Saving the City: An Interview with Brian Anderson

1) In the autumn of 1990, City Journal published its first issue. Its letter from the editors spoke of the “intolerable conditions” suffered by New Yorkers, a generation of residents who’d never known anything better, and a desire “to focus some of the immense ingenuity and energy which flows to New York on making the city livable once again.”

All these years later, it is difficult to imagine that bygone New York City. Take us back to the bad old days. How was life different? What particular ills inspired the magazine’s launch? And how did it go from an idea to a bundle of articles produced each quarter?

Who should attend?
Everyone interested in learning about environmentally friendly goods & services for use in modern everyday living.

What will you see?
• Over 200 Booths / Exhibits
• Green Job Expo
• Interactive Seminars / Speeches
• Green Marketplace
• Demonstrations & hands on activities

When?
Friday, April 16th, 2010 • 10am – 5pm

Business-to-Business & Business-to-Consumer Expo
Saturday, April 17th, 2010 • 10am – 6pm
Sunday, April 18th, 2010 • 10am – 5pm

Where?
Greater Philadelphia Expo Center
100 Station Avenue
Oaks, PA 19456
484-754-3976
www.phillyexpocenter.com

Why?
To learn how green alternatives can positively change the way you impact the environment. Each of our small changes make a big impact.

How?
Click HERE for tickets

Tickets:
Friday: Complimentary to Business Buyers
(please bring your business card for admission)
Saturday & Sunday: $10 for a full weekend pass
$5 for Students & Seniors with proper ID; Children 12 and under are Free

http://www.puc.state.pa.us/general/consumer_ed/pdf/Rate_Caps.pdf

The book has three sections, the Head, the Heart and the Hands. The Head explores the issues of peak oil and climate change, and how when looked at together, we need to be focusing on the rebuilding of resilience as well as cutting carbon emissions. It argues that the focus of our lives will become increasingly local and small scale as we come to terms with the real implications of the energy crisis we are heading into. The Heart looks at where we find the personal tools for responding to what can feel like overwhelming challenges. It argues that key to our success will be our ability to generate positive visions of future, to harness the power of engaged optimism, and overcome powerlessness. The Hands offers a detailed exploration of the Transition model, setting out its principles, its origins, the 12 Steps of Transition, how they were applied in the first year of Transition Town Totnes, as well as offering a taste of how the model has been applied in a range of other settings. The book also contains lots of ‘Tools for Transition’, exercises and activities that can help to deepen this work in your community.

Click here to order a copy of The Transition Handbook

Where: Piers 92/94
Price: $25 for a weekend pass
When: 10:00am Fri 3.19.10-5:00pm Fri 3.19.10 with 2 other showtimes 3.19.10 through 3.21.10

Federal economic stimulus money will start providing rebates to Pennsylvanians, as early as this April, on the purchase of new, Energy Star-rated hot-water heaters, furnaces and boilers.

Gov. Ed Rendell said Tuesday that applications for rebates are expected to become available in April on the state’s stimulus Web site, www.recovery.pa.gov.
Rendell says the $11 million rebate program could benefit more than 30,000 Pennsylvania households and provide long-term energy savings.

The Recovery Act-funded rebates also include “white goods” such as washers, dryers and refrigerators.
The rebates will be worth $100 to $500. The higher the equipment’s efficiency rating, the larger the rebate.
The rebates only apply to non-electric residential heating equipment. Rebates on electrical appliances may be available through regulated electric utility companies.

Contact http://Greencollarrap.com/hec to get more information, or to schedule a consultation.

The tax hike is a broad-based energy tax that will wallop every American who fills a gas tank, pays an electric bill, or buys any product that has to be grown, shipped, or manufactured.

The mechanism is cap-and-trade, which is like a tax on coal, oil, and natural gas but instead of being set at a specific amount, the total level of use is capped and companies are forced to pay the government for emissions permits-which Wall Street wizards at companies like AIG and Goldman Sachs can in turn trade on sophisticated exchanges and derivative markets.

White House Budget Director Peter Orzcag admitted that decreasing carbon emissions imposes costs on the economy, and “much of those costs will be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for energy and energy-intensive goods.”

Lighting accounts for about 7% of a home’s energy costs. CFL bulbs use 66% less energy and last up to ten times as long as incandescent bulbs. The higher efficiency adds up to energy savings of 3.6% on average. They now come in a range of sizes, so they’ll fit almost any type of fixture, and styles, including full-spectrum, which mimics natural sunlight.

Test out one of each – Soft white, Bright White, or Daylight, and see which one works best in your house. Traditional incandescent bulbs use more energy because the majority of electricity generates heat vs. light. Also consider choosing the ones that have a ‘covered’ dome over the spiral bulb for safety and a better looking fixture – especially for recessed lighting.

Sample performance: Replace 20 incandescent bulbs that are 60 Watts with a life expectancy of 1,500 hours, with CFLs that only use 14 Watts and last 10,000 hours.

The ROI Calculation is based on replacing 20 bulbs that typically burn 750 hours per year with CFLs that cost $3.00- $6.00 each, and average cost of electricity that is $2.76 per day. Each bulb saves on average $4 to $7 per year.

Click here to purchase CFL for your home today.

Indoors

__ Check the fireplace: It’s about time to get those logs burning, so get the fireplace ready! Clean the fireplace chimney or wood stove flue using brushes approved for the size and type of flue you have. If you’re not partial to ladders, roofs and soot, this is a good project to leave to an experienced chimney sweep company. A good chimney sweep will also inspect the fireplace from top to bottom, and talk to you about any repairs that need doing. Clean out the firebox, making sure you place the ashes in a fireproof container with a tight lid for proper disposal. If you have an airtight wood stove or fireplace insert, check the door-seal gasket, and clean the glass on the door.

__ Change your furnace filters: Replace your old furnace filter with a new one. While you’re at it, check the furnace for worn belts, lubrication needs or other servicing that might be required; refer to your owner’s manual for specific suggestions, and follow any manufacturer safety instructions for shutting the power and fuel to the furnace before servicing.

__ Change smoke detector batteries: Replace the batteries in each of your smoke detectors with a fresh one. When you’re done, take a moment to test each detector and make sure it’s operating correctly.

__ Install a carbon monoxide detector: As houses get closed up for winter, the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning from malfunctioning gas appliances increases substantially. If you have a furnace, fireplace, water heater or other appliance that is fueled by propane or natural gas, now is the ideal time to install a carbon monoxide detector. They’re available inexpensively from many home centers and retailers of heating system supplies.

__ Close off foundation vents: Depending on the winter climate in your area, you’ll want to be thinking about closing off your foundation vents to help prevent pipe freezes. You can leave the foundation open for as many months as the weather remains mild, but close them off when the local forecasts begin calling for freezing temperatures. Once closed, you can leave them that way until it warms up again in the spring.

__ Check weatherstripping: Air leaks around doors and windows can rob your home of expensive heated air and create uncomfortable drafts that keep you feeling chilly. Check the weatherstripping around doors and windows, and replace any that are worn — retailers who specialize in doors and windows can fix you up with the proper replacement type for your situation. Now is also a good time to close up a few more air leaks by checking the condition of caulking around exterior door and window frames.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YA03v8yRps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7LosBGtyf8