Washington is Full of Methane Related Gas

Picture Courtesy of NREL

While both sides of the isle claim to be trying to resolve our nation energy policy the only thing really getting done is… well, nothing. Over on the right they are pushing for more oil drilling and over on the left they are pushing for alternative energy sources. What we end up with is… well, nothing.

It’s almost as if they need Moe from the Three Stooges fame to show up on the floor of the House and Senate and do his slap routine. Line up the entire crew and get a running start Moe.

Over at the Washington Post they have this to say about our nations lack of leadership on America’s energy policy…

A Wind-Powered Town, an Energy Bill and a Lot of Hot Air

By Dana Milbank
Friday, June 15, 2007

There's a certain irony in Washington's failure to devise a modern energy policy. This is, after all, the one place on earth that is powered almost entirely by wind.
Lawmakers are growing further apart on energy legislation, as Democrats demand alternative fuels and Republicans insist on more drilling. But for both sides, the ability to talk about energy is both plentiful and renewable.

Snip-a-roo

Talk about a large carbon footprint. The amount of CO2 emitted from the mouths of all these lawmakers, lobbyists and activists was enough to cause part of Greenland to melt into the sea.

"This bill's going to have a tough time," said Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), demonstrating his mastery of the obvious at one of yesterday's many news conferences. "My guess is there are many hours of lengthy debate ahead." That's a safe guess, given that the Senate plans for about eight days of debate on the bill -- and Republicans such as Craig are hinting at a filibuster that could derail the whole thing.

Snip-a-roo

"We do not believe in the president's theory, the Republicans' theory: Drill, drill, drill, more of the same," Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate majority leader, taunted. "It reminds me of Iraq."

The senators displayed a chart contrasting two families: The energy-efficient "Baileys," who spend $1,600 a year less than the inefficient "Martins." "You notice it's not just any old chart," said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). "There are families mentioned on that chart."

His colleagues had forgotten to tell Casey that the Martins and the Baileys were fictitious. - Washington Post

Rather than griping and pissing and moaning how dead wrong the other side of the isle is why don’t they all just meet in the damn middle of this legislation and call it a damn day? If everyone insists on the Bush mentality of governing (My way or the highway) then we as a nation are stuck with an energy policy that favors using more of what we have less and less of.

Papamoka

Energy Savings 101

If you are like me then you hate your friendly electric utility and those nasty pieces of mail that they insist on sending you once a month called your bill. No matter how much you try to save on your electricity usage it never seems like it makes a dent in the ever rising bill. Downsizing your life to the point of living like a caveman (Sorry Geico) is not the answer to your electric bill woes. Burning candles for your lighting needs is not even remotely practical. Putting the kids on an electricity generating treadmill will only last as long as the sugar shockers they had for breakfast take to burn off. So what do we do for relief?

Take a survey of your home and look at all the light bulbs you have. Count the bulbs and write down the wattage for each bulb. Even if you don’t use that light in the closet you need to count it. It adds up quickly when you really do the math. Just in most bathrooms in the average house there are anywhere from two bulbs to an outrageous ten lights going on and off every time nature calls. Look around your own kitchen and amaze yourself with the amount of lights you actually have. Don’t forget the lighting over the stove in the vent hood! Out door lights that burn power all night long too!

Now that you have your list you can add up the wattage of each one of those bulbs. Write down the numbers seven and ten and next to that put down your last months electric bill. Put that piece of paper in a safe place that you can access it six months from now or even a year. Go to your storage bin or cabinet where you store that mega pack of replacement bulbs that you are constantly restocking. Let’s talk about saving cash on your electric utility bill.

Think fluorescent. Not like you are on a bad acid trip! Think lighting, think of soft serve ice cream cones on a hot summer day. Those funky looking bulbs you see all the time at Home Depot or Lowes. I’ll let you in on a secret, Walmart has the same bulbs that I’m talking about for almost half the cost but that will be our little secret. They had a deal the last few weeks where a three pack of 17 watt bulbs that will cost you about five dollars. Other brands are available at higher prices. Pick up a couple of different wattages in the fluorescent ice cream cone light bulb section. Sixty watts will run you about 15 to 17 watts electricity to run, 75 watts of the old bulb will run you about 23 to 26 watts to operate. Replace the old light bulbs with the equal fluorescent. Focus on replacing all of the old bulbs in the rooms you spend the most time in first and venture out from there. The cost up front is hard to swallow but if you buy them over the course of a couple of months it will not kill your budget.

The progress and long term savings of using these kinds of light bulbs will save you more money than you think. In six months to a year you can pull out that piece of paper again that you recorded the number seven and ten on, and what your electric bill was. Compare what the actual electrical kilowatt hours or KWH usage was in the same time period from six months or a year ago. If you converted half of the lights in your home you should see a huge savings. If you converted your entire home to compact fluorescent bulbs you should see an enormous savings.

Let’s get back to the seven and ten that you wrote down on your initial energy survey of lights. That is the average number of years one fluorescent bulb will last given normal usage. If you think about it, in one year’s time you have not had to replace even one fluorescent bulb. In seven years you may have to replace one or two, in ten to twenty years you may have to replace five. Looks like that storage area for replacement bulbs can be used for something more important like hiding the Oreo cookies from the kids!

There is a dizzying array of light bulbs on the market today -- bulbs that last longer, burn brighter, cost less to operate, are more environmentally friendly or cast a more natural light. Here's a basic guide to keep you out of the dark: - Washington Post

Papamoka

Send me your home energy saving tips and I'll post them here at Papamoka Straight Talk.

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