U.N Renovation may HINT of Green, but it’s really all Red.
When we read the news, “Renovating the U.N., with Hints of Green,” we were prepared to be excited about the idea of the U.N. doing some sort of Green retrofit that would reduce energy use, lower carbon footprint…. SOME hint of positive direction. The truth was disappointingly different. While the U.N. building IS undergoing a renovation (which will mean five years of that mammoth structure standing unused while alternative offices are occupied,) the only hint of Green is both color and money. How much? Two BILLION dollars.
Let’s make sure we’re getting this right. The United Nations, which is funded by taxpayers, us going to redecorate and spend 2 BILLION dollars and five years to do so? What could the engineers of this plot possibly be thinking of? The world’s economy is on a runaway downhill slide, and you want to displace 5000 U.N. workers, spend money to rent some OTHER place for them, while you leave that structure unused during a 5-year 2 BILLION dollar renovation of the existing structure — because you don’t like the wall colors and paintings?
It’s possible one of us isn’t thinking clearly, or has lost the plot altogether. The Powers That Be don’t seem to mind spending that money to “green” things up in terms of ambiance. Here’s a novel thought: How about a much more worthy and justifiable pursuit?
What else might that same two BILLION dollars do? How about purchasing wind turbines that would provide Green electricity for something like 250-500 THOUSAND homes? Seems that would be a lot more Green than a couple coats of paint in the U.N. house.
To be fair, some of the renovation may be in order. Increasing security features for the structure, for example. After all, we’re in a war on Terrorists, right? Then again, if we were paying more attention to Going Green, maybe the terrorists would be busy leaving us alone, and we wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked for our politics and philosophical persuasions. Just a thought — a truly Green thought.
President-Elect Obama’s Green Gameplan
President-Elect Barack Obama has been very assertive in statements about his intentions to get the United States on the fast-track to going Green. One of those goals includes putting a million American-made plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015. That’s GREAT! Now how are you going to make it happen, Mr. President? Enter Heather Zichal, a member of the President-Elect’s Energy and Environment Policy Transition Team, who explains that with the auto industry hurting, they’re more likely to be receptive to helping the people of the United States achieve those goals. To facilitate that, P.E. Obama has proposed providing up to fifty billion dollars in retooling assistance to help build advanced-technology vehicles. She also suggests the P.E. would offer a $7000 tax credit for those who have purchased a hybrid that year, to make the car more affordable to them.
Also on the boards is improving and increasing mass-transit, both so that it is more widely available and feasible, and also to improve its environmental friendliness.
On the Alternative Energy gameplan, Obama is again labeled as aggressive, pushing for us to have 10% of our energy coming from renewable resources by 2012. To assist that, he intends to provide investment tax credit for those involved in building wind farms, solar and transmission infrastructures.
Finally, could the government be made to be Green, to lead by example? This seems like a HUGE concept. Ms. Zichal points out, on Obama’s behalf, that in 2008 the Federal government spent fourteen billion dollars in fuel and energy. Amongst his proposals is a mandate that all new Federal constructions be 40 percent more efficient, and that existing Federal structures be refitted to comply with a demand for 25% higher energy efficiency.
Yes, all of this is going to cost a lot of money. On the other hand, under the Bush administration, Iraq recently LOST (as in cannot find) some 15 billion dollars, so we’ll be able to make up a lot of the cost of these energy investments simply by not being in Iraq any more. More to the point, though, whatever it costs, it will also be saving – both money and our future.
We’re with you, President (Elect) Obama! Get as aggressive as you like, as aggressive as you can, and let’s get serious about Going Green!
Tell the Obama Trasisition Team You Ideas on Alternate Energy Read more
Green Opels? Whattaya Mean?
