab’s various green energy projects, including the SH-Box, by visiting nrglab.asia. If corporate America has come around – shouldn’t you?

So spend a dime now. Save a dollar tomorrow. And let NRGLab help you do it.

Disagreement over global warming? 97% of scientists say, “No.”

Although the public seems to think experts are divided on the issue, 97% of scientists agree that global warming is, in fact, a man-made disaster. However, the public’s misconception is making it more difficult for elected representatives to enact necessary policy changes.

"There’s a strong scientific agreement about the cause of climate change, despite public perceptions to the contrary," said Professor John Cook of the University of Queensland, Australia. "There’s a gaping chasm between the actual consensus and the public perception. When people understand that scientists agree on global warming, they're more likely to support policies that take action on it."

Did you know that the planet’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.8 degree Celsius, or 1.4F, since the Industrial Revolution? That may not sound like much, but consider that today, all 19 of Earth’s glacial regions are melting, the effects are irrefutable.

Experts from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia studied thousands of peer journals dating back to the 1990s, and what they found was a wide – much wider than anticipated – acceptance of man’s role in global warming. This was the largest effort to gauge the scientific community’s opinion on the topic.

Professor Mark Richardson of the University of Reading, England, says that "if people disagree with what we've found, we want to know.”

Surveys performed in over 90 countries show widespread belief that experts are in disagreement about whether climate change is man-made, or simply part of a fluctuating environment. Last October, the U.S. Pew Research Center found that only 45% of Americans answered "Yes" when asked: "Do scientists agree Earth is getting warmer because of human activity?"

The level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has reached 400 parts per million, the highest it’s been since the dinosaurs! Droughts, floods, and rising sea levels are expected to ravage our very way of life. Is the government doing enough to protect us?

NRGLab has your back. My developing clean, renewable sources of energy and improving upon existing methods of fuel production, we’re working to eliminate carbon-emissions from the equation altogether. Want to know more? Visit nrglab.asia for more info on our innovative SH-Box and gasification techniques.

Energy independence could finally bring about world peace

In an editorial recently published by the New York Times, author Kenneth Hersh and Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer suggest that America’s energy revolution will reshape the way the world embraces green technology, and perhaps even bring about world peace.

“The production process is complicated and expensive, and if the industry is not careful there can be risks to the environment,” they write. “But the potential is staggering. Significant domestic job growth and economic expansion have begun."

With more and more countries discovering rich deposits of shale and natural gas, energy is finally becoming democratized. No longer do a few oil moguls dominate the market. Instead, they’re forced to compete on a global scale. And as capitalism has proven in the past, competition can breed better prices for the consumer.

Energy independence also means domestic security. For example, as the U.S. improves its production and processing methods, they’ll rely less and less on foreign oil.

“As America drives toward a new era of energy self-sufficiency, Washington will be less willing to risk lives and spends billions on ensuring the free flow of oil and gas through dangerous places,” Hersh and Bremmer write. “That’s especially important for the Middle East — a region where Ottomans, then Europeans, and lately Americans have, for better and for worse, helped keep the peace. The United States isn’t about to abandon the region entirely, not with the global economy still so dependent on the flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s security at risk. But it’s natural that as America becomes less reliant on the Middle East for energy, Washington’s willingness to accept risks and burdens there will diminish, or at least become harder to justify in a fiscally constrained era.”

Hersh and Bremmer also hint that China is poised to fill the void left in the global market, and will begin exporting crude oil at higher prices. This will allow poorer countries to continue pumping carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, contributing to the already out-of-control climate crisis.

NRGLab has developed a number of cost-effective techniques for converting agricultural waste, natural gas, and even geothermal heat into clean energy. We’ve seen where the world is heading, and we want to help get it back on the right track. Investing in green technology is the smartest way to secure your financial future. Learn more by visiting nrglab.asia, or by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

NRGLab and the global energy imbalance

For years, the United States has been one of the biggest energy hogs and contributors to global warming. Accounting for less than 5% of the world’s overall population, Americans consume 20% of our available resources! This imbalance has sent a tidal wave across energy markets and foreign trade. Will the global economy ever be able to recover?

The U.S. congress is considering passing the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, a piece of legislation that would create incentives for companies willing to make energy-efficient renovations.

Last winter, President Barack Obama proposed a similar $200 million state-run program intended to raise green-energy awareness throughout the industrial complex. The National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce were two of several groups that supported the bill. The Senate estimated that consumers would have saved roughly $23 BILLION by 2030. But unfortunately, the bill didn’t receive the necessary votes, and slowly suffocated in red tape.

Sarbjit Nahal, Head of Sustainability Strategy at the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, has been studying the effects of the power imbalance since the financial collapse back in 2008. He predicts that the rise of the middle class in countries like India, China, and Brazil will increase the U.S. consumption demand, up to as much as 30% of the entire world’s energy, by 2035.

"End-use energy efficiency offers the greatest potential to lower both energy demand and CO2 emissions,” says Nahal. “It offers considerable low-hanging fruit given that two-thirds of the economic potential to improve energy efficiency remains untapped.”

Nahal estimates that for every dollar invested in energy-efficient upgrades, a company can expect to yield between $2 and $4 annually in savings. Not only are upgrades fiscally responsible, they’re environmentally responsible as well.

"Energy consumption within buildings is the single largest component of global energy use and CO2 emissions, at 40 and 30%, respectively," says Nahal. “[But] little of this has been captured. 80% of the economic potential of energy efficiency in buildings remains untapped."

According to Pike Research, a consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global technology markets, U.S. investments in green energy are up 750% from 2005, and are expected to exceed $200 BILLION by 2016.

Now the question is: how are you going to profit from all of this?

Companies like NRGLab are giving individuals, families, and manufacturers the opportunity to gain energy independence with the emission-free SH-Box, an electrical generator that weighs next to nothing! Yes, you could be paying as little as $0.03 per kW for 100% clean electricity. Join the wave of investments in the energy industry before somebody else soaks up all the profits!

Visit nrglab.asia for more information on the SH-Box and other green energy projects.

Living off the grid: financially, spiritually, and environmentally responsible

Our modern world has jaded the population into believing we need certain things in order to survive. The internet, for one.  A cell phone. A car. But what if I told you a person could have all of these things, and still live off the grid?

It’s a trend that’s becoming increasingly popular in developed countries like the United States, where an estimated 750,000 Americans have been living without governance and dependent public utility for the better half of a quarter century. They grow their own food. They harvest their own energy. Cash means nothing to these people who’ve sworn a pact to uphold communal harmony. And so they trade. They cooperate and share and live off of the land. Some may call this way of life, ‘primitive,’ yet these self-reliant pioneers continue to lead free and happy lives.

Why break away from the government, you ask? Why live off the grid?

Financial, spiritual, environmental– people are driven to escape the norm for any number of reasons.  Nick Rosen, author of Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America, says: "You can't get off all of the grids all the time. It's a question of which grids you choose to get off of and in what way and for how long. [But] going off the grid is not a game. It’s real life and a real choice for real people."

From a few months to a lifetime, people choose to break away from basic utilities, stay attached to what Rosen refers to as the "car, supermarket, or bank grid."

Sure, these people may escape society for personal reasons, but ultimately, they have a positive effect on the environment. A majority of off the grid communities are in areas where nature plays an integral role in social sustainability. "You become much more aware of the sun and the wind because you need it to power yourself," says Rosen, who goes on to explain that the average consumer is “consuming too much. One of the big motivations for off-grid living is a weariness of the consumer society. It's not necessarily anti-consumer, but post-consumer."

Think of all the unnecessary luxuries we enjoy. Three-car garages. Big-screen TVs. Air-conditioning. Even heated steering wheels in our cars! Rosen estimates that the average off-gridder uses about 20% less energy than the average U.S. household.

However, some people go off the grid to get away from the stress of urban living. Rosen claims that the “biggest motivation is a loss of trust in the government and the ability of social networks to look after us.”

That’s because the government is monitoring our emails and text messages. They’re patrolling the skies with killer robots. They’re forcing fossil fuels down our throats, not for the greater good, but because fossil fuels offer the highest return on consumer investment.

The best part is – you’re capable of much more than you give yourself credit for! In fact, you could escape the government’s stronghold with as little as a half an acre, "as long as it's the right half-acre,” says Rosen. “The era of 40 acres and a mule has been replaced by the era of a half an acre and a laptop and a solar panel.” Just enough to grow a few crops and harvest a few kilowatts. But ultimately, “the best way to get off-grid is to go off with others in a group of families, so each have half an acre and share resources and skills. One is tending livestock and one is growing vegetables, while a third is looking after the power supply for everybody else."

