Residents Get Help With Energy Efficiency

Good news for Lansing residents struggling to pay their utility bills. Urban Options and the city of Lansing are offering free energy visits to help make your home more energy efficient.

The service is meant for those wanting to save money on their utility bills. To apply, you must live in Lansing and can call Heather Mann at 517-337-0422, extension 6 to schedule an appointment.

Citizens Bank Offering Energy Efficiency Loans

Low interest rates, yes, but is it worth it?

Citizens Bank announced today that it is offering a new Energy Efficiency Loan to help low-to-moderate income homeowners make their homes more energy efficient.

The Citizens Bank Energy Efficiency Loan offers select homeowners the ability to qualify for an unsecured loan of $1,000 to $3,000 at a rate of 1% APR for as long as 36 months. A 3% APR is available for loans of $3,001 up to $10,000, for up to 84 months.

Trying to go green this way may lead one to the poor house.

California Sues Government Over Curb Emissions

Should states have the power to regulate?

California and 15 other states sued the Bush administration Wednesday, seeking to overturn a federal decision last month rejecting the state's bid to curb greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, marks a new round in an epic five-year struggle between California and the federal government over whether states have the power to regulate carbon dioxide and other pollutants that cause global warming.

Some may argue that giving the states such power may create an atmosphere where regulation is not strictly adhered to. What is your opinion on the matter?

Has Global Warming Been Proven?

There are still global warming skeptics:

Jonathan Chait of the New Republic magazine points out that a recent National Journal poll found that 84 percent of House and Senate Republicans surveyed didn't believe that it has been ``proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the Earth is warming because of man-made problems.''

That rather stunning poll result causes one to ask whether these skeptics have even made themselves aware of the Fourth Assessment of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In that report, the panel's 2,000-plus scientists concluded that there was more than a 90 percent chance that human activity was the main cause of global warming over the last half- century.

What do you think?

Cities and Energy Consumption

Humans can now officially be called an urban species. More than half of the global population now live in cities and the United Nations says that by 2030, 60 percent of us will live in them.

Yet according to U.N. Habitat, the world's cities emit almost 80 percent of global carbon dioxide as well as "significant amounts of other greenhouse gases."

Put simply, if you want to tackle climate change, tackle the cities. |Read more|

New Year Usher End In New Laws

The State of Connecticut has passed new legislation that will help its' residents save on energy. Among them are:

1. Expanding a temporary state sales tax exemption for passenger cars that get at least 40 miles per gallon to all passenger trucks, vans and motorcycle with the same fuel efficiency. The exemption runs from Jan. 1 of this year to July 1, 2010.

2. Preparing a plan to encourage the use of biodiesel heating oil blends in state buildings and facilities.

3. Giving Northeast Utilities and United Illuminating Co., until Feb. 1 to submit a plan to build power generation plants that could be used during peak periods of electricity use. Private companies will also be allowed to submit proposals.

4. A new rebate program will be established for residential electric customers who replace their old air conditioners with ones that meet federal Energy Star efficiency standards. The rebates range from $25 to $100 for room air conditioners, depending on the cost, and at least $500 for residents who replace a central air unit.

Is Going 'Green' Part of your New Year's Resolution?

This is the time of year when we sit down and make our New Year's Resolution list. If you are serious about protecting the environment, why not add green living to your list.

You can fight global warming and trim your household expenses at the same time. Some measures require an investment upfront but will save you plenty of money over time. Here are a few ways to go green without spending a lot of gold:

* Compact fluorescent light bulbs: Changing 10 60-watt bulbs will save the average homeowner in California more than $373 over the life of the new bulbs and prevent more than 1,700 pounds of carbon emissions.

* Appliances: Energy-efficient appliances can save $80 a year for the average homeowner, who spends $1,900 on power bills. For example, a new Energy Star-rated refrigerator uses 40% less energy than a traditional one that was manufactured in 2001.

* Heating and air conditioning: A programmable thermostat set 8 degrees lower in winter and 4 degrees higher in summer for eight hours during the day and 10 hours at night will save the average homeowner $150 a year.

Why not give it a try. You can save money as well as help the environment.