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Reflections on the journey
www.AsymptoticLife.com
Investing in Financials: A Wild Ride
After a long discussion with an investment banker, I took his advice and invested some money in an REIT called Alesco Financial (AFN), then trading at $2.83 with a P/E of 2. Over the next few days, the stock rose steadily to a high of $4.99. Awesome! Then it began to decline, dropping to $2.93 over the next four trading sessions— still in plus territory, though.
On May 14, AFN was the big loser of the day, losing 1/4 of its value and dropping to a low of $2.30. Ouch! Then the next day, it gained most of it back, hitting a high of $2.97— once again leaving me in positive territory. Yesterday, it was down again, closing at $2.66.
The moral of the story is, financials can be a rollercoaster right now— don't invest more than you can afford to lose. The good news: AFN pays a dividend of $1 per year (and expects to continue paying it for 2008), not bad for a stock trading between $2 and $3 per share!
On May 14, AFN was the big loser of the day, losing 1/4 of its value and dropping to a low of $2.30. Ouch! Then the next day, it gained most of it back, hitting a high of $2.97— once again leaving me in positive territory. Yesterday, it was down again, closing at $2.66.
The moral of the story is, financials can be a rollercoaster right now— don't invest more than you can afford to lose. The good news: AFN pays a dividend of $1 per year (and expects to continue paying it for 2008), not bad for a stock trading between $2 and $3 per share!
CNNMoney Debunks Gas Saving Myths
Accirding to CNNMoney, these 6 gas saving tips are just myths— and they've got documentation.
Housing: When Good News Is Bad News
The Commerce Department announced today that housing starts made a surprise rebound, jumping 8.2% in April. Great news, right?
Read a little closer: construction of single family homes continued to fall. The jump was entirely attributable to a 36% rise in apartment building construction starts. More apartments, fewer homes: that suggests people moving from home ownership to rentals. In other words, fewer buyers will be available for the housing market.
The U.S. has maintained one of the highest home ownership rates in the world. It saddens me to see it changing— and baffles me that so few economists apparently anticipate the consequences.
One economist, hailing the good news, nevertheless cautioned, "It is definitely too early to uncork the champagne on the long and winding road to more-healthy housing-market conditions." A more-healthy housing market? Not with this trend.
Read a little closer: construction of single family homes continued to fall. The jump was entirely attributable to a 36% rise in apartment building construction starts. More apartments, fewer homes: that suggests people moving from home ownership to rentals. In other words, fewer buyers will be available for the housing market.
The U.S. has maintained one of the highest home ownership rates in the world. It saddens me to see it changing— and baffles me that so few economists apparently anticipate the consequences.
One economist, hailing the good news, nevertheless cautioned, "It is definitely too early to uncork the champagne on the long and winding road to more-healthy housing-market conditions." A more-healthy housing market? Not with this trend.
Suicide Blast in Colombo
There's been yet another suicide bombing in Colombo, Sri Lanka— this one near the Hilton in the center of the city. (I ate there once in 1994— not a very memorable experience.)
Ironically, President Mahinda Rajapakse accused the LTTE of "cowardice and brutality," something that could equally be applied to the government and its air strikes on civilian areas.
This particular bombing took place as riot police were preparing for an opposition demonstration against the recently elected pro-Karuna (anti-LTTE) government in the Eastern province.
Ironically, President Mahinda Rajapakse accused the LTTE of "cowardice and brutality," something that could equally be applied to the government and its air strikes on civilian areas.
This particular bombing took place as riot police were preparing for an opposition demonstration against the recently elected pro-Karuna (anti-LTTE) government in the Eastern province.
Congress Funds Cellulosic Ethanol, Cuts Corn-Based Ethanol Subsidies (A Little)
Buried in a bill that reads like a wish-list for special interests— including a tax break for racehorse owners and increased loans for sugar producers — Congress initiated an additional $1.25 per gallon additional subsidy for ethanol from cellulosic sources (i.e. wood chips, sugar cane waste, etc.). It also included a cut in ethanol subsidies from 51 cents to 45 cents a gallon (a 12% cut).
Shifting ethanol production from food crops to agricultural waste products, especially in this time of rising food prices, would seem to be a sensible move— especially as increased ethanol consumption would push farmers to switch their land from food crops to energy.
