Re: Energy Independence -
 

Will do!! I will ask not for tax credits (I am too poor for that to help since I don't have the up front money to start with), but a social loan program. If we get solar panels that are wired to a grid (state wide program), then the excess energy can go back to the central unit and each person can pay off the panels since that is free energy that the state can sell to (pick your party) [Rep] either some private energy company who can mark it up and sell it to businesses [Dem] or directly to businesses.

I will also say that we should try anything that can be a safe form of energy. So long as it wont kill us (or my son), we should use it...

Re: Energy Independence
 

:bigthumbsup:
That makes two of us...c'mon TOTV members, let's be heard!

Re: Energy Independence
 

Travel, thank you for posting the names and addresses.

I have been off line for some time and would like to share what we have done to our house in the Mid Hudson Valley of NY.

We heat our water with Solar Power that we installed about 22 years ago when they were still given tax credits for this. President Reagan discontinued the tax credit.

We had our electric company analyze our house to improve its efficiency. Followed all there suggestions and have kept up with the latest technology to keep our house efficient. We have lived here for 30 years and our electric bill has not gone up during that time, in fact it has gone down.

We have a Prius which keeps our gasoline bill down and has been suggested we combine quite a few tasks each time we go into town. Town is 10 miles away and that is where we do all our shopping, medical lab is there and other places we need to go to.

Prius - The first time we got a Prius there was a tax credit, this year when we got another Prius there was no tax credit.

Heating - our house is extremely well insulated and our heating bill this year will be over $4,000. There are no tax credits to help us with the cost of installing any solar installation such as putting in a Trombe Wall or other alternative solar powered alternatives. Once again, under President Reagan tax credits were discontinued as well as many of the programs associated with using all forms of alternative energy and thus increasing our dependence on oil.

There is solar powered air conditioning for cars and houses - last time I checked the cost was quite prohibitive for us.

There are alternatives to drilling for more oil, all we need is affordable access to them. They have been around for decades. I will let you decide why there hasn't been more publicity about them.

Since I am on a roll - what worries me the most and gives me the most concern are all the people who in the past had to make decisions about medicine or food. Now they will have another major concern - heat. Our oil bill has nearly doubled this year and we have done what we can to keep this bill as low as possible.

HB

Re: Energy Independence
 

For those of you taking up the challenge to write to local as well as Federal lawmakers, I applaud loudly. May I also recommend you communicate to every friend and family member to do like wise. In my opinion the oil dependency is one issue that WILL affect all your love ones....sooner or later if we do not get something done.

Regarding the posts about not being able to drill enough on USA soil. PLEASE....don't carry the party line of we can't drill our way out of the problem. The real impact would be the message sent to OPEC.....because they are pretty sure we will continue to do nothing...as we have been. An announcement that we WILL begin drilling and expand exploring for domestic oil is ONLY one step of many to be taken. It will send the most immediate message. Followed as quickly as possible with any and ALL alternatives that contribute to oil/energy independence.

You want an impact on jobs......get the above going and see what newly created opportunities occur.

Have you heard what is going on in TX? They are opening closed wells...they are repairing all related drilling operations....they are rebuilding oil drilling equipment...they are uncapping wells that were deemed unprofitable at prior $$/barrel. You wanna pay $150 per barrel....pay it to USA/domestic operations.....FIRST. By the way, as a result TX has the hottest economy in the USA.

The impact and dividends on domestic drilling can not be....should not be ....measured as what will it do at the pump.

Oil/energy independence.....WHAT EVER IT TAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTK

Re: Energy Independence
 

BTK -- You are right on the 'barrel head', no pun intended. We love our car, we love driving it, it's the American way and we don't want that to change -- no pun intended there either !!!

Re: Energy Independence
 

golfpro - have you thought of getting a Prius. We have the least expensive model and get 50 miles per gallon.

