Democrats in Congress are huddling in their low-carbon-footprint backroom in search of a compromise energy bill, and all eyes have been on the issue of raising fuel-economy standards. But there's a lot more to worry about here than whether so-called "Cafe standards" rise to 32 miles per gallon, or 35, from 27.5 today.
The House version omitted Cafe standards altogether to mollify Michigan House baron John Dingell, but that doesn't make it the better piece of legislation. The bill runs to 1,000 pages and bears the vaguely Orwellian title of "New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act."
In fact, the bill undermines energy independence by raising taxes on domestic production and throwing up new barriers to exploration. It's hard to see how it has any effect on national security, and we're at a loss about its consumer-protection claim too, unless you think Americans need "protecting" from the incandescent lightbulb. The bill bans those, effective 2012, on page 601.
But its worst (and little noticed) provision may be a requirement that 15% of U.S. electricity be generated from "renewable" sources by 2020. Utilities that can't meet these goals are fined -- taxed, really -- based on how far short of this Eden they fall. Currently, only about 3% is provided by such renewables as wind, solar or "biofuels."
One obvious problem is that some states have better prospects for renewable energy than others. Hydroelectric power is easier to generate in the mountainous West than back East. So what, supporters might say. If it's more expensive for some to generate electricity through renewables, those utilities can either buy excess credits from others (as permitted in the bill) or pay the fines.
But the fines amount to a tax on low-cost energy producers without generating any environmental benefits. And whether credits are purchased or fines are paid, those added costs will go into the utilities' rate bases, driving up consumer electricity bills. At the same time, utilities would be forced to pour money into pursuing the mandate, rather than investing in badly needed upgrades to the nation's electrical grid.
In any case, as we're all discovering with corn-based ethanol, renewables have their own problems, both substantive and political. Liberals are all for wind power -- as long as it doesn't obstruct their oceanfront views off Nantucket. Hydro power is dandy -- except it kills fish and disrupts their habitat. Solar requires acres and acres of real estate. There's plenty of land for solar arrays in the middle of the country, or at least there was before the land was turned over to grow corn for heavily subsidized ethanol. And, by the way, using farmland for energy means using less to grow food -- which means higher prices at the kitchen table, or more food imports, or both. The House Members who voted for this must figure all of this will be some other Congress's problem.
Earlier this year, Mr. Dingell suggested that if Congress were really serious about global warming, it would impose a carbon tax. At least that's being honest about the costs. The "renewables" mandate in the House energy bill, by contrast, is a multibillion-dollar stealth tax on electrical utilities, and ultimately on electricity users. The danger is that, with all eyes on car-mileage standards, this tax could become law without many people even noticing.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
22 little ways to go green
Here are some low-stress steps to take around the house to reduce your carbon footprint, create a healthier home, and lower your monthly bills to boot.
It seems everybody knows you can help the planet--and save yourself some cash--with big changes: adding spray-foam insulation to open walls, say, or installing a tankless water heater.
But there are lots of simpler, lower-cost ways to improve your eco-scorecard, too. Here are some low-stress steps to take around the house to reduce your carbon footprint, create a healthier home, and lower your monthly bills to boot.
Workshop
1. Unplug your power tools. Figure out which cordless tools (like drill/drivers) get the most use, then unplug the chargers on all the rest. Most cordless tools have nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries, which will hold some charge for up to a year. They lose 15 to 20 percent of their juice each month, but only take a couple of hours to power up again. Newer tools with lithium ion batteries lose just 2 to 5 percent of their charge each month, so they'll be ready to go even if you haven't charged them in ages.
2. Spread sawdust on your floor. Take the superfine shavings captured by your dust collection system, wet them down, then push them around with a stiff broom to sweep your concrete garage or workshop floor. The mix is as good as a power-guzzling shop vac at picking up dust but doesn't swirl it into the air.
3. Up the wattage on lights. Where you still use incandescent bulbs (with dimmers or three-ways) on multiple fixtures in a room, try consolidating. One 100-watt incandescent emits more light than two 60-watt bulbs combined but requires 17 percent less power. The 100-watter also uses the same energy as four 25-watt bulbs, but pumps out twice as much light. Just be sure your bulbs don't exceed the maximum wattage recommendation for each fixture. This Old House: Energy-saving bulbs
4. Eat your leftover take-out. Then save the plastic containers it came in--which can't be recycled in most municipal waste systems--and use them to organize your nails, screws, and leftover paints. Not only does their tight seal help preserve solvents, but the see-through containers stack neatly and display contents clearly. For added strength, double up the thin ones.
5. Save used paint thinner. After cleaning oil-based finishes from brushes and tools, allow the dirty solvent to sit overnight. The sludge will settle to the bottom of the jar, leaving a layer of clear thinner on top. Carefully decant the clear thinner into a clean jar, and reseal it for future use. Be sure to dispose of the leftover sludge at a hazardous-waste-disposal site--never down a sink drain or into a street gutter.
continue
It seems everybody knows you can help the planet--and save yourself some cash--with big changes: adding spray-foam insulation to open walls, say, or installing a tankless water heater.
But there are lots of simpler, lower-cost ways to improve your eco-scorecard, too. Here are some low-stress steps to take around the house to reduce your carbon footprint, create a healthier home, and lower your monthly bills to boot.