AP reports that though President Bush has promised to veto the bill, Congress has a veto-proof margin.
Shifting ethanol production from food crops to agricultural waste products, especially in this time of rising food prices, would seem to be a sensible move— especially as increased ethanol consumption would push farmers to switch their land from food crops to energy.
AP reports that though President Bush has promised to veto the bill, Congress has a veto-proof margin.
Incubator 2.0
Last month, I created an incubator for chicken eggs out of a cheap styrofoam cooler for under $10. There was just one problem: temperature control. I found that an 11 watt light bulb was too small, and a 25 watt light bulb was too big. I lowered the interior temperature by making extra holes in the cooler, but found that the interior temp varied as the temperature of the room rose and fell. I tried regulating the inside temp by blocking and unblocking some of the air holes, but that wasn't reliable. At one point, the temp rose to 107 degrees— far too hot for chicken embryos to incubate. The result: partially developed embryos that never hatched.
Then I had an idea: why not adjust the strength of the 25-watt bulb using a dimmer switch? That way, I could use fewer holes, and there'd be less variation in temperature. And it works— the inside temp has remained steady between 98 and 101 degrees for several days now, despite variations in room temperature.
The dimmer switch added $4.95 to the cost of the incubator. The box and switch plate together cost about $0.75, and the box comes equipped with two large nails that stick into the styrofoam and hold the dimmer in place— no mounting hardware required.
That brings the total cost of the incubator (not counting the cost of the replacement cooler) to just under $15. Still not bad for hatching chicks on a shoestring!
Hard Times
The city couldn't pay its bills, so it adopted a policy of paying out of town bills first, local bills second (in order to maintain its credit). It saved money by shutting down streetlights in various parts of the city. A motion was made to have all city employees donate 10% of their pay back to the city to meet the financial emergancy, but the motion was defeated.
Though these events could be reported in any current newspaper, the city was Cedar City, Utah and the year was 1932 (as reported in the Cedar City Community Update, May 2008). As we face the economic uncertainty before us, we'd do well to remember that our grandparents faced much worse than anything we've seen yet— and they survived.
Though these events could be reported in any current newspaper, the city was Cedar City, Utah and the year was 1932 (as reported in the Cedar City Community Update, May 2008). As we face the economic uncertainty before us, we'd do well to remember that our grandparents faced much worse than anything we've seen yet— and they survived.
Online Petition: Oppose the Gas Tax Holiday
TerraPass offers this online petition , to be sent to Sens. McCain & Clinton, expressing opposition to their proposed gas tax holiday. The petition says:
It takes only a few seconds to sign, and you can decline to get their online newsletter. I was signature #1,448. Tip: Environmental EconomicsDear Senator Clinton and Senator McCain,
We urge you to reconsider your support for a gas tax holiday. The policy is bad for the American people and bad for the environment because it is:
- Environmentally reckless. You favor a cap on carbon emissions to fight global warming. Encouraging fossil fuel use is step in the wrong direction.
- Fiscally irresponsible. The gas tax funds badly needed repairs to our highway infrastructure.
- Shortsighted. Gas prices are going to keep going up. We need long-term solutions, like investments in clean, affordable mass transit.
- Ineffective. The bulk of the benefit will go to oil companies, who will raise prices to offset the tax break.
Energy issues are too important to the future of America – and the planet. We oppose the gas tax holiday, and await strong leadership on these urgent matters.
Nissan to Offer All-Electric Car by 2010
Nissan announced this week that it plans to offer an all-electric car, as well as several vehicles using its own hybrid technology, by 2010. This represents the latest step in the company's intended shift from hybrid-skeptic to eco-friendly leader. The all-electric vehicles will have a range of 200 km (120 miles).
Bush on Gas Prices
In an interview today, President Bush said he favored increasing the oil supply to bring down gas prices. Though he acknowledged that "people changing their habits" would also reduce prices, he nevertheless favors extensive exploration and drilling to relieve prices. (Gee, I wonder who that would benefit? Could it be his buddies in the oil industry?)"With the price of gasoline that's going up, that's like a tax..." —President George W. Bush
The comparison of high gas prices with taxes is of course absurd— gas prices rise in response to consumption exceeding supply, while taxes are passed as a matter of public policy. Still, following the analogy, he seems to be suggesting that "irresponsible big government" causes high gas prices, perhaps by protecting sensitive areas from drilling. Could it be that cheap gas is a right that Americans are being denied by those pesky environmentalists?
More Uses for Plastic Soda Bottles: Make Flowers
Here's another entry from Instructables: turn empty soda bottles into flowers.
Health Savings Accounts: A Better Way?
(Getty Images graphic)
For those who need it, conventional health insurance may not be an affordable option, since prior history causes rates to rise, sometimes out of reach. My conventional individual policy costs $480 per month, has a $1,000 deductible, and pays 80% once the deductible is met. So I'll pay $5,760 in insurance premiums this year, or $6,760 out of pocket (the cost of the insurance plus the deductible) before my insurance pays a dime.
There are other benefits, of course, since even before I meet my deductible, they'll reduce doctor bills to the contract rate. I've seen bills for a doctor visit come in at $750, only to be reduced to $150 by the insurance company. So just having insurance in place saves me money, even if I never use it.
There ought to be a better way. I recently priced a high decutible policy coupled with a health savings account (HSA). The policy was quoted at $133 per month, though with my prior history it'll likely be closer to $248 per month. Still, that's a substantial savings for the $480 I pay now. The policy has a $5,000 deductible, after which it pays 100%— meaning my out of pocket for the year is limited to $5,000 plus the cost of the insurance.
The HSA linked to the policy provides an added benefit: I can put money in pre-tax and, as long as I use it for medical expenses, withdrawals are tax-free. Currently the law limits my annual contribution to $2,900, far below the $5,000 deductible, so for the first year or two I could have to pay for my expenses with after-tax money. But it sounds pretty feasible. Any money I don't spend carries forward from year to year. And if I don't spend it on medical exdpenses, when I retire I can take money out as if the HSA was an IRA, paying income tax at my then-current rate.
The cost of the policy would be about $2,976 per year. The $2,900 HSA contribution is pre-tax; if I'm in the 20% tax bracket, my out-of-pocket cost for this contribution is only $2,332 (that's 2,900 less the 20% income tax I would have paid on that money had it not been contributed). So my base cost would be $5,302 (the cost of the insurance plus the net cost of my HSA contribution). That's cheaper than the $5,760 my conventional policy costs.
That's assuming I don't have any medical expenses. But let's compare scenarios between the two policies. With the HSA-linked policy, I've already made a $2,900 contribution to my HSA. So if I spend $2,900 in medical, my annual out-of-pocket cost is still $5,302. With the conventional policy, I'd spend $5,760 for the insurance, plus $1,000 for my deductible, plus 20% of the $1,900 balance, or $380— that's a total of $7,140, over $1,800 more than the HSA-linked policy.
Let's assume that I spend $5,000 in medical this year, the amount of my deductible under the HSA-linked policy. The HSA-linked policy costs $5,332 and pays for the first $2,900. I pay the remaining $2,100 out of pocket, for a total of $7,432. How does this compare with my conventional policy? I'd pay $5,760 for the insurance, plus my $1,000 deductible, plus 20% of the remaining $4000, or $800. That's $7,560— still $128 more than with the HSA-linked policy. (If I've got money in my HSA from prior years, the cost of care under the HSA-linked policy is even lower.)
What if I have a bad year like I did in 2007? Let's assume I need major medical care costing $25,000. The HSA-linked policy costs me the same $5,332 for the first $2,900 of expense, then I pay the next $2,100 out of pocket, and the policy pays 100% of the remainder. My out of pocket cost would be $7,432. With the conventional policy, there's a $5,000 out-of-pocket maximum, so my cost would be $5,760 for the insurance, plus my $1,000 deductible, plus 20% of the balance up to $4,000 more. So my maximum out-of-pocket would be $10,760— a whopping $3,328 more than with the HSA-linked policy.
With these costs and assuming a 20% tax bracket, it appears that the high-deductible, HSA-linked policy beats a conventional policy in virtually every scenario. The higher your tax bracket, the more you'd save. You'll want to run the numbers for your own situation, considering the cost of insurance and your actual tax bracket, along with any benefit you might receive from itemizing medical expenses on your tax return (we rarely have enough deductions to itemize). Still, if you're paying too much for health insurance, check out an HSA-linked policy— it could save you money.