Many off-the-grid communes are actively seeking new members willing to relocate. "There's a huge generation of 1970s back-to-the-land movement people who are now getting pretty old and they're sitting on these huge tracks of land that can't be broken up,” says Rosen. "The idea of land trusts is being used as a way these older people can get some new residents to help look after them and then work on the land or take over part of the land as the older generation dies out."

NRGLab provides those looking to live an alternative, environmentally friendly lifestyle with the opportunity to own a carbon-free electrical generator. Weighing only a few pounds, the SH-Box is the most affordable and efficient option out there today. You don’t have to give up your Wi-Fi or iPhone or Benz after all.

If you’re interesting in going off the grid, or just joining in the independent energy revolution, visit nrglab.asia for more info on how you can come to own an SH-Box.

Green energy windmills killing tens of thousands of birds!

There are a number of green energy projects vying for market share. Solar. Natural gas. The SH-Box by NRGLab, to name a few. But only one source of energy is killing over 83,000 birds each year – wind.

Bald and golden eagles, hawks, and falcons are but a few of the species of birds being victimized by the mills’ massive turbines. Grainger Hunt, an authority on the subject, explains why the birds are susceptible: “There’s nothing in the evolution of eagles that would come near to describing a wind turbine,” he says. “There’s never been an opportunity to adapt to that sort of threat.”

Although these birds of prey are no longer on the endangered species list, their populations are still considerably low compared to numbers from the turn of the 20th century. Disturbing their habitats, stealing their eggs, or killing an eagle is, in accordance with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Yet the United States seems to hold certain sectors of their energy industry to a double standard. BP paid $100 million in fines for harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. The previous year, PacifiCorp, the northwest U.S.’s leading utility supplier, paid $10.5 million for electrocuting 232 eagles in their power lines.

However, not a single wind farm has faced criminal prosecution since President Barack Obama took office in 2008!

In Altamont Pass, California, wind farms are responsible for more than 60 avian deaths per year, while more than 573,000 birds across the country have been killed so far. That number could even be substantially higher, since most companies are reluctant to admit how many birds they’ve butchered.

Wildlife advocacy groups are up in arms about the Obama administration’s indecisive double standard. “It’s the rationale that we have to get off of carbon, we have to get off of fossil fuels, that allows them to justify this,” says Tom Dougherty, formerly with the National Wildlife Federation. “But at what cost? In this case, the cost is too high.”

If the U.S. enforced federal laws concerning murderous wind mills, then green energy companies would be forced to regard avian populations and migratory patterns before starting construction on new farms. Even so, experts agree it’s unlikely that birds and wind mills will ever co-exist peacefully. Can you blame them? Giant metal blades whirling at incredible speeds versus creatures with hollow bones -- doesn't seem like a fair fight.

NRGLab is against bird murder! We developed a source of alternative energy that’s carbon-free, compact, and completely safe for your home, office, or bird sanctuary. It’s called the SH-Box -- a poly-crystalline electoral generator set to revolutionize the way people think about energy. Follow us on Facebook, and visit nrglab.asia for more information on our next SH-Box auction.

U.S. energy sector hacked by cyber terrorists from the Middle East

Following a series of cyber-terror attacks on their energy sector, the United States defense department is heightening security and cracking down on potential threats. The New York Times cites two senior government officials who believe the attacks came from somewhere in the Middle East.

You may remember the U.S. accusing China of hacking into corporate networks and stealing propriety information several months ago. “By contrast, the new attacks seek to destroy data or to manipulate industrial machinery and take over or shut down the networks that deliver energy or run industrial processes,” write David Sanger and Nicole Perlroth of the Times. “Two senior [U.S.] officials who have been briefed on the new intrusions say they were aimed largely at the administrative systems of about 10 major American energy firms, which they would not name.”

But is this simply a case of the U.S. government getting a taste of their own medicine? Hacking into a foreign nation’s industrial network is exactly how the U.S. destroyed Iran’s nuclear program years ago.
 
