Comments on: Senator you have a message. Call Home: Your state needs your help. http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/ Where Conservatives Consider a New Energy Future Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:45:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jim http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-15965 Jim Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:11:03 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-15965 George W Bush cured me from being Republican too! I very much like your ideas. You provided facts to the ideas I have had for a long time. The trouble is, there is not the political will to be proactive. This issue could be implemented in an orderly way but I fear that only a catastrophe will initiate any action. Then the gov't will throw a bunch of money at the problem - to their big-business buddies. I have noticed quite a bit of support for energy independence and especially green, sustainable energy from individuals. I think that each one of us needs to talk up these issues but most of all, act locally to implement what we can for ourselves - such as passive solar heating and electricity. The person who objects to high efficiency furnaces could install solar or other sustainable heating and keep the inefficient furnace as backup. Jim George W Bush cured me from being Republican too!
I very much like your ideas. You provided facts to the ideas I have had for a long time. The trouble is, there is not the political will to be proactive. This issue could be implemented in an orderly way but I fear that only a catastrophe will initiate any action. Then the gov’t will throw a bunch of money at the problem - to their big-business buddies.
I have noticed quite a bit of support for energy independence and especially green, sustainable energy from individuals. I think that each one of us needs to talk up these issues but most of all, act locally to implement what we can for ourselves - such as passive solar heating and electricity. The person who objects to high efficiency furnaces could install solar or other sustainable heating and keep the inefficient furnace as backup.
Jim

]]> By: Alan Drake http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-13349 Alan Drake Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:09:11 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-13349 <b><i>the price difference between a 90% efficient furnace and the old 78 or 80% furnaces is such that the cost cannot be recouped in fuel savings over the expected life time of the furnace.</i> Since 1/3rd of furnaces sold have AFUE of 90% or better, your claim is doubtful. Are that many buyers hood winked ? But you say "cost" in your calculation above. Do you count the cost of lifetime support for thousands of brain damaged Iraqi veterans in your "cost" ? Do you include the Global Warming costs for centuries to come (that long for the CO2 to disappear) in your "cost" ? Do you count the trillions spent by the US Dept. of Defense to protect our oil and growing LNG shipments in your "cost" ? Do you count the failure of the US dollar due to a massive and growing balance of payments deficit (and the possible failure of our economy with collapse of the US $) in your "cost" ? Best Hopes for Stopping the Subsidies (see above) for Oil & Gas Users, Alan A good Republican (I like Ike) would have a "pay as you go" gas tax for the Iraq War. "User pays" & fiscal responsibility used to be a good Republican values. They are still my values, along with competence and honesty in government, a moderate & restrained foreign policy, which is why I am no longer a Republican. George W Bush cured me. the price difference between a 90% efficient furnace and the old 78 or 80% furnaces is such that the cost cannot be recouped in fuel savings over the expected life time of the furnace.

Since 1/3rd of furnaces sold have AFUE of 90% or better, your claim is doubtful. Are that many buyers hood winked ?

But you say “cost” in your calculation above.

Do you count the cost of lifetime support for thousands of brain damaged Iraqi veterans in your “cost” ?

Do you include the Global Warming costs for centuries to come (that long for the CO2 to disappear) in your “cost” ?

Do you count the trillions spent by the US Dept. of Defense to protect our oil and growing LNG shipments in your “cost” ?

Do you count the failure of the US dollar due to a massive and growing balance of payments deficit (and the possible failure of our economy with collapse of the US $) in your “cost” ?

Best Hopes for Stopping the Subsidies (see above) for Oil & Gas Users,

Alan

A good Republican (I like Ike) would have a “pay as you go” gas tax for the Iraq War. “User pays” & fiscal responsibility used to be a good Republican values.

They are still my values, along with competence and honesty in government, a moderate & restrained foreign policy, which is why I am no longer a Republican. George W Bush cured me.

]]> By: jim davis http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-13342 jim davis Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:43:57 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-13342 Alan: How about if Congress votes on appliance standards in the first place?? Where in the Constitution is the executive branch given any power to legislate, or the Congress any power to delegate it powers?? Further, where in the Constitution is the federal government given any power to set such standards? Daniel is absolutely correct. Furthermore,the price difference between a 90% efficient furnace and the old 78 or 80% furnaces is such that the cost cannot be recouped in fuel savings over the expected life time of the furnace. Also, all the fancy computers, sensors, and ignitors are all possible points of failure, and they do fail often, making these units less reliable and more expensive to maintain. Alan:

How about if Congress votes on appliance standards in the first place?? Where in the Constitution is the executive branch given any power to legislate, or the Congress any power to delegate it powers?? Further, where in the Constitution is the federal government given any power to set such standards?

Daniel is absolutely correct. Furthermore,the price difference between a 90% efficient furnace and the old 78 or 80% furnaces is such that the cost cannot be recouped in fuel savings over the expected life time of the furnace. Also, all the fancy computers, sensors, and ignitors are all possible points of failure, and they do fail often, making these units less reliable and more expensive to maintain.

