The Stone Age didn’t end because the world ran out of stone. You still can find all the stone you’d ever want. Society’s demand for stone dropped, however, as other materials that proved more useful took its place.
That same reasoning lies behind a recent report that claims the world never will run out of oil. Demand for oil will decrease as alternative sources of energy that prove more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly gain in popularity.
We can apply that thinking to our industry as well. Just look at some of the trendspmehas covered in its first 15 years.
I was amused to see that the cover headline onpme’s January/February 1997 issue was “The Year of Low-Flow Fixtures.” Given the controversy surrounding low-flow plumbing products at the time, I had to wonder ifpme’s editor had a movie title in mind: “The Year of Living Dangerously.”
But here we are 13 years later, and we’ve moved beyond low-flow fixtures to high-efficiency toilets as our cover story. Far from living dangerously,pmereaders specify HETs and feel comfortable doing so.
More than 70% of you who responded to our survey specify HETs when you design a water distribution system. About half this group (52%) specifies HETs with a dual-flush device, while the remainder chooses single-flush.
You also are embracing other water-saving technologies in which you may have expressed doubt 15 years ago. About 80% of respondents say they specify lower-flow aerators, lower-flow showerheads and electronic fixtures in their plumbing system designs.
On the heating side of the business, our first cover headline that addressed alternative energy sources appeared in April 2001 for an article about outdoor wood furnaces. Since then, other articles have discussed geothermal and solar heating systems, and we introduced our Solar Heating Report.
Technology will continue to assist you in designing systems that conserve water and energy. It also will provide you with alternatives in materials, products and fuel.
The same thinking applies to publishing. As with stone and oil, the world never will run out of printed magazines. Technology, however, has given us atpmeexciting new ways to deliver information to you and will continue to do so.
In the past 15 years, we’ve introducedwww.PMEngineer.com,pmeEnewsletter,www.RadiantandHydronics.com, Radiant & Hydronics e-News andpme’s digital editions. Our e-media products offer advantages over print: We can give you video product demonstrations; link you directly to manufacturers’ Web sites for product specifications; and deliver industry news directly to your e-mail account.
As we look forward to our next 15 years together, we will continue to enhance our print and e-media products. As publisher, I look forward to hearing from you about how you’re changing our industry and how we can deliver information to you most effectively.