HB

Re: Energy Independence
 

NEVER -- It's ugly ! WE LOVE OUR CARS. We worked hard to be able to drive what we want. I don't care if I get 50 mpg. We enjoy the comfort/room of our vehicles. We refuse to let our 545 to force us to live/eat/breath the way they want. We don't live in Russia. This is still the USA. Let's bring back the values we grew up with, not the socialist agenda of the power hungry.

Done. We're off to bed :)

Re: Energy Independence
 

HB ~
Your Prius is beautiful and so are your intentions and responsible way of living.
Travel
(My Mini is pretty cute, too)

Re: Energy Independence
 

Thanks for the post Travel, I'm with you. I will send this information to everyone I know, regardless of what side of the debate they are on.

And, I think those of you who think this forum is like Congress. I disagree. We talk to each other about the different sides of this debate. Congress just talk at each other, not to each other.

This issue needs a grass roots effort, if anything is going to get done.

I also agree with jeckle, we need solutions that include clean energy. I have grand kids, and I don't want them to inherit a world they can't live in.

I suggest everyone go and see Wall-e. Have a few laughs, but look at the darker side of the message in the animated movie, Wall-e.

Re: Energy Independence
 

Jim007 - good post!
The grass roots effort you refer to can start right here and now. I still believe that our system, while not perfect, can work for us if we stay informed and actively participate in our government. Contacting our representatives is a start.
I am saddened by those who have given up on our system and are so cynical that they won't even try, but are quick to criticize. We owe the next generation a better example of what good, responsible citizenship is all about.
Travel

Re: Energy Independence
 

Travel, once again :agree: with you. I also :agree: with Jim007.

I think if we can show the younger generation that a grass roots effort works, than hopefully they and others will not be apathetic.

My personal feeling, mine alone, I do not live on an island where I can only think about myself, I feel it is my responsibility to care for all generations.

It has been a long time since there has been a grass roots movement here in the United States. Where I grew up, there were mini grass roots movements. One such movement helped prevent deaths of people crossing a major road, where there was no traffic light.

HB

Re: Energy Independence - So Let's Do Something!
 

I've emailed all of the elected representatives listed above (click on the link for the list), plus a few additional committee chairs in the US Senate. So far I have received a reply from Paige Kreegel, Florida House of Representatives, which was not exactly encouraging regarding increasing the budget for tax credits on alternative energy sources for homeowners.
However, it is a start, and hopefully more TOTV people will take a few minutes to click on the email links I provided, and share your stories with us.
Thanks!

Re: Energy Independence
 

Last year or the year before, I heard Ginnie Brown-Waite speak in TV. I was impressed with her views, except for her position on off-shore drilling. I could understand it since it is such a hot political issue especially with the gulf coast tourist trade, almost a 3rd rail in FL politics. However, earlier this year I saw where Ginnie was berating the Dems for their inane refusal to even consider the ANWR proposals. I sent an email to her office deriding her hypocrisy for attacking the libs over ANWR while refusing to reconsider off-shore drilling. I got a nice response that with the increasing cost of oil, the growing international demand, and the technological advances in open water drilling, she was reconsidering her position. Not long after, she announced that she favored removing the federal ban.

I'd like to think it was my email with my cogent arguments, but I expect she's gotten a lot of commo on the subject and had really considered the changing situation. So regardless of your position, whether you agree with me or favor some idiotic proposal like using Love Bugs to generate power, write to your Senator and Rep, both state and federal. It can't hurt.

Re: Energy Independence
 

Better still - fire all of the Congresspersons and inform the new guy/gal that a second term is dependent upon REAL energy reform !

The ones in office now could care less and bank upon the historical fact that the incumbent almost always remains in office indefinitely no matter what the electorate feels is important.

Re: Energy Independence
 

"People are afraid of the future, of the unknown. If a man faces up to it, and takes the dare of the future, he can have some control over his destiny. That's an exciting idea to me, better than waiting with everybody else to see what's going to happen."
- John H. Glenn

:agree: