I was recently invited to speak to the annual management briefing conference sponsored in Michigan by the Center for Automotive Research, a fine outfit which does the best research work in the continent on auto employment, workers, and skills. My slides are available here.

My panel was addressing the current UAW negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers -- the first big contract talks since the meltdown and bailouts of 2009. I was diplomatic enough as a visitor to the U.S. not to make any direct comment on the UAW talks (the "host" union), but rather addressed the broader economic issue about the North American auto industry's painful recovery, and what role -- if any -- labour costs have played.

In his memoirs Jean Chrétien tells of his first meeting in Ottawa with an international leader, Yitzak Rabin of Israel. The conversation turned to economic strategy. Rabin told Chrétien he should think about tourism. Canada has great natural beauty and would be easy to promote abroad as a destination. Chrétien quotes Rabin saying how investing in technology and scientific research was costly, and capital intensive.

The tar and Canada's line in the sands have exploded this week in an uncanny combination of hugely high-profile political and economic events on both sides of the border.

So far on the energy scorecard, it looks like the U.S. is batting 1,000, Canada near zero. And sadly or happily, that's a very, very good thing.

With the new political reality south of the border rocking out so fast, it's hard to keep tabs. The latest and greatest is Obama's cap-and-trade budget, sent to Congress late last week.

What do we do now that money no longer makes the world go round?

While many are fearing pink slips, dealing with thinning resources or adjusting to other insecurities of the moment, it seems strange to be talking about upsides to the hard times. But, believe it or not, there are a few. Here are 10 of the positives of living through this money meltdown:

1. Less pressure on the natural world