Trend Micro, a global leader in online content security, recently conducted an experiment by creating an alluringly-vulnerable ‘dummy utility corp’ in the U.S. energy sector. Within seconds, cyber terrorists began attempting to infiltrate the corporation’s system, “doing things that would change the water pressure, or temperature, or stop the flow on a water pump,” said a Trend Micro employee.

With over 20 years of experience, Trend Micro is recognized as the world leader in server security, delivering top-ranked solutions that identify threats faster and protect data in physical, virtual, and cloud-based environments.

Luckily, NRGLab protected its propriety secrets like the revolutionary SH-Box. The carbon-free electrical generator is geared to take the energy sector by storm. Offering a range of power outputs fit for the home, office, or a manufacturing plant, the SH-Box produces electricity for as little as $0.03 per kW. Learn more about the money you could be saving on energy bills by visiting nrglab.asia.

And remember – in this digital age, metal locks are obsolete. Make sure you and your personal information are safe by investing in file security. Make sure you and your family’s financial futures are safe by investing in the future of clean energy.

Higher education is failing. Enter the Internet to save the day!

The cost of higher education around the world is simply too high to have a positive impact on our children’s futures. Sarah Lawrence College in New York tops the list of the world’s most expensive institutions, coming in at a mind-boggling $61,236. That’s $45,900 for basic tuition, $14,312 for room and board, and another $1,024 in miscellaneous fees.

Seriously – who can afford to pay that for a four-year degree in an economy where no job is guaranteed? Are we really willing to burden the next generation with an insurmountable debt?

In Mexico, higher education costs range from $11,777 to a mere $527. In Japan, the average student pays $11,865. Only 33% of Australian families can afford to send their children to college, while in countries like England and Wales, that number drops to around 21%.

That’s only addressing the developed world. In places like Afghanistan, Honduras, and Somalia, higher education is the last thing on the agenda. These countries are busy fighting wars on numerous fronts – against disease, poverty, and tyranny, to name a few.

So do we give up and leave these developing countries to educate themselves? Over two-dozen prestigious universities in the U.S. and abroad say, “No.”

Brown, Columbia, Emory, Vanderbilt and Wesleyan now offer free courses online, joining the likes of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Berklee College of Music, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of British Columbia, University of London, University of Melbourne, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The internet is reshaping the way the world views education. Coursera, an online platform that features some 200 courses from 33 institutions, has drawn over a million students across the globe. Another site called EdX was founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to allow absolutely ANYONE with an internet connection to complete independent certification programs.

Still, we have to remember that not everyone in the world has access to regular electricity, let alone an internet connection. That brings us back to our original question:  do we just give up and move on?

NRGLab doesn’t believe quitting is ever an option. We’ve dedicated ourselves to developing a clean, cost-efficient system of power generation with the aim of bringing electricity to the third world.

Because electricity is the seed from which all modern innovation flourishes. With an SH-Box generator in every home, on every island, across the driest deserts and wettest wetlands, not only can we can give people the security of energy independence, we can give them an opportunity to better themselves through education.

Not everything has to cost an arm and a leg in such uncertain economic times. See how affordable an SH-Box can be by visiting nrglab.asia and learning when we’ll be holding our next auction.

The things in life we take for granted

Imagine living in Honduras. The streets are cluttered with uncollected garbage. Diseases like malaria run rampant. In fact, your next door neighbor just died of a mosquito bite. Every so often, you have to hike to a fresh water supply miles away. Electricity? Not a chance. Traffic accidents are solved by quick cash exchanges because the police couldn’t care less. Children can’t get to school because the only bridge out of the village just collapsed. And the storms! Lackluster government warnings result in thousands of people losing their homes on a semi-regular basis.

Now stop imagining.

 

Remember that you are you. You’re a citizen of the first world. You live in an apartment, house or condo. Trash day is every Thursday. If you get sick, you take a trip to your doctor, who writes you a prescription and that’s that. Your next door neighbor hasn’t returned your leaf blower in months. He might be a deadbeat, but he’s definitely not dead. Tap water? Ew. Gross. You only drink bottled, or water that’s been through a Britta filter. You complain when your Smartphone doesn’t keep its charge. The police seem to be lurking behind every blind spot along the highway, waiting to catch you going 5 mph over the speed limit. A big yellow bus picks your son or daughter up for school every morning. And storms usually knock out the cable, but not much else.

Oh, the things in life we in the developed world take for granted!

