I think we should have invested in wind and solar power a long time ago INSTEAD of the housing market, but what do I know. Also, a reporter over at Inc.com put together a very thought-provoking and humorous slideshow on what else we could do with $700 billion: http://www.inc.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/what-else-could-you-buy-with-$700-billion.html. (I particularly liked vaccinating all of the children in the world with money to spare...)