The fastest way to save energy in this country is to build-out the Local Web. (The illustration is from the PRBlog, in a story about a local Web conflict.)

Every day I find limits in the local Web. Right now, for instance, I need a USB Bluetooth connector for my laptop. It's on the Staple's Web site, but delivery is three days away, and it's not at Staple's. It's on the Best Buy Web site, but it's not at the local Best Buy. I'm going to Fry's tomorrow (a 40-mile roundtrip) and if it's not there I'll have to wait for delivery.

All this driving would not be necessary if local inventories were rourtinely tied to Web sites (as they sometimes are at BestBuy.Com). That's one Local Web application.

There are many others.

• I have often complained here about how doctors routinely refuse to answer e-mail.
• Courier services need to get into the residential market. They could combine trips by picking things up from local stores for local people.
• The only way to know if a local restaurant is booked solid is to go there. Online reservations are a very simple application, if the restaurant will simply handle the interface.
• We can all telecommute a lot more.

Part of the problem is cost. Local stores can't compete online with big retailers, and big retailers don't localize their Web sites. We need to either make it affordable for local stores to deliver their Unique Selling Propositions or localize the inventory of every Big Box. (If we can do the former, we don't need the latter.)

Many problems on the Local Web can be handled via e-mail. Most professionals are terrible in handling e-mail, both in taking the time to answer queries right away (answering an e-mail via phone might be nice) or in just misunderstanding what they're being asked (again, use the phone).

There is a general disconnect among the three ways that people interact commercially -- in-person, by phone and via the Internet. We need tighter integration among all these modalities.

There is a lot of work here and a lot of opportunities. I predict the Local Web business will start to take off as the recession bites. I'm putting my time and money where my mouth is.