Bolivia - The Next Saudi Arabia?

Hybrids have been all the rage in the last few years, and extended-range and pure electric vehicles are about to be introduced by several major manufacturers. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has expressed strong support for electric vehicles, beyond ethanol, hydrogen, or several other alternative fuels.

For electrics and advanced hybrids to become a mainstream reality, it's going to take large quantities of lithium, one of the primary components in advanced batteries. Cell phones, laptops, and just about every other portable electronic device uses lithium batteries.

But cars will require much larger batteries than portable electronic gizmos. The one nation poised to benefit the most from this significant shift in automotive technology is currently one of the most impoverished nations in South America, Bolivia. Unlike Brazil, with its significant industrial base, or Chile, with a healthy trade relationship with the U.S., Bolivia is a landlocked, high-altitude backwater with little industry or development. However, it is considered by many to be the "Saudi Arabia" of lithium.
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Unfortunately, it's also home to Evo Morales, its left-leaning leader, friend of Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, and known and demonstrated advocate of state control of natural resources. Shortly after his 2005 election, Morales sent troops to occupy the country's oil and natural gas refineries, and subsequently strong-armed the foreign owners of the refineries (primarily Petrobras, Brazil's majority state-owned energy company) into giving majority control to the Bolivian government.

There's little reason to think Morales wouldn't do likewise to the country's lithium assets. While the more idealistic among us would like to think this potential windfall would be shared among the citizens in the form of improved infrastructure, new schools, dividend checks and other such altruistic expressions, the more common example in previously impoverished nations that find themselves suddenly wealthy is a concentration of wealth among the political elite, and continued impoverishment of the masses.

It would truly be a shame if in the developed world's enlightened rush to rid itself of dependence on hydrocarbon fuels, that it results in economic inequity and disenfranchisement elsewhere. Likewise, companies eager to exploit Bolivia's reportedly vast resources of lithium should exercise caution in dealing with such an openly socialist regime, as outright state control of the precious resource isn't out of the question.

What do you think? Will Bolivia's lithium reserves catapult the country to new heights of success and economic progress? Or simply enrich the socialist party elites?

For further reading, check out Foreign Policy Magazine online.

Church Apathy - Stopping the Downward Spiral

Anyone that follows the developments in the global Christian community have likely noticed some of the major changes that have taken place in the past century. Most notably, that the demographic core of the global church has shifted dramatically from the West and Northern Hemisphere to the East and the Southern Hemisphere.

In terms of resources, the Western-based denominations still hold the lion's share of the chips. But even that equation may be shifting. Membership among European and American churches has declined precipitously, especially in the past few decades. Although the United States still has a fairly robust and active community of Christians, membership, especially among the mainline denominations, has been declining for at least a decade, often longer. Even among the most well-heeled congregations and denominations, you can only ask fewer and fewer to give more and more for so long.

Fundraising campaigns which were traditionally once a year, are now bi-annual or quarterly. Many are cheerful givers, and will cheerfully give more when asked. But facing one of the most significant economic downturns in the last 50 years, the number of people that have discretionary income to give is much smaller than it once was.
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As an elder at a Presbyterian (U.S.A.) congregation, I'm faced with the reality of a graying, declining membership, an internally quarreling denomination, and post-boomer generations that increasingly view the traditional church structure and organization as irrelevant. Faced with this plethora of unpleasant issues, the leadership of many congregations has essentially capitulated to this new reality and started administering congregations as organizations in decline. I'm not saying this decision is deliberate, or even explicitly acknowledged. But the manifestations are obvious: Withdrawing money from endowment accounts, and cutting back on budgets for staff, facilities, and programs.

Subliminally, members slowly but surely start to withdraw from active, meaningful participation in church activities, and start "going through the motions" of Sunday service attendance, superficial "fellowship," and lip-service with little follow-through.

I don't mean to sound like an accusatory grinch, but rather a slightly dismayed and disappointed, but still hopeful believer that hopes the contemporary church will re-discover its purpose, mission and relevance. I'd love to hear about any success stories you've seen or participated in that saw significant, measurable results.