Old Gas Pumps, New Prices
Here's a problem we haven't seen in a while: old mechanical gas pumps can't reflect a price over $3.99 a gallon, meaning that by summer, prices may have exceeded the capacity of the pumps.
I remember when gas prices crossed the $1 a gallon threshhold: older pumps weren't made to charge that high a price. For a while, it was common to see "half pricing," in which a price of $1.10 per gallon was reflected on the pump as $0.55, and the total was doubled at the cash register.
According to AP, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington are already preparing to allow smaller stations to "half price" their fuel, while Minnesota requires station owners to cover up the incorrect price and figure the total with a calculator.
Tire Pressure: Being Lazy Costs Money
With the price of gas rising, tire pressure has been in the news a lot lately. But my mechanic checks my tire pressure and inflates it correctly... doesn't he?
Yesterday I took out the tire gauge and checked the pressure on all four of our vehicles. (Yes, we have four: two for daily use and two for special purposes.) Not one tire was inflated correctly. All but one were in the 40-50 psi range, more than 25% overinflated. The other was at 20 psi, 2/3 of what it should have been. (By the way, most new cars have a sticker on the edge of the driver's door indicating the correct pressure.)
Underinflated tires cause increased rolling resistance and lower gas mileage. Overinflated tires can be dangerous, are likely to wear faster— and though at least one study suggests that overinflated tires improve gas mileage, another says they don't. With the price of tires, that's not likely to pay off anyway.
And don't forget: changes in temperature affect your tire pressure. Pressure will drop in the winter and rise in the summer, so check them monthly. For the same reason, since driving makes tires hot, check them before you drive to get an accurate pressure.
The moral of this story is, five minutes a month can save you money. And as gas prices rise, the amount of money you'll save by checking your tires will increase, too.
GOSL Stuffs Ballot Boxes in Eastern Province
AP and BBC both report that the ruling SLFP party in Sri Lanka won its elections in the Eastern Province through widespread fraud, intimidation, and stuffing of ballot boxes. Says AP, election monitors report that "opposition parliamentarians were attacked by mobs, that children were seen casting ballots and that gangs of people were observed shuttling between polling stations to vote numerous times in the Valaichchenai region."
It's noteworthy that stuffing ballot boxes is nothing new in Sri Lanka. In the 1994 Southern Province elections, then-ruling UNP stuffed ballot boxes— but was so wildly unpopular at the time that it lost anyway.
GOSL's recognition of the aspirations of the people of the East is arguably a step in the right direction. However, the Provincial Council is so powerless as to be a mere symbol of self-determination. It is unlikely to asuage the desire of the East to live (as one Eastern resident told me) "dominated by neither Jaffna nor Colombo."
It's noteworthy that stuffing ballot boxes is nothing new in Sri Lanka. In the 1994 Southern Province elections, then-ruling UNP stuffed ballot boxes— but was so wildly unpopular at the time that it lost anyway.
GOSL's recognition of the aspirations of the people of the East is arguably a step in the right direction. However, the Provincial Council is so powerless as to be a mere symbol of self-determination. It is unlikely to asuage the desire of the East to live (as one Eastern resident told me) "dominated by neither Jaffna nor Colombo."
Vegetarian Recipe Site
I was looking for an Indian potato/tomato recipe and stumbled across a great vegetarian recipe blog, 365 Days of Pure Vegetarian. It has a recipe for aloo sabzi (potatoes, tomatoes, and onions) that I can adapt so it's not too spicy for my wife.
There are also links to recipes on other sites, like this aloo bonda recipe, a fried potato pastry I've only had in Sri Lanka.
I'm somewhat embarassed to say I'll be serving my aloo sabzi with tandoori chicken and (store-bought) naan, so tonight's meal will not be vegetarian. However, my wife and I have been cutting back on our meat consumption— we haven't eaten meat since Wednesday— and with these recipes may find ourselves cutting back even further. Our eventual goal: to eat only meat we grow ourselves, and in limited quantities.
There are also links to recipes on other sites, like this aloo bonda recipe, a fried potato pastry I've only had in Sri Lanka.
