There is an idea, a meme really, that is gaining traction out there because it is a relatively simple solution to a problem that is accelerating global warming. As the ice caps and glaciers melt, they expose open water and soil which does not reflect heat away from the earth the way ice does- in fact the darker surfaces absorb heat. There is now a movement to start regaining some of that reflective surface by literally whitening manmade surfaces that face the sun: roofs, highways, parking lots, etc. Walmart is doing this as part of their plan to improve the efficiency of their real estate.
We should be looking to residential roofing manufacturers to come out with reflective products in the near future. I am facing a major roof job on my house this year and since solar is still too costly, I’d at least like to have the option of a reflective material.

I just Googled ‘Reflective Roofing’ and they’re way ahead of me: EnergyStar for example.

I recently added another category for my posts, Green Business. You can see the categories in the ‘cloud’ in the right hand column. These clouds are a new way of displaying information. Each category’s font size grows as more posts on that subject are added. Green Business is in teeny tiny type right now because its a new category and I have not gone back and tagged old posts with it. I suspect that if I did, it would be one of the most prominent in the cloud.
The cloud fascinates me because it shows how interrelated these subjects are- I almost never have one subject assigned to a post. The cloud also embraces some subjects that are not listed. You don’t see Iraq War as a category, nor do you see Bush Cheney, even though I frequently post on these subjects. That’s because I feel that Energy is a unifying issue in these subjects: We fight in Iraq because of a terrible fear in the executive branch that if we don’t get an oil-rich country for ourselves, we’re screwed. The fact that Bush Cheney both come out of the fossil fuel cloud isn’t lost on anyone at this point.

Walter Reed and War Spin
Perhaps the best example of how things have changed politically since the election is the scandal over treatment of wounded soldiers (they’re not veterans until they are discharged from the military). Every time a Democrat votes to defund the war the right sends the message that they are hurting our troops. Yet the reality uncovered in the Walter Reed scandal is that the neo-conservatives don’t give a damn about the troops- all they care about is pursuing their oil wars. They have made a decision that it is worth paying a price in human suffering to get a foothold in oil country.
Is this too cynical and harsh? Read the stories of how impossible it is to live as a wounded soldier. Now look at the wealth accumulated by the Rumsfelds and Cheneys, not to mention the oil executives and Halliburtons of the world. This is all about short term gains.

Why They Block Innovative Energy Technology and Efficiency Standards
This is simple. The wealth the oil policies generate is so great that the beneficiaries are establishing a ruling class of legacy wealth that will outlive any disasters, wars, climate calamities, etc. Bush is already an example of such a royal clan as are Cheney and Rumsfeld. Their descendants will never have to deal with anything but the best.
If we enforce efficiencies and develop clean, cheap alternative energy sources this destruction of the middle class will fail. Cheap energy is a great democratizing force no matter where you live in the world. Blocking cheap energy and raising prices short term through wars is a way of destroying the middle class and building a world aristocracy.

Don’t get the wrong idea- I’m not a socialist, I’m a capitalist who believes in free markets and a global economy. Free markets cannot exist when a small power group are politically manipulating things to benefit their own agenda. The Democrats need to hit them hard on these points- it’s a winning strategy.

Franke,
Once again you’ve outdone yourself- I sent it around at the agency I work for.
I’m not giving up my car but I am seriously thinking about buying one of these electric bike kits. The motor is mounted in the front rim so you can easily switch it back to being a bike. I have a seven mile commute but most of it is along the Erie canal so I could cruise along the canal path. You can pedal too. I think I might do it.
I didn’t have a car for several years. Lived in downtown Rochester but there are no, as in zero, places to buy groceries. Being single at the time, I just ate out all the time.
When I bought a car it was an incredible luxury- I immediately got in and drove to the Adirondacks. Didn’t even pack anything, just drove straight from the dealership.
Someday we will look back upon our current lifestyle as a period of unimaginable luxury and wastefulness. I just don’t see any other option.
Being creative, we have to see this as the ulitimate creative challenge- to change our immediate world in every imaginable way (while we wait for cold fusion to save our asses!).

NPR ran a follow-up story on compact fluorescent bulbs yesterday after an observant listener discovered that these bulbs, hailed as a major way to save energy, contain mercury and must be disposed of in a very specific way. Mercury is a deadly poison in very small amounts and the only way to keep it out of the environment when disposing of these bulbs is to have a dedicated mercury recycling program. These are few and far between.
This sucks because major retailers like Walmart and Home Depot are pushing these bulbs and the average buyer has no understanding of what to do with them when they burn out.