Act now to create jobs that save energy....

Today's post: Wednesday, 7-28-2010

We need an 80% reduction in fossil fuel use by 2050 to avoid the worst global warming effects. And, practically speaking, we need to also double our electricity generation and double the useful work done per unit of electricity & other energy sources as well during that same time to have a decent economy.

At some point, the oil that we’ve been using to power much of our economy will begin to run low enough that our world economy will shrink due to lack of supply or excessive costs or both. Kuwaiti scientists recently predicted peak oil in 2014 – just 4 years from now.

And, once the demand for oil picks up again with the apparent economic recovery or supply begins to plateau or drop, the prices will again go back up. That will cause more hard times economically unless we have enough alternative sources of energy to turn to.

Today’s post:

Yesterday, I got this in an email from the Sierra Club.:

“By passing Home Star, the Senate can create over 168,000 construction, manufacturing, and retail jobs in a new energy efficiency industry.

Home Star will create new jobs in hard hit industries, help consumers save money on their energy bills, and reduce our reliance on oil. But we only have two weeks to make our voices heard before the Senate breaks for the August recess.

Call your senators and urge them to support new jobs, lower energy bills, and oil savings by voting for Home Star.

Are you worried about the economy? Home Star will create new jobs in construction installing insulation and windows, in manufacturing producing equipment, windows and doors, and in retail selling insulation and air sealing products. And the program will pay for itself in less than eight years.

Are you worried about your bills? Home Star will save consumers $9.4 billion on their energy bills over ten years, and the program's accredited contractors and certified workers ensure that installations are done right.

Home star will help us break free of our oil addiction by saving over 40 billion barrels per year through home heating oil savings. That's equivalent to the entire Outer Continental Shelf oil production in Alaska and the Pacific combined.

Tell your senators that passing Home Star is the next step to ending our dirty, deadly, and dangerous addiction to fossil fuels and to building a clean energy economy.

The Home Star program is a win for workers, a win for homeowners, and a win for the environment. Now we need your help to make sure it passes before the August recess.

Time is running out -- will you make the call?”

My comments:

1. Both Democrats and Republicans should favor this bill. But if one or both of your senators does not yet support it for some reason or is on the fence, it could cause the bill to fail.

So, if you can, please phone your two senators and say you’d like them to vote for the bill.

For Democratic senators who mostly favor clean energy measures, this bill also can help them point to a job creating bill they voted for.

Also, many Republican senators want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil to make our country more secure which this bill would help do. And they say the most important task they have is to help create jobs right away. This bill would do that and voting for it can also help them point to a job creating bill they voted for.


2. Similarly, if you are a homeowner and this bill passes, I strongly recommend you take advantage of it. The tax free rebate repaying you a large part of the cost helps guarantee that the added savings will net you out more money than you pay. Even better, you can finance the energy savings upgrades and get the rebate and even may have the energy savings be more than the loan payment.

In the winter, you can use far less heating if you have good insulation and double pane windows in every window and glass door. Your utility bills will go down for that reason.

Even better, and worth knowing is that your home will be far more comfortable since it will stay at an about right temperature instead of going back and forth between too hot and too cold and will have far fewer cold drafts of chilling air.

In the summer, if you live in a home with a peaked roof that is not now well ventilated, adding insulation and double pane windows and adding extra ventilation intakes and convection powered exhaust fans in the roof will prevent heat from getting inside. Then you no longer need to run your air conditioner for hours to remove the heat. That can save even larger dollar amounts for some people than the winter savings.

Even better, and worth knowing is that your home will be far more comfortable since the number of times it will be too hot inside will be far less even on days you don’t run the air conditioner. And, by adding ceiling fans you will be even more comfortable and need even less air conditioning.

Best of all, your home will be dramatically less hot at night when you need to be home trying to sleep. Your energy levels and health and quality of life will be better during hot weather than it was before.


This bill is a win-win for our country and for you if it is passed.