Green Tax Breaks Will End On Dec. 31

If you're looking for last-minute green tax breaks, you better hurry.

This may be the last year to take advantage of credits related to energy-efficient home improvements because they expire at year-end.

The Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005 allowed homeowners to take a one-time tax credit of up to $500 for doing things like installing new efficient windows, insulation and heating and cooling equipment in their homes.

But provisions to extend the credits were dropped from the energy bill during the deal-making that took place to get it signed into law by President Bush this month.

So now qualifying products must be purchased and installed by Dec. 31.

Hope For New Orleans

New Orleans could have been the city to showcase its eforts in being more environmentally friendly if not for the actions of Stan "Pampy" Barre. Take for example, the case of Parkland, Florida.

In Parkland, where the motto is "Environmentally Proud," the city plans next year to begin dispensing cash rebates to its 25,000 residents for being more environmentally friendly.

Residents who install low-flow toilets or shower heads will get $150. Replacing an old air conditioner with a more energy-efficient one brings $100. Buying a hybrid car? An additional $200 cash back. And the list goes on.

Based on an estimate of 1,000 residents participating in the rebate program during the first year, the city predicts it will cost up to $100,000.

Many states already offer similar rebates and incentives through tax breaks, loans and perks such as allowing hybrid-car drivers to use car pool lanes.

Once U.S. Attorney, Jim Letten, put all of the corrupt culprits away, maybe New Orleans can be the next city to roll out its' environmentally friendly plans.

Forstalling Efficiency

Is this what the New Orleans' grinch had in mind when he looted the contract?

At the international climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, this month, delegates from New Delhi resisted efforts by industrialized nations to set mandatory targets for reductions in carbon emissions, arguing that India's per-capita emissions are far lower than those of wealthier, developed countries. Countries with emerging economies have also argued that climate change goals should not be imposed at the cost of growth.

India's severe power shortages are already forcing some business owners to look for energy-efficient solutions -- both to cut costs and to remain globally competitive. In the past two years, the government has introduced energy-efficiency labels for some consumer goods and trained architects how to meet new, environmentally friendly building codes. The government has also mandated energy audits for large factories this year and is proposing tougher fuel economy standards.

Audits would have helped New Orleans from the Grinch.

Flat Screen TV's Jack Up Energy Prices

Prices for big-screen television sets are dropping, but the cost of home entertainment may still be headed up. That is because the fancy screens shoppers are lugging home this holiday season consume far more electricity than their old-school predecessors.

Consider that a 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-sized refrigerator - even when that TV is used only a few hours a day. Powering a fancy TV and full-on entertainment system - with set-top boxes, game consoles, speakers, DVDs and digital video recorders - can add nearly $200 to a family's annual energy bill.

Most consumers aren't made aware of extra energy expenses when they are shopping for a TV. Energy Star tags, a government program that identifies the most energy-efficient models, won't begin flagging the greenest televisions, when turned on, until late next year. Today, Energy Star judges energy consumption only in standby mode, limiting its usefulness.

Global Warming May See Santa Claus In Shorts

If the most dire climate forecasts come true the tourism industry in Europe's far north, already feeling the effects of global warming, may find itself promoting a Santa in shorts and a camel-drawn sleigh.

Each year at the end of autumn, residents, shopkeepers, travel agencies, reindeer herders and even politicians in the Finnish Arctic town of Rovaniemi - home to Santa Claus' Village, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Finland - look to the skies in the hopes of a snowy winter.

Energy Efficiency Contract Thief Gets Temporary Reprieve

Stan "Pampy" Barre was granted a temporary reprieve, from the federal pen, during this holiday season. The ex-political operative and confidant of former New Orleans' mayor, Marc Morial is awaiting sentencing for his role in looting from a massive energy efficiency contract that was awarded during the final year of Morial's administration.

Mr. Barre is now scheduled to be sentenced in April. Let's hope he receive the sentence he so richly deserves.

Taming Climate Change Threat

Britain's National parks - enjoyed by 100 million visitors a year - must undergo a conservation revolution if they are to meet the challenges of climate change and the introduction of new farming practices.

This is the stark warning of leading environmentalist Adrian Phillips, who has warned the National Parks Societies that our most precious landscapes will have to adapt in the near future. Phillips wants planners to encourage small renewable energy projects, such as wind turbines, hydroelectric schemes and solar water heaters. He warned that new planning laws will have to be introduced to make new buildings carbon-neutral and the parks entirely so.