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Jul 01, 2008 -- Hawaii, California mandate new green energy measures
Several states are doing some things that Clark sees as a sign of the times.
Hawaii is banning traditional water heaters in all new construction. The Aloha State is now requiring solar water heaters. While solar water heaters cost about 7 times what a traditional heater does, you can make your money back in a couple of years. This move should save homeowners $50/month on average.
But there's so much more we can do. Clark read a very disturbing story in Business Week that detailed how the coal industry is trying to use political influence to virtually outlaw windmills in the Great Plains states.
We as a nation should not allow dirty money to prevent us from having clean sources of energy.
The Business Week story focused on a Kansas rancher who overcame dirty money to get a windmill operation up and running. Clark salutes this determination to make a change.
Meanwhile, California is putting stickers on cars that provide a smog rating and a global warming rating. Whether you believe in global warming or not, no one can deny that smog exists.
Under the current system, a score of 10 represents the lowest levels of pollution and a score of 1 the highest.
Car manufacturers are obviously not happy about this -- unless they make what are called "super ultra low-emission vehicles." For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid has a smog rating of 9 and a global warming rating of 10.
These stickers are voluntary for now until next January when a law mandating them throughout the Golden State goes into effect.
Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.
It doesn't surprise me about the coal company. I don't think is a bad thing to mandate such thing. It's benefiting our future and this thing will save you loads of money and if your power goes off at least you will have some hot. Think of being off the grid in power....when everyone is in the dark, you lit...there's not enough money that can give you that comfort. Look how not very long ago all these restaurants lost their power due to weather and had to throwaway hundreds if not thousands of dollars in food...if they had solar energy they would have saved all that money and not be closed or in the dark. Neither would have been the homeowners AND on top of all that you SAVE MONEY. People just need to stop being afraid and start being self reliant and see how great this can really be for us.
law to install solar water heater
I wrote today a post about this theme. Do you know about Israel and how it worked there? It's the best way, I think.
http://www.sikantisearth.com/earth/?p=119
Be Careful of Expanding Government Power
I'm all for expanding clean, renewable energy sources. But there is a fine line between using federal or state power to enforce "good" power and personal liberty. I am afraid that we as a country will overstep this line in the pursuit of "green" resources. I burn firewood in the winter because I don't want to pay astronomical heating bills...when will someone outlaw this because they feel it is too polluting?
Green Energy Measures
It will take the states to drive the green energy movement, basically due to the US congress failing to do much of anything (except point fingers and name calling). I always support changes to building codes as a prime way to switch - look what was done with the movement to the 1.6 gallon toilets from the old 5 gallon - there was lots of groaning when this was done but now its everywhere and work fine. Next they should mandate tankless hot water heaters - I have one and my energy bill dropped 20%