Workshop
1. Unplug your power tools. Figure out which cordless tools (like drill/drivers) get the most use, then unplug the chargers on all the rest. Most cordless tools have nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries, which will hold some charge for up to a year. They lose 15 to 20 percent of their juice each month, but only take a couple of hours to power up again. Newer tools with lithium ion batteries lose just 2 to 5 percent of their charge each month, so they'll be ready to go even if you haven't charged them in ages.
2. Spread sawdust on your floor. Take the superfine shavings captured by your dust collection system, wet them down, then push them around with a stiff broom to sweep your concrete garage or workshop floor. The mix is as good as a power-guzzling shop vac at picking up dust but doesn't swirl it into the air.
3. Up the wattage on lights. Where you still use incandescent bulbs (with dimmers or three-ways) on multiple fixtures in a room, try consolidating. One 100-watt incandescent emits more light than two 60-watt bulbs combined but requires 17 percent less power. The 100-watter also uses the same energy as four 25-watt bulbs, but pumps out twice as much light. Just be sure your bulbs don't exceed the maximum wattage recommendation for each fixture. This Old House: Energy-saving bulbs
4. Eat your leftover take-out. Then save the plastic containers it came in--which can't be recycled in most municipal waste systems--and use them to organize your nails, screws, and leftover paints. Not only does their tight seal help preserve solvents, but the see-through containers stack neatly and display contents clearly. For added strength, double up the thin ones.
5. Save used paint thinner. After cleaning oil-based finishes from brushes and tools, allow the dirty solvent to sit overnight. The sludge will settle to the bottom of the jar, leaving a layer of clear thinner on top. Carefully decant the clear thinner into a clean jar, and reseal it for future use. Be sure to dispose of the leftover sludge at a hazardous-waste-disposal site--never down a sink drain or into a street gutter.
continue
Carbon monoxide concerns: Time for a checkup
The new season needs special attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide.
You can't be complacent against carbon monoxide -- a colorless and odorless killer.
Every year when the first cold front of the season rolls through, the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning rises.
"We call it the 'silent killer,' " said Mike Harris, Tulsa Fire Department chief officer of public education.
"The people succumb to it usually around this time of year, when homes are sealed up more."
A furnace check usually takes less than an hour, and can save your life and your money, said Tom Boyce, owner of Airco Service of Tulsa.
"Burning unclean is both unsafe and inefficient," Boyce said.
Here are some of Boyce's and Harris' tips for staying safe while staying warm.
Accept no substitutes: Never use an oven or charcoal grill to heat a home. It may heat, but it will also poison your home. Also, never warm up a car inside a closed garage.
A cause for alarm: Buy carbon monoxide detectors to alert your family to a buildup of gas in your home. Place one on each floor with appliances. Hang them near the appliances and
replace their batteries twice each year.
Don't sacrifice service: Before lighting your furnace for the first time of the season, have it serviced to ensure proper ventilation and, if it's gas, a proper blue flame.
Don't catch it if you can: If everyone in a household has flu-like symptoms when first waking up, and the symptoms fade during the day, you may have a carbon monoxide leak. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.
Call for help: Everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, so the Tulsa Fire Department says treat any suspicion as an emergency. Call 911 and ask the Fire Department to check for dangerous gases. Evacuate the home and do not return until it is checked by a professional
continue
You can't be complacent against carbon monoxide -- a colorless and odorless killer.
Every year when the first cold front of the season rolls through, the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning rises.
"We call it the 'silent killer,' " said Mike Harris, Tulsa Fire Department chief officer of public education.
"The people succumb to it usually around this time of year, when homes are sealed up more."
A furnace check usually takes less than an hour, and can save your life and your money, said Tom Boyce, owner of Airco Service of Tulsa.
"Burning unclean is both unsafe and inefficient," Boyce said.
Here are some of Boyce's and Harris' tips for staying safe while staying warm.
Accept no substitutes: Never use an oven or charcoal grill to heat a home. It may heat, but it will also poison your home. Also, never warm up a car inside a closed garage.
A cause for alarm: Buy carbon monoxide detectors to alert your family to a buildup of gas in your home. Place one on each floor with appliances. Hang them near the appliances and
replace their batteries twice each year.
Don't sacrifice service: Before lighting your furnace for the first time of the season, have it serviced to ensure proper ventilation and, if it's gas, a proper blue flame.
Don't catch it if you can: If everyone in a household has flu-like symptoms when first waking up, and the symptoms fade during the day, you may have a carbon monoxide leak. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.
Call for help: Everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, so the Tulsa Fire Department says treat any suspicion as an emergency. Call 911 and ask the Fire Department to check for dangerous gases. Evacuate the home and do not return until it is checked by a professional
continue
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Energy saving device from Electro-Com
The SALTO in room energy saving device (ESD) available from Electro-Com helps to save up to 65% of a hotels rooms electricity consumption and unlike standard (magnetic stripe) energy savers, only authorised SALTO key cards will switch on the lights. Any other card (frequent flyer, business card etc) will not be recognised.
The energy saving device is also available in a connected on-line version, which as well as energy saving indicates in real time the presence of guests or staff in a room, logging the information directly into the hotel PC.
When a guest enters the room and inserts their card into the ESD it switches on all electrical equipment.
When staff enters the room for cleaning or maintenance, the ESD recognises their staff card and switches on only the electrical equipment they need to accomplish their work.
The TV, air conditioning and mini bar are switched off or locked saving energy.
continue
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