Even though I like the idea of reducing crime in the scrap industry, I have never liked the thought of imposing additional regulations on an industry. I’m not sure that simply taking away one method of thievery after another will ever solve the problem. Instead of finding every possible thing a person could steal and trying to make it more difficult to do, why don’t lawmakers look more into how we can stop people from becoming thieves in the first place. It’s kind of like that old saying about teaching a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime, only in reverse. Take away a person’s ability to steal one thing, he/she will just find another thing to steal. Keep someone from becoming a thief and stop a lifetime of crime.

I hope you all have a happy Earth Day and that you do at least one thing today to keep the Earth a little greener. Better yet, start a new habit today that will. At my daughter’s school, they challenged all the kids to keep the TV off for the entire week. Hopefully they are not turning in those TV hours for computer hours – that would simply be a diversion from one use of electricity to another.

Wow, this could represent a huge blow to the biofuels industry as well as put a real kink in President Obama’s energy plan. And just when things are starting to ramp up. I know, I know, it’s still too soon to say it’s time to abandon ship but it certainly should be a wake up call to all concerned parties. Expect a spike in oil prices soon – just my prediction.

If Chrysler and GM management had been a little more in tune with the consumer, they would have their electric cars already in production instead of having to wait until some time next year. Even before the explosion in gas prices that prompted so much discussion of vehicles with better mileage or that didn’t use gas at all, the global warming arguments were stirring up people to demand something different. I know it takes a long time to go from concept to production but apparently not as long today as was previously thought. If Chrysler can begin working today with a battery company and only take until sometime next year to produce 5 all-electric models, then they should have been able to do the same 3 years ago and by now would have been the leader in electric cars. I’m just saying.

Will it be enough, and soon enough? Facing bankruptcy in just days without a signed deal with Fiat, Chrysler appears to be doing this way late in the game.

I don’t normally take the time in this blog to talk about Pacific Steel & Recycling but it is kind of cool when you get mentioned in a publication like the Wall Street Journal. We haven’t even finished construction on our facility there in Elko Nevada but things are still going like gangbusters. While the price of gold being high might not be good for consumers (unless you’re selling your old jewelry to a company like cash4gold), it sure is helping our branch in Elko.