Frank Asbeck, CEO of the German SolarWorld corporation, has made an unlikely offer to help out GM. It’s ironic that a Green company making solar panels should be in a position to help the auto giant. That’s still not as unlikely as the offer itself — if you can even call it that. The offer was for 250 million euros in cash, and an additional 750 million euros in the form of a loan which would have to be paid back. For that sum, about 1.1 billion dollars at today’s exchange rate, Asbeck wants the four German plants producing the Opels that GM owns, the Opel name and plans, as well as a 40,000 euro severance package for each of the German employees. Oh, and to add to the bizarre terms, the German government must guarantee GM’s repayment of the debt. By the time all is said and done, GM would make nothing in the sale.
GM’s CEO, Rick Wagoner, has already made it clear that Opel isn’t for sale (though Hummer is. Go figure.) So what was the point of Asbeck’s offer? Was he trying to prove he’s not Italian by making an offer than anyone would refuse? Was he trying to humiliate GM by suggesting that they’d need a Green company’s help? Was it a subtle marketing angle targeting the general public with the notion that investing in Green technologies is better than owning gas-guzzler stock, or were they just trying to get SolarWorld’s name out there in some free press?
Whatever the reason, GM isn’t biting, and for once, nobody could blame them for not taking the money. C’mon, Asbeck! Sure, everybody wants something for nothing but gimme a break! What’s with the paper ring? It’s all for the best, regardless. If SolarWorld wants to get into the automobile business, they’re going to need a lot lighter a car than the Opel to pull it off… Or would they?
Best bet is that it’s just a chance to get some free publicity. But what if it isn’t? The Opel is small, attractive, has a decent reputation in the right circles for such a thing. Maybe Asbeck really did want to pick up Opel and begin electric car development. It’s a low-ball offer, but perhaps Asbeck was hoping Wagoner would make a counter-offer. Or maybe GM will take that deal, bizarre as it seems, when the U.S. Congress refuses to bail them out. But no, the German government’s backing is part of the offer. C’mon, Frank! Let us in on the joke. It’s okay, you can tell us. We can keep a secret. What were you thinking?
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Crude Oil Drops Below $50. Will that savings stop us from going Green?
Oil prices plummeted again today, futures settling at $49.62 a barrel on the NY Mercantile Exchange. It hasn’t been that low since May of 2005. Considering that oil reached a peak of $145 a barrel in July of 2008, the loss of nearly $100 a barrel in just four months is a sudden shock that is pleasinng many people. With the economy doing so badly, lower prices at the pump are a very welcome relief.
Experts have predicted that the price could drop as low as $30 a barrel, if the world economy doesn’t improve. One thing is certain: The consumer will not complain. With Exxon showing record net profits of billions of dollars each quarter this year, the public has little sympathy for petroleum providers.
Another side effect of the dropping oil is that the dollar is up — WAY up. The US dollar is the coin of the oil realm. Everyone must get dollars to buy oil. Rupees aren’t accepted. Neither are Yen or Euros. So as the price of oil rose, the value of the dollar — as told by how much oil a dollar would buy — dropped. Now that oil is back down, the dollar buys a lot more oil, and the U.S. dollar is strengthened. With global oil demands down for the first time in 25 years, it looks like American dollars are going to be even stronger as the plunge continues.
But what are we doing with this newfound financial strength? Sure, it’s reasonable that we’ll take a deep breath and maybe go for a little drive just because we can finally afford to do so again, but then what? As the global economy recovers, demand will be up, crude prices will be up, and we’ll all be struggling and taking out loans to fill up again. Let us not forget or go soft on the subject, now that there’s a little relief.
Now is a perfect time for us to invest in our freedom, in independence from oil, foreign AND domestic. Let’s take some of that money and build wind turbines. Let’s spend a bit on solar panels. Let’s go ahead and develop electric cars and tide generators. Let’s let our creative genius out to play. Let’s see to it that by the time the economy is back on its feet again, we won’t need or want fossil fuels anymore.