]]> By: Alan Drake http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-12893 Alan Drake Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:04:09 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-12893 <b>Daniel, The United States of America does not get oil from the free market. We pay a VAST number of "other costs" to get our oil (and natural gas to a lesser degree). The thousands of brain injured Iraq veterans that will require a lifetime of care are one cost. The moral weight of starting a war that has already driven 4 million civilians from their homes and will likely kill 1 million innocent civilians before it's end, and the "no comment" about a Saudi rape victim getting 200 lashes. (What if she had been Iranian ?) All told, the costs to the US Treasury to control Middle East oil will exceed $1 trillion. And the indirect costs will be greater. Add smaller costs that society (but not oil users) pay for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The USA will have to sell off it's assets to feed our addiction to oil (CitiBank sold 5% to Abu Dhabi yesterday, two weeks ago they bought 5% of AMD (#2 to Intel). Expect more as those green pieces of paper in your wallet continue to lose value. Global Warming will one day COST far more than the price of oil and gas at the pump and meter. The "market price" of oil does not cover a third of all the costs involved. If you and other Republicans want to repeal appliance standards, then do so HONESTLY. Pass a law in Congress with a majority vote in both houses. Until you do so, appliance standards should not be repealed by incompetence. GWB has a duty to set appliance standards according to the intentions of Congress. He has failed miserably ! Hopefully the next President will not be so incompetent or evade his or her duty under law. Daniel,

The United States of America does not get oil from the free market. We pay a VAST number of “other costs” to get our oil (and natural gas to a lesser degree).

The thousands of brain injured Iraq veterans that will require a lifetime of care are one cost. The moral weight of starting a war that has already driven 4 million civilians from their homes and will likely kill 1 million innocent civilians before it’s end, and the “no comment” about a Saudi rape victim getting 200 lashes. (What if she had been Iranian ?)

All told, the costs to the US Treasury to control Middle East oil will exceed $1 trillion. And the indirect costs will be greater.

Add smaller costs that society (but not oil users) pay for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The USA will have to sell off it’s assets to feed our addiction to oil (CitiBank sold 5% to Abu Dhabi yesterday, two weeks ago they bought 5% of AMD (#2 to Intel). Expect more as those green pieces of paper in your wallet continue to lose value.

Global Warming will one day COST far more than the price of oil and gas at the pump and meter.

The “market price” of oil does not cover a third of all the costs involved.

If you and other Republicans want to repeal appliance standards, then do so HONESTLY. Pass a law in Congress with a majority vote in both houses. Until you do so, appliance standards should not be repealed by incompetence. GWB has a duty to set appliance standards according to the intentions of Congress. He has failed miserably !

Hopefully the next President will not be so incompetent or evade his or her duty under law.

]]> By: Daniel http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-12874 Daniel Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:46:41 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-12874 Jim, Cap and trade does not help the economy, it only hurts the economy. There may be some new jobs in certain sectors, but those gains will be canceled out with the losses in all of the sectors that use energy. Cap and trade will drive up prices and make the rest of the energy-intensive industries leave America for China and the third world. I think that is unacceptable. Jim,
Cap and trade does not help the economy, it only hurts the economy. There may be some new jobs in certain sectors, but those gains will be canceled out with the losses in all of the sectors that use energy. Cap and trade will drive up prices and make the rest of the energy-intensive industries leave America for China and the third world. I think that is unacceptable.

]]> By: Daniel http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-12873 Daniel Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:43:44 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-12873 Alan, Republicans believe in free markets and thank goodness Bush believes at least a little in free markets. Real conservatives aren't going to impose a restraint on free markets like furnace standards. If they did, they might as well be Democrats. To say this is a disaster from a national economic point of view is to misapprehend economics. People should be able to decide for themselves what furnaces they want to buy isn't of having Washington tell them. Since when have the Republicans become the national energy nannies? Republicans know better than that. Alan,
Republicans believe in free markets and thank goodness Bush believes at least a little in free markets. Real conservatives aren’t going to impose a restraint on free markets like furnace standards. If they did, they might as well be Democrats. To say this is a disaster from a national economic point of view is to misapprehend economics. People should be able to decide for themselves what furnaces they want to buy isn’t of having Washington tell them. Since when have the Republicans become the national energy nannies? Republicans know better than that.

]]> By: Alan Drake http://www.terrarossa.com/senator-you-have-a-message/#comment-12432 Alan Drake Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:40:52 +0000 http://www.terrarossa.com/?p=253#comment-12432 <b>Meanwhile new Bush Administration Furnace Standards do nothing. Minimum AFUE (efficiency) for gas furnaces raised from 78% to 80% in 2015. Minimum AFUE for oil furnaces raised from 78% to 82% in 2015. Most furnaces already exceed these standards, many (about 1/3rd) are 90+% AFUE. A lost opportunity ! Over the life of these new furnaces how much imported oil and natural gas (US is *NOT* self sufficient in NG, so any savings will come out of imports) will be burned versus a more pro-American, pro-Environment, pro-Economy standard of 80% NG/82% oil AFUE in 2008, 90% AFUE in July 2009 and AFUE of 93% (or 94%) in July 2010 ? From a national economic POV, national security POV and environmental POV, this policy decision is an absolute disaster ! Perhaps a reformed Republican Party after 2008 can do better. It will be hard to do worse ! Alan Meanwhile new Bush Administration Furnace Standards do nothing.

Minimum AFUE (efficiency) for gas furnaces raised from 78% to 80% in 2015.

Minimum AFUE for oil furnaces raised from 78% to 82% in 2015.

Most furnaces already exceed these standards, many (about 1/3rd) are 90+% AFUE.

A lost opportunity !

Over the life of these new furnaces how much imported oil and natural gas (US is *NOT* self sufficient in NG, so any savings will come out of imports) will be burned versus a more pro-American, pro-Environment, pro-Economy standard of 80% NG/82% oil AFUE in 2008, 90% AFUE in July 2009 and AFUE of 93% (or 94%) in July 2010 ?

From a national economic POV, national security POV and environmental POV, this policy decision is an absolute disaster !

Perhaps a reformed Republican Party after 2008 can do better. It will be hard to do worse !

Alan

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