I'm somewhat embarassed to say I'll be serving my aloo sabzi with tandoori chicken and (store-bought) naan, so tonight's meal will not be vegetarian. However, my wife and I have been cutting back on our meat consumption— we haven't eaten meat since Wednesday— and with these recipes may find ourselves cutting back even further. Our eventual goal: to eat only meat we grow ourselves, and in limited quantities.
Please, God, See Things My Way
In my Buddhism class at the Catholic university I attended, the professor (a Catholic priest) covered in detail how Buddhism tried to cope with "the problem of bakti"— that is, the seemingly innate human need to believe that we can petition some greater being for favors. Buddhism has no concept of God the Creator and believes that all events are caused by other events (karma). Yet it absorbed various minor dieties, spirits, and bodhisatvas that, in various Buddhist traditions, can be petitioned for special treatment. Even in Sri Lanka, where Buddhists pride themselves on following "the school of the Elders," students often pray to the Hindu god Ganesh before exams, and trips to the home of the god Kataragama are common for Hindus and Buddhists alike.
It struck me recently that the same problem exists in Christianity: though Christians believe that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving, many nevertheless believe that if they pray to God, He will change his mind and give them money, make "him" or "her" come back (or go away), or relieve people of the consequences of their actions. Perhaps the classic expression of this was Janis Joplin's song, "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-benz?"<< MORE >>
George Carlin On Saving the Planet
A classic. And though I don't agree with him 100%, he does have a point. (Caution: He uses the "F" word.)
New Geothermal Plants Coming to Utah
The [St. George, UT] Spectrum reports that construction has begun on a new geothermal plant near Minersville, Utah (about 20 miles from my home). The developer, Utah-based Raser Technologies, currently has eight geothermal plants in progress representing 80 - 85 Mw of generating capacity. The company intends to build 10-15 plants per year for the foreseeable future, at 10 Mw per plant.
VW Develops 200 MPG Car for Market
EcoGeek reports that VW has a 230 mpg two-seater in the works, called the 1L because it uses 1 liter of gasoline per 100 km, which it plans to have on the market by 2010. (Prototypes have gotten as much as 285 mpg.) Bravo VW!
Meanwhile, the three-wheeled Aptera will get 300+ mpg. The company is currently taking reservations.
It's about time! I predict that we're on the verge of a gas mileage revolution, with higher and higher mileage cars becoming available each year. (The consumption to beat is 7,000 mpg.)
Speaking of Recycled Clothing: Buy Used
And speaking of recycled clothing, we've found that for clothing we wear around the house, we can find it cheaper (and sometimes better) at our local thrift store than at our local Walmart. Besides, buying used clothes reduces the acreage needed to grow cotton (or the barrels of oil needed to produce polyester and nylon).
In fact, the more we buy used products, the fewer new products need to be produced and the less trash goes into our landfills. We've recently bought used DVDs, a used milking machine, vacuum pump, and pasteurizer, and used kitchen utensils. So shop your local thrift stores— it's Earth friendly.
CocaCola Sells Recycled T-Shirts At Walmart
Coca-Cola introduced a line of t-shirts last year made from recycled PET soda bottles. They've now entered into an agreement to sell the shirts at Walmart. While I'm not fond of polyester, it's also clear that every shirt made from recycled plastic is a shirt that doesn't require cotton to be grown and shipped (or oil to be pumped and refined to make new polyester).
Where Coal Goest, There Goest Electricity Also
(Getty Images photo)
The Wall Street Journal reports that electric utilities across the country are raising their rates thanks to rising coal costs— a ton of coal now costs double what it did a year ago.
That's good news for alternative energy, which becomes more competitive when rates go up. It's also good news for household solar and wind, which take less time to pay for themselves when rates are high.
Local Walmart Uses Motion Detectors to Save Energy
Our local Walmart is open 24 hours a day. In the middle of the night, there aren't many customers. So the store installed motion detectors in the freezer and sections: when there's no movement, only a single, dim light remains on in the coolers. When it detects motion, the rest of the lights kick on. After a period of inactivity, the lights switch off again. Over a 24 hour period, this would save a substantial amount of energy.
The Good Thing About the Credit Crisis
The interest rate on our HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) has dropped to 5.25%. That's a great rate— lower than last quarter's inflation rate.
(Fortunately, we haven't had to use the HELOC in a while. Still, it's nice to know it's there.)
