The Green Journey Starts at Home ™

From Scientific American …
“Slow Money” is the name for a movement started by socially conscious investing pioneer and author, Woody Tasch, who essentially borrowed the conceptual framework of “Slow Food”—whereby participants eschew convenience-oriented “fast” foods, instead filling up their plates with traditional, unprocessed and, ideally, locally produced foods—and applied it to personal finance and investing. As such, Slow Money is dedicated to connecting investors to their local economies by marshaling financial resources to invest in small food enterprises and local food systems.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=slow-money-small-local-food-enterprises

What does Minneapolis have in common with Portland OR, Boulder CO, Austin TX, Madison WI, San Francisco CA, Burlington VT?

Minneapolis is considered to be one of the top 10 Green cities in the nation.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a bill last month that included provisions for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE).  This program will allow home and business owners to make energy efficiency property improvements that allow for immediate energy savings. The energy savings from the improvements will offset the costs of the investments — through lower building and home operating costs.  PACE effectively means you can do what is necessary to achieve comfort and energy savings in your home or building immediately, but spread the cost over 20 years by adding it to your property tax bill.

We believe PACE is a brilliant and creative financing solution for motivating the energy efficiency markets.  What has kept the markets constrained in the past was the concern of most home and building owners, that they would not live or own the building long enough to  warrant making the improvements necessary.  Why invest in a photovoltaic panel or new set of windows, if the payback period on these is 15 years, but you believe you may only live in your home 5 years?  PACE removes this obstacle.    You can make the necessary energy efficiency capital improvements to your home and not be burdened with the personal debt.  Instead these improvements are assessed directly against the property and remain with the property after the homeowner sells.

The PACE program is new to Minnesota (but has been adopted in 20 states) and many of our towns and cities are just now trying to figure out how they will implement it.  We see PACE as important and a tremendous opportunity for our clients and constituents.  At the Green Home Doctors we will be staying close to this issue and will keep our clients and friends aware of our insights around how PACE unfolds in the state.

This afternoon, the House passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5019) with a vote of 246 to 161!  The bill passed with bi-partisan support – 12 Republicans voted in favor.

Let’s see how our Minnesota representatives voted:

• Bachmann, Michele, Minnesota, 6th – Nay
  She likes the ‘Drill Baby Drill’ approach and evidently does not have much use for conservation.  In the aftermath of the BP spill you would think that she would see that there needs to be smart alternatives, to drilling our way out of our energy challenges.
• Ellison, Keith, Minnesota, 5th – Yea
  Smart man!  He earned your support.
• Kline, John, Minnesota, 2nd – Nay
  Kline writes on his site that “Any legislation designed to revive and renew our economy should help American families and small businesses by preserving and creating more jobs in America. Americans should be able to keep more of their hard-earned money – to save, spend or invest. Legislation based on those principles would put America on a direct road to economic recovery.”

  If Kline really believes in his words, that we need to create jobs and help people save money, there is is no good reason from him to vote Nay.  Remember this folks when he is up for reelection.

• McCollum, Betty, Minnesota, 4th – No vote
• Oberstar, James L., Minnesota, 8th – Yea
  Another smart individual who deserves your support.
• Paulsen, Erik, Minnesota, 3rd – Nay
  What is Erik thinking??
• Peterson, Collin C., Minnesota, 7th – Yea
  Thanks Collin.
• Walz, Timothy J., Minnesota, 1st – Yea
  Tim understands energy conservation and deserves your support.

This is a major milestone for Home Star, but work still remains. First, the Senate must follow up and pass their version of the Home Star bill. Additionally, today’s vote was an authorization, so it must be matched with an appropriation bill. An appropriation bill will actually allocate the $6 billion dollars to the program.

Alberta Canada  is estimated to have the second largest oil reserves in the world, next to Saudi Arabia. Saudi oil is referred to as sweet crude since it is low in sulfur, is  light and is easily extracted and converted to fuels.  The oil in Alberta is not so sweet.  This oil is extremely dense and is contained deep in the sand and clay soils . It is referred to as bitumen or heavy oil.  The units of energy required to extract and refine this heavy bituminous oil is 3 to 4 times more than lighter crude.

• Every day, around 600 million cubic feet of natural gas is used on the oil sands. That is enough energy to heat more than three million northern climate homes.
• Producing one barrel of oil from the oil sands produces over three times more greenhouse gas emissions than producing one barrel of conventional oil.

The oil is extracted by either surface mining or in situ, where steam and heated water is injected under pressure to release the oil. Either way both methods are highly destructive to the environment.  The Athabasca Oil Sands are considered to be one of the most highly destructive and toxic large scale operations happening on the planet. The production of bitumen and synthetic crude oil emits more greenhouse gas  than the production of conventional crude oil and accounts for 40 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Several inspired U.S. companies have recently decided to avoid suppliers that source fuel from Canada’s oil sands. Whole Foods Market the organic grocery chain and Bed Bath & Beyond should be commended and supported. This underscores how companies are moving to fill the void left by inaction at Copenhagen and the failure to limit carbon emissions.

Hello Blog.   I feel as if you are a new friend.  Where do we begin?   How do we start?  What do we have in common?

Well, actually not much.  You, my blog friend, are a blank slate.  A canvas waiting for some colors, some inspiration, some life.

And I am approaching you blog with some trepidation, some uncertainty.   This is the beginning of an experiment, the beginning of a new journey, a Green Journey…. and hopefully the seed that can bring together people that share  similar commitment and passion towards our communities, ourselves and how we live our lives.

I am looking forward to getting to know you better blog in the months that follow.

-Matt