What about the oil producing nations? No, they’re not all rolling in black gold, but most of them have made so much that their great grandchildren will never see a financial crunch. The poorer nations’ internal supply problems won’t be solved by us buying up more oil that they don’t have, but we may be able to help them by bringing oil-free technologies to their door, if we don’t let this opportunity pass.
Enjoy the relief for a very brief while… but then let’s roll up our sleeves and continue to develop alternative energy technologies. Let’s invest in a fossil free future now!
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Iraq “Loses” 18 BILLION Dollars in U.S. Donations to corruption, theft, etc.
No mistake. Not thousands, or millions, not misplaced. Thirteen billion dollars is gone, and now they’re “quietly” firing the oversight committee, trying to cover up the huge “oops.”
I’m getting more than a little bit tired of Iraq. I’m tired of us occupying them, and I’m tired of hearing how they can’t pull their heads out from between their cheeks and act like adults.
US military Specialist Colby Buzzell was blogging from Iraq years ago, telling us of how they’d run for the high country when a firefight broke out, leaving our GIs to take on the Insurgents lobbing bombs on US and Iraqi targets…. and of how our own government was telling the press other versions to keep from embarrassing them. Talk about coddling!
It has been years, and trillions of dollars have been poured into Iraq, and the gush — not leak — of money continues to pour into that country. If we kept our money at home, how many millions of millionaires would have been made? How many families would never have to work again, if that money stayed at home? How many wind turbines would that buy us, taking us that closer to energy independence? And that’s just the thirteen billion that they “lost”!
After we dump all of this money into their country (when our own economy is falling like a rock from the sky,) they still don’t have infrastructure. They still don’t feel safe sending their kids to school. They still don’t have clean water. They still aren’t safe or ready to take over their own nation… and they have gotten a lot more from us than many African and other remote nations.
A part of me has been blaming us. After all, we invaded them, and had no legit basis to do so. We’ve also made reparations. LOTS of money. Enough to rebuild their capital many times over, at THEIR labor and material rates. Haliburton has scarfed up a good share of that money and failed to deliver what they were paid for. (Thanks again, Mr. Chaney. I hope your great-grandchildren appreciate the obscene wealth we’ve given them.)
Now I’m hearing that they’ve “lost” 13 BILLION dollars of our money, money given to them to repair their country. Apparently some of it was Lost to theft, corruption, embezzzlement, etc., but it’s unaccounted for now. Not 18 million, but 18 BILLION dollars, just Gone.
Iraq is an oil producing nation. Until just weeks ago, we were being choked by the neck on oil prices, and this oil producing nation hardly needs our money. They can produce millions of dollars of oil per day. They can afford to rebuild their own country, and to do so far better than we can, at this point.
I have compassion for the people who have had their homes and nation turned into a war zone. I do. And I want the best for them. But before that can happen, they have to want it for themselves.
They LOST thirteen billion dollars? Thirteen BILLION dollars? I keep on repeating that over and over again in my head, but repeating that incredible figure doesn’t make me any less shocked by the notion. How do you “LOSE” that much money? Where did it go? What did it buy? Who got it all?
I’ve had it. I want us out of there, and let them sleep in whatever bed they make. I no longer care, not even a little bit, if they get taken over by warlords. They’ve had every opportunity to give themselves Freedom and Democracy. Their actions show that they’ve rejected those opportunities. Sure, they want us to keep giving them money. Hell, *I* want my government to hand me just one percent of the money given to Iraq. I’d be laughing out loud uncontrollably for weeks, then giggling for decades after that.
If a government can manage to lose thirteen BILLION of our dollars, they don’t need our money anymore. I can already hear the objections, that the thefts were performed by a few, and the common people shouldn’t be made to suffer. They don’t have to suffer. All they’ve got to to do is rise up and take their country back again. We’ve rid them of the Evil Dictator. We’ve rid them of the largest part of the insurgents. Now it is up to them to flail their arms til they learn to swim.
What do you think? Tell me here. Then tell your Senators and other representatives. I can understand misplacing 13 thousand, maybe, but thirteen BILLION dollars? That was the last straw. Read more
Pickens Plan Leads in A Direction
For the past year or so, the PickensPlan.com site has been gathering alternate energy enthusiasts into the fold. The brainchild of a former oil baron who has since turned to natural gas and wind turbines, the first order of business with Pickens is to get the U.S. free of dependence on foreign oil, and to stop sending hundreds of billions of dollars out of the country when we could be keeping that money here in the States simply by switching to a much cleaner domestic fuel.
What has happened since is something nigh unto amazing. The sheer volume of interest and support, the levels and degrees to which people have become involved, would be extraordinary in any other time. It’s still leadership, even in this unusual and historic election year. But in what direction?
Boone Pickens would have us all switch over to natural gas for the interum, while we devise other functional alternatives. But that would require massive infrastructure changes, and at least some of the economic advantage would be lost as demand on natural gas increased. To be sure, it’s better than the status quo, but is it a broad enough vision? Some within the Pickens Plan fold are clear in their vision of a world which no longer uses the combustion engine at all. Their wisdom is that we must disallow any fossil fuel, and focus all of our considerable intellect on optimizing passive energy sources such as tide, wind, and sun’s energies. In focusing upon these totally clean technologies, they insist, we will be doing more than putting a band-aid on oil by merely switching to natural gas. This is still within the Pickens Plan fold, but goes at a different angle than Boone suggested.
What direction do you suggest we take with our alternatives to foreign oil?
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European Union Mandates Unreasonable Renewable Energy Installations
Solar energy systems are about to be big business in Europe. The EU has mandated that, by the year 2020, at least 16 percent of a European’s energy consumption should be from renewable sources. They’re even willing to foot 70 percent of the bill – up to 200,000 euros.
The EU is picking up most of the tab, so what’s the problem? For one thing, not all bureaucracies are created equal. In Spain, acquiring the required permits is a relatively straightforward process, and takes about two weeks, all told. But in smaller countries which are less in tune with the far Western world, the tale is considerably different. In Bulgaria, for example, those same permits take between six months and a year to procure.
That’s not the only concern. There are some confusing aspects of tax law that suggest investors may have to pay additional taxes. If that wasn’t enough, the grants and bank loans within the country will require repayment within 10 years, while the value of the energy produced by those solar panels will require considerably longer to be in the black. In short, the way things are right now, the numbers just don’t add up. Even with the incentives, it doesn’t seem to pay for investors to put their cash into solar energy. So who’s going to comply with the mandate? The answer will most certainly be found in how one defines the concept of Renewable. Read more
African Wind Farm Deal
A French company will soon begin construction on the African continent’s largest wind farm. Ethiopia signed a $300 million (220 million euro) contract with Vergnet, the French wind turbine manufacturer.
The Ethiopian group is the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPC), which hopes to meet 15 percent of its electric needs with the wind farm. The Power Corporation and Vergnet both anticipate an eventual production level of 120 megawatts. The timeline for reaching this production level is two and a half years.
EEPC chairman Meheret Debebe said the project is a strategic one for the area, and will “help us fill the gap of hydrological risks we are facing in Ethiopia with the droughts,” he said.
Ethiopia, like every African nation, has been hard hit by the recent droughts. Besides the tremendous toll on human life and the agriculture community, the lack of water has been a deathblow to many of the nation’s hydroelectric dams. These dams provide for the largest part of the nation’s energy needs, and the lack of water has forced frequent power cuts in recent months.
Ethiopia is a land-locked nation in the Horn of Africa, and is the continent’s second most populous country.
France is also pleased with the deal, with the Minister for Foreign Trade, Anne-Marie Idrac calling it an important contract that symbolizes France’s commitment to developing renewable energies and energy products.
Energy Tax Credits from the Federal Bailout
The $700 billion Federal bailout for the financial sector didn’t simply address banks, bad paper and worthless mortgages. The bailout bill as passed by Congress and signed by the president also had “sweeteners” added to make it more palatable to Senators and Representatives. One of those sweeteners was a group of tax credits for businesses that produce renewable energy and homeowners who conserve energy.
Businesses who produce fuel cells are one group that benefits from the new law. The law provides a tax credit of 30 percent to any person, group of people or company that purchases fuel cells. Since fuel cells don’t combust, using more fuel cells will provide a cleaner environment. Companies dealing with wind and solar power also get breaks with this new law.
Homeowners may benefit from the new law as well. If a taxpayer installs solar panels on his or her roof, they are eligible for a 30 percent tax credit. There is no limit on this perk, while in the past there was a maximum of $2,000.
Another tax credit encourages energy efficiency from current homeowners. A credit for making a home more efficient was extended for another year. The credit was set to expire. Those who purchase energy efficient appliances such as a biomass stove or an efficient water heater can qualify for the tax break. Contractors building new homes who use highly efficient systems for heating and cooling or hot water will also qualify for a credit of up to $2,000.
A manufacturer who makes energy efficient appliances, like refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers, also qualifies for tax credits.
The last group set to benefit under the new law are those who own a plug-in electric vehicle. Those owners may qualify for up to $7,500 in tax credit. This credit begins to phase out after more than 250,00 of the cars are sold in the U.S. Read more
Energy Efficient Signtronix LED Business Signs
Forward thinking energy conscious business owners are always looking for ways to cut expenses and increase revenue. The new wave of LED business signs are doing just that! LED powered displays are popping up all over the business landscape, in both exterior and interior applications.Green Technology – Compared to traditional business signage, the LED display is a power miser. The average ultra-bright LED only consumes one-tenth of a Watt per light source, and has an average operating life expectancy of 100,000 hours. This equates to a potential power consumption savings of 95% over other lighting methods, with a life span that is ten times longer.
The new breed of digital signage does not suffer from a loss of brightness in daylight conditions. Clustering technology (multiple individual LEDs per pixel) that can produce over 10,000 NIT (candle power) of light. In addition, patented technology’s like Optec Displays “Knife Edge LED” expand the angle of viewing eliminating any loss of viewability when looking at a sign display from the side.
Outdoor Advertising on Steroids – The real business story behind the new LED signs are the results on retail business owners bottom lines. This new breed of signage delivers a non-static image that can include anything from simple text to full motion video. In a recent survey it was demonstrated that an electronic message center sign could capture the attention of over 90% of the drive-by traffic. Compare that to a static or non-lit signage that generates an average of 10% recognition, according to the Small Business Administration.Outdoor advertising expert Jim Callahan states it simply, “In my 30 years of experience consulting business owners, the new LED signs are the most effective, least expensive form of advertising for the small business owner. I am getting reports of business owners getting customer traffic increases of 25% to 50% on a regular basis with these products!”
Power to The People – California based manufacturer Signtronix is leading the nation in the development and distribution of power saving LED sign products for small business. By leveraging mass production techniques Signtronix can deliver top quality LED business signage at an entry level price. The companies products range from interior and window LED signs that require almost no installation, to outdoor displays that can include anything from basic text style messaging to full-blown color and video.
LED signs are controlled and programmed via a remote control or personal computer. Signtronix Marketing Director, Tom Johnson Jr. added, “We have paired our product line with easy lease-to-own financing terms putting this technology within reach of every business on the street.”
Going Green for business has never been easier (or more profitable) than it is using todays LED technology paired with advertising products.
Notes:
Find: Optec Displays is a wholesale manufacturer, end users wishing to purchase LED signs should contact Signtronix LED Sign Company.
Grow: Looking for a career in this growing industry? Positions are available nationwide with Signtronix.
Read: Find out more about Signtronix Signs recent Signtronix Press
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