Hanukkah: The Festival of Energy Efficient Lighting
We are in the middle of the Jewish Festival of efficient and renewable Lights.
Hanukkah commemorates the “rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem” twenty-two centuries ago. The miracle being celebrated is that they only had enough “consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days.”
From my perspective, the miracle was a sign from on high to use renewable fuels and/or put them in a lamp that burns very, very efficiently. And speaking about green lights, how about an LED motherboard menorah — but you’d better run it on renewable power.
In honor of Hanukkah, here’s a guest posts on efficiency, “Home energy efficiency: no surprise, very fast paybacks to be expected,” from A. Siegel’s Get Energy Smart Now! blog:
Very simply, across the economy, energy efficiency is almost certainly the top investment option — as individuals, businesses, communities, government … The rate of return possibilities are tremendous and unlike gambles to grow business or play the stock market, this is ‘guaranteed’ cash in the bank.
And, it is ‘cash in the bank’ in terms of cost savings. It is ‘cash in the bank’ in terms of job creation. It is ‘cash in the bank’ due to improved resiliency in the face of (manmade or natural) disaster. It is ‘cash in the bank’ due to reduced pollution impacts and reduced GHG emissions. It is ‘cash in the bank’ many times over in many different ways.
Sadly, too many people buy into the concept that we need some great invention to do anything meaningful on climate change.
Sadly, too many people falsely believe that there is some great unaffordable cost to Energy Smart practices.
We need to push those false notions aside to enable transformational opportunities toward a prosperous, climate-friendly future.
Comments from two recent conversations seem relevant prior to jumping into a discussion of a just released report on the payback periods for improved residential building energy efficiency codes.
- In a discussion about energy / energy efficiency / energy security, a (rather) senior person who focuses on business processes commented to me “it seems like this is really all about technology” after I had, perhaps, spent too much time speaking rhapsodically about some Energy COOL systems and concepts. No, no, no … in fact, a tremendous share of our challenges in developing a prosperous, climate-friendly society derive from misguided incentives, procedures/policies/habits that work against Energy Smart practices, etc … With (relatively) minor shifts in building codes, standards, tax codes (and financial accounting practices), we could drive tremendous changes that would improve the economy while reducing our fossil-foolish dependencies.
- An acquaintance bought a ‘green show home’ where, almost literally, no expense was spared. While there were reasons for this no-holds barred approach, a simple fact: the money that was poured (almost literally) into the house was well beyond the legitimate market value and it sold at a substantial discount to the construction price. The acquaintance: “while this green stuff is great and I love it, I guess it is just too expensive for the marketplace”. On hearing that, I spent some time walking through how a normal (rather than over-the-top) investment in energy efficiency (and ‘green’) not only improves the home’s livability and not only reduces the damage on the environment, but also has incredibly fast payback periods better than anything a (reasonable) person could expect from Wall Street.
A few days ago, the BCAP online code environment and advocacy network (OCEAN) released an “incremental cost analysis” on residential energy efficiency that I will share with these two. That discussion begins
“One of the major barriers to energy code adoption is the concern from some in the residential building community that the cost of upgrading to the latest model energy code would be prohibitive. To address this issue, BCAP undertook a study to quantify the incremental construction cost of upgrading to the 2009 IECC in each state where such an analysis was feasible.”
The IECC is the International Energy Conservation Code and see here for an overview of the 2009 IECC. For more about building codes and their status, the Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes site is a good place to begin.
Back, however, to the BCAP OCEAN analysis (full report). Across 29 states for which analysis was possible, the BCAP found that the average additional construction cost due to upgrading to the 2009 IECC from the 2006 IECC (about a 15 percent increase in energy efficiency) would be $ 818.72 for the national average 2,400 square foot home selling for $ 267,451. The annual utility savings: $ 243.37.
Wow!
That does sound tremendous, doesn’t it. On average, due to upgrading from 2006′’s building standards, a homeowner would pay a bit more upfront but get the costs paid back in less than four years (actually about 40 months … 3.36 years to be exact) and the savings would keep on coming.
