Non-Renewable Energy


In the debate over how best to incorporate Non-Renewable Energy with new Renewable energy into the American energy mix, consider: Coal Power, Natural Gas Power, Nuclear Power and Oil and Petroleum. The Republicans and the Democrats all speak about Energy Independence, but their tactics are significantly different.

Drilling:
Republican candidates and elected officials typically call for lifting the federal ban on U.S. offshore oil drilling in new areas.

Democratic candidates and elected officials generally oppose opening additional U.S. waters to offshore oil drilling, but they do not rule it out entirely if it is considered as part of a comprehensive energy plan that includes incentives for renewable energy.

Note on Drilling: A 40-year old ban prohibited offshore drilling within 200 miles along both U.S. coasts. Some studies show that more than 80 percent of known oil reserves are inside the 50-mile limit.

Emissions Standards:
Republican candidates and elected officials typically support a cap-and-trade system to cut U.S. emissions 60% below 1990 levels by 2050. They would give away many emission credits at the start of the plan, though down the line phase in auctions of such credits and allow domestic and international offsets as a form of compliance.

Democratic candidates and elected officials typically support a cap-and-trade system to cut U.S. emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 and would auction off 100% of emission credits, making polluters pay for the right to emit greenhouse gases.

Fuel Economy Standards:
Republican candidates and elected officials typically would like to more effectively enforce existing fuel-economy standards.

Democratic candidates and elected officials typically support raising fuel-economy standards 4% (about one mile per gallon each year) and Barack Obama proposed spending $4 billion to help U.S. automakers improve their plants to produce more efficient cars and trucks.

Note on Fuel Economy. You may have heard the term (CAFE) Standards. It is the Corporate Average Fuel Economy that is the sales weighted average fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (mpg), of a manufacturer’s fleet of passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 lbs. or less, manufactured for sale in the United States, for any given model year.

Nuclear:
Republican candidates and elected officials typically call for building new nuclear power plants in the U.S. John McCain recommended building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030, ultimately increasing to 100 new plants and calls for government support for the nuclear industry. They believe that this plan can generate 700,000 new jobs.

Democratic candidates and elected officials typically believe that we should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix, but have said nuclear power is not a great option because of problems with safety and storage and because it usually requires big government subsidies. Most Democrats have opposed storing and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.

Coal:
Republican candidates and elected officials typically support "clean coal”, and John McCain proposed spending $2 billion a year to help develop clean-coal technologies.

Democratic candidates and elected officials typically supports coal-to-liquid fuels if they emit 20% less carbon over their lifecycle than conventional fuels. They typically believe that we should use whatever tools are necessary to stop new dirty coal plants from being built in America including a ban on new traditional coal facilities.

The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.

The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.

Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.

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