(Fortunately, we haven't had to use the HELOC in a while. Still, it's nice to know it's there.)
New Prius: Bigger, Faster, and More MPG
Though no real numbers are yet available, Road & Track reports that the 2009 Prius will be bigger, faster, have better acceleration, and will get even better gas mileage than the current model. Best of all, the price will be about the same.
It's just one more indication that better performance is possible on less gas. (We already know it is, we're just waiting for the auto manufacturers to provide it!)
It's just one more indication that better performance is possible on less gas. (We already know it is, we're just waiting for the auto manufacturers to provide it!)
Bangladesh Bans Rice Exports
(Reuters photo from Pakistan)
Bangladesh, fearing social unrest caused by rising food prices, announced today that (like India) it would ban rice exports, a policy that would remain in place for six months.
Though Bangladesh is not a major rice exporter (it's the 4th largest importer), this is yet one more sign that rising food prices have wider implications. Bangladesh has already had protests over the price of food. Protests over food prices have also been reported in countries across the globe, including Egypt, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Phillipines, and Somalia.
To make matters worse, the UN reports that Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar's (Burma's) main rice-growing region. Until now, Myanmar has not needed to import rice. Myanmar's sudden need is sure to affect the world market, as well as the citizens and leaders of Myanmar.
Gas Tax Holiday: Windfall for Oil Companies
Both McCain and Clinton want to suspend gas taxes for the summer to reduce prices. But economists from across the spectrum say that's not going to help: it would just encourage more consumption, driving prices up further (while reducing tax revenues). In the most poignant criticism, a former Fed economist and McCain supporter says, "The best economic logic suggests consumers won't see much savings, and it would be a windfall to producers."
Two candidates in opposing parties supporting the same plan to boost oil company revenues... it almost makes one wonder where the bread is buttered.
More Hillary-Bush Continuity
(Getty images photo)
Using blunt language, Sen. Clinton made clear once again that she (not John McCain) is heir to the Bush throne. As her opponent Sen. Obama noted, "Using the word obliterate... is the kind of language that we've seen George Bush use over the last seven years.""I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran." —Sen. Hillary Clinton, responding to a hypothetical question about Iran attacking Israel.
And here's the irony: the voters who've kept George W. Bush in the White House wouldn't vote for Hillary— even if she had his baby. Is there another neo-con voting block she's trying to appeal to that I'm not aware of?
Gas Prices: Wishful Thinking
A penny drop in gas prices last week led U.S. News & World Report to ask in a headline yesterday, "Have We Passed the Peak?" That would seem to be wishful thinking, as oil crossed the $120 per barrel mark the same day, breaking yet another record. AP, in a more realistic assessment, said gas prices are likely to rise another 12 cents a gallon.
The good news is, rising gas prices have decreased demand— Californians used 4.5% less gas in January 2008 compared with a year earlier on a price increase of 26%. Maybe, just maybe, gas prices are beginning to hurt enough to make us change our ways.
The good news is, rising gas prices have decreased demand— Californians used 4.5% less gas in January 2008 compared with a year earlier on a price increase of 26%. Maybe, just maybe, gas prices are beginning to hurt enough to make us change our ways.
In Bangladesh, Garment Manufacturers Provide Cheap Food
The price of food has risen so high that the average Bangladeshi worker now spends 70% of his/her income on food. As protests begin to hit the garment factories— the backbone of the nation's economy— factory owners provide cheap food rather than risk disruption of their output. On the one hand, that's smart management. On the other, it gives an idea of the profit margins they must have.
The maximum wage in the Bangladesh garment industry is $25 per month. Rice alone now costs 50 cents per day or $15 per month. That leaves precious little for anything else.
The maximum wage in the Bangladesh garment industry is $25 per month. Rice alone now costs 50 cents per day or $15 per month. That leaves precious little for anything else.
Announcing "Ordinary World" - A Blog Novel
Come visit Ordinary World by D. J. Mitchell— a fictional blog on the collision of ordinary life with extraordinary events.
www.OrdinaryWorldBlog.com
www.OrdinaryWorldBlog.com
New Kearsarge Middle School Conserves Energy
(KRSD photo)
Kearsarge Regional School District, covering seven towns in New Hampshire, just opened its new Middle School, located in Sutton, NH (not far from where I once lived). The school is designed to save energy, oriented to maximize passive solar heating and outfitted with a furnace that will burn either wood or oil.
As the price of oil rises, many school districts in New Hampshire are finding that heating with wood saves them money. It's also much more eco-friendly as long as it's harvested sustainably.
We Squeal At The Pump Because Gas Is So Cheap
(Getty Images photo.)
Cheap gas? That's what CNNMoney says. Gas costs $8 or more a gallon across Europe, so Europeans use less. Since they use less, price increases don't hurt as bad.
Their higher gas taxes fund things like education and health care, too. So you could argue that our cheap gas is why Johnny can't read and Dad can't afford health insurance for his family. (And Hillary wants to cut the gas tax for the summer!)
The Microsoft Spin: Big Brother Is A Good Thing
I ran Microsoft Update on my wife's computer yesterday and got the following message:
To use Microsoft Update, you must first install the latest version of some Windows components. This will allow your computer to work with these new features on the site:
To use Microsoft Update, you must first install the latest version of some Windows components. This will allow your computer to work with these new features on the site:
- More updates: Get updates for Windows and for popular Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Office in one place.
- Faster updates: The latest Windows Installer (MSI) improves the way updates are installed, delivering updates in the smallest possible packages in the shortest amount of time.
- Easier navigation: Now you can find updates by priority or by product while helpful links and important messages help ensure you are installing all high-priority updates for your computer.
That sounds pretty good, right? Surprise: the software it wants to install is the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool, which "enables you to verify that your copy of Microsoft Windows is genuine." In other words, a policing program to ensure the operating system hasn't been pirated. (I have no idea whether the OS is a legal copy or not— I didn't install it.)
Suddenly that download sounds a lot less like they're doing me a favor.
Clinton: Damn The Economists, Full Speed Ahead
Suggesting once again that she is the true heir to the George W. Bush legacy, Hillary Clinton snapped back at reporters today when asked to name one economist who supports her proposal to suspend the gasoline tax.
"I'm not going to put my lot in with economists," she said.
We've already had eight years of one presidency that discounts economists (and we've seen where that got us). Do we really want to elect another one?
"I'm not going to put my lot in with economists," she said.
We've already had eight years of one presidency that discounts economists (and we've seen where that got us). Do we really want to elect another one?
Smart Grid To Lower Electricity Use (And Cost)
AP reports on various tests of the "smart grid" concept, where the electricity distribution grid interfaces with a home computer that controls electricity use. The basic concept: when the grid strains, the computers cut back, turning down a/c and other applicances. Financial disincentives (i.e. higher prices for not cutting back) make cooperation desirable.
Says one Toronto test participant, "It's better than rolling blackouts."
The expected result: by reducing consumption when usage is at its peak, fewer power plants will be needed. CO2 emissions will fall, and base electric rates should drop.
Says one Toronto test participant, "It's better than rolling blackouts."
The expected result: by reducing consumption when usage is at its peak, fewer power plants will be needed. CO2 emissions will fall, and base electric rates should drop.
Utah Outlaws Long Island Iced Tea
In an effort to "normalize" its bizarre liquor laws, the State of Utah reduced the maximum alcohol in a mixed drink to 2.5 ounces, making illegal such drinks as the Long Island Iced Tea and the Mai Tai (at least in their current incarnations).
Quarterly Review: Our Household CO2 Emissions Decrease
Global climate change may have lost its place in the headlines to bad economic news, but it's still high on our list of priorities. Last September, we undertook the Zero Emissions Challenge— we examined our energy usage and CO2 emmissions, and committed to reducing them as far as possible and offsetting the rest. Our goal: to reduce our effective CO2 emissions to zero.
Now that tax season is over, we have the time to look at our first quarter usage. Here's how we did:
| Energy Source | Quarter 4 | Quarter 1 | Total | Annualized | CO2 |
| Electricity - Daily (Kwh) | 620 | 620 | 1,240 | 2,480 | 3,720 |
| Electricity - Heating | 1,654 | 2,148 | 3,802 | 3,802 | 5,703 |
| Propane (gals) | 40 | 40 | 80 | 160 | 2,080 |
| Coal (lbs) | 100 | 100 | 200 | 200 | 580 |
| Gasoline (gals) | 150 | 246 | 396 | 500* | 11,000 |
| ANNUALIZED CO2 (Lbs) | 23,083 |
We used more electricity for heating than we expected, thanks to a cold spring. And gasoline usage was up, as it always is during tax season. But the bright spot in the quarter was that we managed to avoid using any propane for heating— all heating was done with wood, passive solar, a small amount of coal for the barn, and electricity. Now the heating season is over so we won't use as much electricity, and we're done with coal for the year.
(*) Also, I was able to restructure my business so I don't have to go back to Los Angeles until October. Thus, despite the high gas consumption for the first quarter, we expect gas consumption for the year to decline. Commuting to LA has been one of our big CO2 contributions, so working from home is a major step forward.
Our estimated annual CO2 emissions would be 23,083 pounds— still well above our target of 15,039 pounds, but a reduction of 54% over last year's usage and a continued reduction over last quarter. We also installed a wind turbine this quarter, which will generate an estimated 48 Kwh of electricity per month, further reducing the power we need to buy from the utility.
We increased our offsets again, too. We'd already been buying a 100 Kwh block of wind energy each month through Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky program, and we doubled that, reducing our emissions by 900 pounds of CO2 this period. We donated the usual 30 trees through the Arbor Day Foundation, which offset another 300 pounds (using average CO2 absorption figures). And we purchased 3 tons of carbon credits from Native Energy. Annualized, these would offset almost 28,000 pounds of CO2— more than our estimated annual household emissions.
We'd still like to reach our target of 15,039 pounds of actual emmissions. But we feel pretty good about our 54% reduction— especially since it still includes preheating the bathroom before stepping into the shower— and the fact that we offset our own emissions and (annualized) 5,000 pounds more. We're almost halfway to offsetting the estimated 12 tons per year that the U.S. economy generates on our behalf.
Nothing I've seen yet contradicts my hypothesis that we could all cut our emissions by 50% or more. How are your CO2 reduction efforts going?
Chilly Morning
A cold front prompted one of the Salt Lake City papers to declare: "Utah Winter Redux." It's been in the twenties at night, too cold even for our cabbages. In the mornings, the irrigation lines throughout the valley glisten with ice.
Soon the cold front will pass, and we'll have our 80 degree afternoons back. But we'll have to start our cabbages over.
Globalization Turns Fickle(r)
Rice paddies near Matale, Sri Lanka.
Back in the 1990s, export crops came into fashion. In countries from India to Thailand, governments encouraged small rice farmers to switch from subsistence rice farming to fruits and vegetables for export. This increased the farmers' income, sometimes many times over. But it also meant they had to buy their own food. The result: GDP increased, average incomes increased, and so did real poverty.
Now the price of rice, the staple food across Asia, has skyrocketed. Inflation in India topped 7.5%, driven by food and fuel increases. In response to high prices and rice shortages, India banned rice exports a month ago. That means the world's second-largest rice grower has nothing to sell its neighbors, removing 4 million metric tons of rice from the global market. And India has begun encouraging rice imports, further pressuring global supply.
That's bad news for poor farmers who used to grow their own food, but now have to buy it. When they grew their own rice, it didn't matter what prices did: they could still eat. Now, though they've got more money, in many cases it won't be enough. Incomes may have increased on paper, but but many of them will face malnutrition this year. It's a reminder that unrestrained capitalism squeezes the poor hardest.
Variation On A Good Thing: Banana Brownies
We ran out of carob chips, so my wife tried a variation on the Almost No-Sugar Brownies: she made them with banana. They came out well, a bit gooier than the carob chip version, but very tasty. Here's how:
Substitute one mashed ripe (but not over-ripe) banana instead of the carob chips.
I found the batter too sweet , so I added a half cup of dried black currants. You might cut back the barley malt from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup instead.
They also needed to cook for about five minutes longer than the other version, so figure 25-30 minutes instead of 20-25.
Enjoy!
Substitute one mashed ripe (but not over-ripe) banana instead of the carob chips.
I found the batter too sweet , so I added a half cup of dried black currants. You might cut back the barley malt from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup instead.
They also needed to cook for about five minutes longer than the other version, so figure 25-30 minutes instead of 20-25.
Enjoy!