However, that is actually the pessimistic way of looking at things. How many people pay 100%, upfront, for a home? We don’t need to look it up to arrive at the answer: not many. A 20 percent downpayment would go up by $ 154.78 and, with a 4 1/8th percent 30-year mortgage, that monthly payment would go up by $ 3.01. Between that higher down payment and the increased monthly payment, the homebuyer would pay $ 180.90 in additional mortgage related costs in the first year while have $ 243.37 of lower utility bills. A $ 62.47 savings in that first year. And, $ 36.12 in higher mortgage payments from then on with annual savings of $ 207.25. Over a 30-year mortgage, buying that 15 percent more energy efficient home would save the average American well over $ 6000 (without even counting inflating energy costs).
“A home is usually an individual or family’s biggest lifetime investment, so it makes sense to protect and maximize the value of that investment by building in energy efficiency from the ground up - and reaping the benefits of lower energy bills from day one.” (BCAP Executive Director Aleisha Khan)
Please note, however, that the 2009 IECC isn’t some revolutionary, PassivHaus-like, concept that maximizes energy efficiency — it is a moderate improvement over existing codes rather than something that pushes the edge in terms of available supplies or building industry practices. E.g., while we could do far better than this (which is something that DOE, BCAP, and others are seeking to do), the 2009 IECC is clearly a minimum of what we should expect in our homes.
Technology Invention vs Process and CtB vs CtO
Going back to my opening discussion.
- The challenge isn’t inventing technology, pulling rabbits out the house, but moving processes, practices, financial incentives, and otherwise away from favoring fossil foolish choices toward enabling Energy Smart paths toward a prosperous, climate-friendly future.
- Yes, it will (often) cost more to build that more energy efficient house. (Of course, as long as the ’size’ remains the same.) That is, however, a “cost to buy” question. The real question is how much it will cost to own. And, in this case, that upfront investment drives a notably lower cost to own — a lower cost that is apparent from day one, with the true incremental cost to the homeowner paid back in less than eight months. More to buy, (far) less to own.
Very simply, the best single ’societal’ investment would be taking steps to break through the logjams that inhibit Energy Smart practices that would enable job creation, drive down our fossil foolish tendencies, improve economic performance, and reduce pollution.
The payback — that return on investment — is tremendous across so many arenas that it is actually quite difficult to get to a true total return on investment. All I know, anyway you slice it, this does look to be “The BEST investment” we could make.
Hat-tip: Green Building Advisor and American Solar Energy Society.
For a related, excellent discussion, see Celebrating a historic week for building energy codes highlighting how the 2012 IECC will be even better than the 2009 IECC.
“Last week, members of the International Code Council (ICC) approved changes to building energy codes – the CAFE standards of the buildings world – that will require new and renovated homes and commercial buildings to use 30 percent less energy than those built to current standards.
The votes are truly historic. Never in the history of the ICC have such enormous gains in energy efficiency been made in such a short time.
The changes, which will occur in the 2012 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), leverage sensible and cost-effective strategies to reduce energy, …
An average home that’s 30 percent more energy-efficient than the current standard returns more than $ 500 annually in energy cost savings to homeowners even after factoring in the capitalized cost of the improvements.”
- A Siegel
Related Post:
- Energy efficiency is THE core climate solution, Part 1: The biggest low-carbon resource by far
- Part 2: The limitless resource
- Part 3: The only cheap power left
- Part 4: How California does it so consistently and cost-effectively.
- Part 5: Why efficiency has the highest documented rate of return of any federal program.
Portland Christmas tree lighting jihadist caught on video: “You know what the whole West thing is? They want to insult our religion.”
Yes, but the learned analysts know that he did it because his parents got divorced. “Video Gives Glimpse Into Terror Suspect’s Beliefs: FOX 12 Obtains Exclusive Video Of Mohamed Mohamud,” from FOX12 (KPTV.com), December 1 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
PORTLAND, Ore. — A source tells KPTV this video of Mohamed Mohamud was recorded on an iPhone on May 22 inside an Oregon State University dorm room.