The Earth is a big, big place, and the sooner people come to this conclusion, the sooner we can begin to address global issues. 

More often than not, politics get tangled up in subcommittees. Narrow-mindedness and personal vendettas result in nothing getting done. Sure, everyone wants to pay lower taxes. Everyone wants better schools and smoother roads. But aren’t these issues trivial compared to spreading equality and ensuring basic human rights throughout the world? 

Liberals and conservatives have their philosophical differences, but surely there are some things everyone can agree upon. We want to protect our children and afford them every opportunity to succeed. We want to feel safe in our own homes. We want to watch our children grow up, and their children, and their children after that.

 

NRGLab hasn’t forgotten the little things in life. That’s why we want to bring sustainable clean energy to the developing world. We believe that if you were born in Honduras, you should have the same opportunities as if you had been born in the United States. With the SH-Box, a low-cost, zero-emissions generator, EVERYONE can have access to reliable power. And that’s only the beginning. 

We have the ability to make the world a better place. First, we need to appreciate the things in life we take for granted. Then, and only then, will our leaders feel truly compelled to put aside politics and work towards world peace.

Be happy, people. Be happy and good to one another. 

The American dream now a recurring nightmare

For centuries, the world has looked upon America with envy. It was an oasis where the individual was judged not by his or her parents, but by his or her willingness to succeed. Freedom, democracy, and the ‘American dream’ were alive and well. Yet over the last several decades, that dream has become a recurring nightmare. Will Americans ever wake up?

Citizens are bogged down by social stagnation reminiscent of medieval feudalism. The top 1% controls a majority of the country’s wealth and resources. They concentrate power within their families, passing it down from silver spoon to silver spoon. So why do the other 99% continue to oppose tax increases on the top tier?

Because everyone wants to be rich! In fact, most people expect it. The American dream basically culminates with entry into the 1%, and who would want to pay a higher tax rate then?

Nobody.

So although raising taxes on the wealthiest few could create breathing room for the majority fighting to stay afloat, world leaders have turned a blind eye and succumb to the will of their constituents.

Call it forward-thinking. Call it ambition. Call it what you will. But in reality, the American dream has glorified greed on an epic scale. Instead of telling people to explore what makes them happy, what gives them a sense of fulfillment and pride, the government preached free-market capitalism and buy, buy, BUY! Sell, sell, SELL!

Because THINGS will make you happy, people were told. Possessions = stature. Stature = power. Power = more possessions. Americans were sold on this viscous cycle. They ignored the toll on the environment and the rest of the world and took pride in simply being American. The title was enough.

But that shouldn’t be the case. Where you live shouldn’t dictate who you are, nor should your family’s bank account. True democracy is the freedom to have your voice heard. To wake up each morning not having to fear for your life. That’s freedom. Not a shopping or shooting-spree.

How can Americans wake up from this nightmare?

First, they need to realize that happiness is the ultimate goal, and that happiness is relative. One must learn to be happy with what they have – plain and simple. Material possessions fade with time. They break. The human spirit doesn’t have to.

Second, Americans must remember that societies are judged by how they treat the least of their people. And just as everyone sees themselves becoming rich, anyone – with one wrong turn – can end up living on the streets.

Think of citizens like cells in the body. Each one different. Some aggressive. Some passive. Some more prone to cooperate than others. But each cell serves a distinct purpose, and only by working in harmony do they survive.

Lastly, making the wealthy pay more than their fair share sets a shining example for the rest of the population. Yes, success is good – but reaching out to others to elevate them is by far nobler. What good is success if everyone else fails?

NRGLab believes happiness means living relatively stress-free. With the SH-Box, a portable generator that produces low-cost electricity for your home, office, or industrial facility, you can forget about that monthly utility bill. You can forget about your carbon footprint, too. The SH-Box is emission-free, powered by an all-natural polycrystalline core.

To learn more about how you, your friends, and family can achieve energy independence and take the next step towards stress-free living, check us out on YouTube, or visit nrglab.asia.

Cinco de Mayo: wait, what are we celebrating again?

As the United States of America and Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the holiday has people wondering: wait, what are we celebrating again?

The 5th of May has essentially evolved into a Hispanic version of St. Patrick’s Day; a day to drink and be merry until the body is physically unable to take anymore. High schoolers, college frat boys, and Mexican-Americans alike will toast to good times and better friendships.

Most presume the date marks Mexico’s independence from Spain. But they’d be wrong.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The victory boosted the underwhelmed Mexican army’s morale and helped carry them another five years against their technologically-superior invaders.

The holiday celebrates the triumph of democracy over tyranny, and honors those who’ve sacrificed their lives so that others might know freedom. Whether you’re celebrating or not, that cause is worth remembering.

Besides drinking in excess, typical Cinco de Mayo festivities include parades, mariachi music, dancing, and street performances. It’s a way for Hispanic communities to embrace their heritage and pass traditions along to the next generation.

The rest of the world should be as passionate about how the next generation remembers history. Our children should be free to pursue their passions. To pursue knowledge. And to celebrate the fact that their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents loved them so much that they fought and died for that freedom.

NRGLab is fighting to free people from the bonds of corporate and government utilities. With the SH-Box, an affordable electrical generator that’s powered by an all-natural crystalline core, families, communities and small businesses can finally experience energy independence. The SH-Box produces electricity for as little as $0.03 per kW, which is practically nothing compared to the markup your local power supplier is charging you.

Energy independence is simply the first step. Affording everyone – not just the wealthy or developed countries – reliable access to electricity opens up the gates for new ideas and the spread of culture. Hopefully this will lead to a better understanding between foreign nations, creating a global harmony the likes of which mankind has never seen.

War isn’t the only means of inspiring people. Technology has just as much power. All it takes is one breakthrough, one innovation, and society is never the same. The printing press. The steam engine. The internet. And now the SH-Box.

So Happy Cinco de Mayo to those of you celebrating! And to those of you who aren’t, check out NRGLab’s homepage at nrglab.asia, and consider joining us in the fight for energy independence.

Because we’re changing the world. And we’re just getting started…

Nothing to celebrate: Labor Day marred by world-wide protests

Blue-collar workers around the world didn’t have much to celebrate this Labor Day, despite the streets being flooded with screaming people. In Greece, thousands walked off their jobs in a strike against the government’s austerity policies and the firing of thousands of public employees.

But Greece isn’t the only country in upheaval. Workers protested against deplorable factory conditions in Bangladeshis, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Istanbul tried to be proactive by banning all public rallies on Labor Day, but what they got was a rally of angry workers protesting the ban itself.

   
In Spain, Portugal, and even France, warring labor unions called for across-the-board protests against the current imbalance of socioeconomic power. France’s conservative-right, called the National Front, paraded through the streets of Paris hoping to win the sympathies of the frustrated general public. Unemployment in the country is at an historic-high while industrial growth has flat-lined. The National Front is calling for massive spending cuts, while the liberal-left, the Syriza, are calling for more government intervention in creating an effective social safety net.

Europe’s situation has gotten so bad that newly elected Pope Francis felt obliged to address the economy during his weekly appearance in St. Peter’s Square. “I think of how many, and not just young people, are unemployed, many times due to a purely economic conception of society, which seeks selfish profit, beyond the parameters of social justice,” he said. “I wish to extend an invitation to solidarity to everyone, and I would like to encourage those in public office to make every effort to give new impetus to employment.”

The strike in Greece was called in response to three years of economic cutbacks that have gouged employee salaries and pensions. Meanwhile, the government has been able to secure foreign bailout money for failing big businesses. The European Union recently ratified Greece’s €2.8 billion, or $3.7 billion, relief plan after their Parliament approved sweeping economic reforms, including laying off 15,000 public employees.

But will these measures even help? The International Monetary Fund and European Union have already lent Greece $317 billion, and Greece has already agreed to reform their economic agenda. What the country needs is a way of empowering their working class. Forced motivation is hardly the most effective form of motivation, especially during down times. People don’t need a swift kick in the pants, nor a helping hand. What they need is a means of self-sufficiency. Something dependable. Something to invest hope in.

Something like the SH-Box.

The SH-Box by NRGLab is a low-cost, carbon-free generator that allows families, communities, and businesses to break free from public utilities and become energy independent. Energy independence creates revenue streams for individuals in desperate need of reliable income. So not only will an owner of an SH-Box be helping save the planet by reducing carbon emissions, they’ll be making a responsible career choice.

Visit nrglab.asia to see when NRGLab will be hosting its next auction for the SH-Box.