If you watched any of the early speeches during last night’s Democratic National Convention, you likely noticed that there was a lot of discussion about investing in green technologies.

The idea that, as a nation, we should prioritize technologies that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and would have the added benefit of creating new domestic manufacturing opportunities.

This is a topic I’ve been drumming on since before we launched this Web site. And last night’s barrage of speeches reminded me of a year-ago post that I want to resurface.

Here’s a portion of it:

I believe Erie can make something happen by focusing on some of the competitive advantages we already have.

Why not create a center for the research of green manufacturing, which would create new, environmentally friendly replacements for existing products? The offshoot of this center — other than jobs for those people conducting the research — would be spinoff companies that would manufacture and sell products created from that research.

GE Transportation is already at the forefront of this type of business. So is Railpower Technologies — a company with a major engineering presence in Erie.

Erie has several environment-related projects in the works at the old International Paper plant — and it has smaller startups such as Spinworks that already give Erie a cluster of companies that are working in this emerging industry.

Erie has institutions such as Gannon University and Penn State Behrend that are already investing in projects to improve technology education and business startups in the region.

Erie even has an influx of government money through the new casino that can and should be used to help fuel job growth and investment.

And let’s not forget the excitement about the potential of a new discovery by Millcreek entrepreneur John Kanzius.

It’s time to put these elements together to create something truly different and meaningful.

Let’s find a way to bring these resources together to help Erie build for the future — and create opportunities for many of those who really want to live there.

If you have a thought on this, please post a comment — and let’s show Erie’s leaders that there are some progressive ideas out there. Maybe this idea will work. Maybe there’s a better one out there. But let’s stop focusing on the day-to-day and start thinking about a new a better future.

Erie clearly has an opportunity to be at the forefront of a new American economic renaissance — if it positions itself properly and is willing to make some investments in forward-thinking economic development.

Let’s stop dickering over casinos, convention centers, and tire incinerators.

Instead, let’s start thinking about how we can create an environment that will leverage some of Erie’s strategic strengths into something much larger.