We don’t know much about why this recording was made, but the source says it was taken following a confrontation.
From the video:
“He wants a fight. That’s what he wants, and he’s trying to do….You know what the whole West thing is? They want to insult our religion. They want to take our lands. They want to rape our women while we’re bowing down to them. This is what they want. This country and Europe and all those countries, that’s all they want. They want Muslims to -”
The recording appears to be edited, and we don’t know what led up to the recording or who he’s talking about.
Again, from the video:
“If I met him, I would get five, six Muslims, beat the (expletive) out of him. That’s something I have zero tolerance for. When it comes to our prophet, nobody can say anything. They’re calling it freedom of speech. It’s not freedom of speech. They’re doing it.”…
Oregon residents fear more jihad attacks after Christmas tree lighting plot — no, wait…
The mainstream media line after any jihad attack or foiled plot is not about how Muslims are working to prove their loyalty to America and redoubling their efforts to root out the jihadists within their communities. It is not about how they’re instituting programs in mosques and Islamic schools to teach against the jihadist understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Instead, it is about how Muslims are victims, fearing a “backlash” that never quite materializes.
“Oregon Muslim leaders fear retribution after plot,” by Jonathan Cooper and Nigel Duara for the Associated Press, November 29 (thanks to Elias):
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Patrols around mosques and other Islamic sites in Portland have been stepped up as Muslim leaders expressed fears of retribution, days after a Somali-American man was accused of trying to blow up a van full of explosives during the city’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Portland Mayor Sam Adams said Sunday that he beefed up protection around mosques “and other facilities that might be vulnerable to knuckle-headed retribution” after hearing of the bomb plot.
I wonder if he has beefed up protection around sites that might be targets of another jihad attack.
The move followed a fire Sunday at the Islamic center in Corvallis, a college town about 75 miles southwest of Portland, where suspect Mohamed Osman Mohamud occasionally worshipped, prompting an FBI arson investigation and concern about the potential for more retaliation….
On what basis is anyone sure that the arson attack constituted retaliation in the first place?
Earlier Sunday, worshippers at the damaged Islamic center expressed concern about retribution.
“I’ve prayed for my family and friends, because obviously if someone was deliberate enough to do this, what’s to stop them from coming to our homes and our schools?” said Mohamed Alyagouri, a 31-year-old father of two who worships at the center. “I’m afraid for my children getting harassed from their teachers, maybe from their friends.”
Yosof Wanly, the center’s imam, said he was thinking about temporarily relocating his family because of the possibility of hate crimes.
“We know how it is, we know some people due to ignorance are going to perceive of these things and hold most Muslims accountable,” Wanly said. But he said Corvallis has long been accepting of Muslims.
Meanwhile, even the jihadist himself is a victim:
Omar Jamal, first secretary for the Somali mission to the United Nations in New York City, told The Associated Press his office has received “thousands of calls” from Somalis in the United States who are concerned about tactics used by federal agents in the sting operation against Mohamud….
Arson Reported at Islamic Center in Corvallis, OR where Christmas Tree Lighting Bomb Plot Suspect Attended
Arson at Islamic Center sometimes attended by Christmas tree lighting bomber.
It is reported at the The Oregonian that an Islamic Center where the Christmas tree lighting terorist bomber, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, was intentionally set on fire. Is it a coincidence, that arson would occur at this Islamic Center one day after 19 year old Mohamed Osman Mohamudattempted to blow up innocent men, women and children at a Christmas tree lighting? Instead of wishing others Merry Christ, Happy Holidays and Yule time tidings … Mohamud wishes death to Infidels. Hmm, so arson occurs one day later in an office area? Atlas Shruggs says, “color me skeptical.” Or as Weasel Zippers says, “strange coincidence? Or something else?”
The AP reported that an office was set on fire this morning, none of the religious worshipping areas were damaged.
Arson caused a fire on Sunday at an Islamic center that was the occasional place of worship for a Somali-born teen who two days ago was arrested on charges of plotting a terror attack in Portland, authorities said.
The fire at the Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center was set early Sunday morning, said Carla Pusateri, a fire prevention officer for the Corvallis Fire Department.
She said “quite a bit of evidence” was left at the scene, which led her to believe the fire was intentionally set. No injuries have been reported.
The Islamic center was frequented by Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a 19-year-old held on charges of plotting to carry out a terror attack at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland on Friday.
Yosof Wanly, imam at the Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center, said Mohamud was a normal student who went to athletic events, drank the occasional beer and was into rap music and culture.
Wanly said Mohamud was religious but didn’t come to the mosque consistently.
The fire on Sunday was contained to one room, burning 80 percent of the center’s office, Wanly said. The worship areas were untouched.
I guess it is safe to say that a Christmas tree did not catch on fire in the mosque, eh?
Oh wait, here is a great MSM justification for a Muslim radical wanting to blow up children at a Christmas tree lighting … parents split. So this one wasn’t after the virgins, blame this terrorist act on divorce.
Neighbors say Mohamud was doted on by his family but embraced militant Islam not long after his parents split up.
“He was a quiet kid, but with his folks splitting up, who knows?” Adam Napier, who lived next door to Mohamed Osman Mohamud for years told the newspaper.
Open Thread: FBI Thwarts Terrorist Attempt to Bomb Tree Lighting Ceremony
For general discussion and debate about politics, the economy, sports, or whatever else tickles your fancy.
Possible talking point: the FBI thwarted a terrorist from setting off a bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon, Friday.
FBI Thwarts Terrorist Bombing Attempt by Somali Muslim Teen (Mohamed Osman Mohamud) at Portland, OR Christmas Tree Lighting
Because Islam is a religions of peace … Merry Christmas from Radical Islam.
Once again the FBI have thwarted a bombing attempt in the US and the suspect is not a Baptist, Methodist, Quaker, Catholic, Amish, Presbyterianism, Mennonite, Congregationalist or Mormon. Guess what religious persuasion the suspected terrorist is?
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19 year old, Somali-born US citizen
The FBI has thwarted a terrorist bombing attempt in Portland, Oregon at a Christmas tree lighting. Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a 19 year old, Somali-born US citizen, was arrested just 18 minutes before the tree lighting was to occur. Mohamud was taken away and arrested by the FBI and Portland Police Bureau after he attempted to detonate what he believed was an explosives-laden van parked near the tree-lighting ceremony.
The FBI thwarted an attempted terrorist bombing in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square before the city’s annual tree-lighting Friday night, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.
A Corvallis man, thinking he was going to ignite a bomb, drove a van to the corner of the square at Southwest Yamhill Street and Sixth Avenue and attempted to detonate it.
However, the supposed explosive was a dummy that FBI operatives supplied to him, according to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint signed Friday night by U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a Somali-born U.S. citizen, was arrested at 5:42 p.m., 18 minutes before the tree lighting was to occur, on an accusation of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $ 250,000 fine.
The criminal complaint against terrorist Mohamed Osman Mohamud can be read HERE.
More at the Gateway Pundit and the Jawa Report.
So what’s next as a result of this terrorist attempt, will Obama and Napolitano have body scans and pat down for all Christmas tree lighting ceremonies?
Please Don’t Profile: Muslim Foreign-born Teen Tries to Blow-up Christmas Tree Lighting
Federal agents in a sting operation arrested a Somali-born teenager just as he tried blowing up a van he believed was loaded with explosives at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, authorities said.
The bomb was an elaborate fake supplied by the agents and the public was never in danger, authorities said.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested at 5:40 p.m. Friday just after he dialed a cell phone that he thought would set off the blast but instead brought federal agents and police swooping down on him.
Yelling “Allahu Akbar!”—Arabic for “God is great!”—Mohamud tried to kick agents and police after he was taken into custody, according to prosecutors.
“The threat was very real,” said Arthur Balizan, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon. “Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale.”
White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said Saturday that President Barack Obama was aware of the FBI operation before Friday’s arrest. Shapiro said Obama was assured that the FBI was in full control of the operation and that the public was not in danger.
“The events of the past 24 hours underscore the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism here and abroad,” Shapiro said. “The president thanks the FBI, the Department of Justice and the rest of our law enforcement, intelligence and Homeland Security professionals who have once again served with extraordinary skill and resolve and with the commitment that their enormous responsibilities demand.”
A law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that federal agents began investigating the suspect after receiving a tip from someone who was concerned about the teenager. The official declined to provide more detail about the relationship between Mohamud and that source.
The FBI affidavit that outlined the investigation alleges that Mohamud planned the attack for months, at one point mailing bomb components to FBI operatives, whom he believed were assembling the device.
Man Of Vague Religion Arrested In Bomb Plot At Portland Christmas Tree Lighting
Janet Napolitano will surely institute enhanced groping in order to attend future Christmas tree lightings
The FBI thwarted an attempted terrorist bombing in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square before the city’s annual tree-lighting Friday night, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.
A Corvallis man, thinking he was going to ignite a bomb, drove a van to the corner of the square at Southwest Yamhill Street and Sixth Avenue and attempted to detonate it.
However, the supposed explosive was a dummy that FBI operatives supplied to him, according to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint signed Friday night by U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta.
Obviously, a political/religious movement played no part in this attempted bombing. And what was the little darlings name?
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a Somali-born U.S. citizen, was arrested at 5:42 p.m., 18 minutes before the tree lighting was to occur, on an accusation of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $ 250,000 fine.
I’m just taking a wild stab in the dark, but, somehow I doubt he is Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or Druid. I’d guess…….Muslim. Just saying.
“During this meeting, Mohamud explained how he had been thinking of committing some form of violent jihad since the age of 15,” the affidavit says. “Mohamud then told (the FBI operatives) that he had identified a potential target for a bomb: the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square on Nov. 26, 2010.”
And the AP reports
Mohamud yelled “Allahu Akhkbar” and tried to kick agents and police as the arrest came, according to prosecutors.
I’m not 100% sure if thinking he is a member of the Religion of Peace is correct, though. Or, maybe the media is just assuming nowadays that all attempted terrorists are Islamists, so, there is no need to publish that information.
Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach. sit back and Relax. we’ll dRive!
Oregon: Muslim teen arrested after attempted car bomb attack at Christmas tree lighting ceremony
Mohamed Osman Mohamud: Misunderstander of IslamHe yelled “Allahu akbar” and tried to kick agents as they swooped in to arrest him. DoJ press release here. “Feds Arrest Somali-Born Teen in Car Bomb Plot,” from the Associated Press, November 27 (thanks to Markus):
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Somali-born teenager plotted to carry out a car bomb attack at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Portland on Friday, but the bomb turned out to be a dud supplied by undercover agents as part of a sting, federal prosecutors said.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested at 5:40 p.m. just after he dialed a cell phone that he thought would blow up a van laden with explosives but instead brought federal agents and Portland police swooping in to take him into custody.
Mohamud yelled “Allahu Akhkbar” and tried to kick agents and police as the arrest came, according to prosecutors.
He was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton released federal court documents Friday that show the sting operation began in June after an undercover agent learned that Mohamud had been in contact with an “unindicted associate” in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier region.
Mohamud is a naturalized U.S. citizen who has been living in Corvallis.
According to a federal complaint, Mohamud was in regular email contact with the “unindicted associate’ in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier starting in August 2009.
The complaint states that in December 2009 Mohamud and the “unindicted associate” used coded language in an email in which the FBI believes Mohamud discussed traveling to Pakistan to prepare for “violent jihad.”…
Last June an FBI agent contacted Mohamud “under the guise of being affiliated with the first associate.”
Mohamud and the undercover agent agreed to meet in Portland on July 30. At that meeting, the undercover agent and Mohamud “discussed violent jihad,” according to the court document.
Mohamud told the agent he wanted to set off explosives at the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square, an event that occurred on Friday….
