Boulder, Colorado. My current home base. Mecca of Green Consciousness.
Thinking so advanced that most days I take it for granted.
But really, I feel lucky enough to be a part of the collective vision of the republic. We continue to push beyond our borders as local eco-warriors working daily to expand these ideas in an effort to create a national trend. Take for instance, Boulder County Amendment 1A , it passed with flying colors (65% to 35%) but what does it mean for people who live green?
Opportunity. Jobs. Efficiency. Less Impact.
A ‘save the planet’ good vibe for the whole community.
Why?- the well-established Boulder County ClimateSmart Program will be in charge of overseeing the provisions of the amendment, including financing bonds and approving both homeowner and business applicants for the energy efficient loans. The program started with a bang on Tuesday night (December 2, 2008) with standing room only at the kickoff open house. The usual who’s who of the GB world attended, with the audience being half eager homeowners and half GB professionals, many of whom have worked for years to create GB policy for the City of Boulder building codes. More Boulder City Code Changes Effective March 2, 2009 The details of the 1A proposal are right on target with what both homeowners and professionals want – easy financing for upgrades that make an immediate impact.
My favorite part about this program is that Boulder County will begin to decrease its carbon footprint beyond immediately. It is the only way to make big change fast enough. Did you know that existing buildings in the US are the largest energy drain on the grid? Buildings in the U.S. consume more than 30% of our total energy and over 60% of total electricity. http://www.usgbc.com Oh, so you drive a hybrid or ride a bike… good for you! (Transportation in the USA is 8.06% of the total worldwide CO2 emissions, but our nation’s buildings make up 10.83%)
According to Jim Logan Architects ‘The built environment is responsible for 36% of the energy use and 35% of the carbon emissions in the U.S. And its impact has been growing – 48% of the increase in carbon emissions is due to the building sector. The residential sector alone generates 20% of the total emissions.’ They have lots of cool case studies & are into the energy science research of buildings…
Yes, you can make an even greater impact for your eco-coolness by insulating your house or sealing your ductwork. I know it’s boring. But once you do it and see your next energy bill, you might be pretty darn excited. You may even feel cooler than riding your bike in the snow.
Stay tuned while I explore more details of the program, how the loans will work for local businesses and homeowners, info on rebates and tax credits, links to resources and much more about the products that will qualify for the loans. Start looking at this now – the funding won’t last long. $40 billion is pocket change for what really needs to happen nationwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment