A friend recently described me as a ‘fiscal conservative tree hugger’ and its the first political label I have felt comfortable wearing since my “Olie North was Right” button. Not to digress, but North said the most dangerous man in the world was Osama Bin Laden, many years before any of us knew…
And so it is with the need for fiscal conservatives (people who believe this generation should pay it’s own bills and not heap debt on future tax payers - our kids) to embrace the Green movement with more gusto. Green in my mind means innovation and reinvention and questioning old paradigms of thrift. Through technology it is possible to get more for less. Government has an important role here in motivating and promoting innovation, but government’s rarely innovate (except for at NASA - think Velcro, Mylar, etc.)
It’s time to turn on the R&D mills full blast to rethink energy usage. Good article from CNNfn.com this morning:
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Energy savers: The government is paying you to go green with its new Residential Energy Property credit, increasing the incentives it gives to homeowners who make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes.
The original credit was set to expire at the end of 2007, but it has been extended through 2010. And the new law allows you to claim up to 30% of improvement costs, up from 10% under the previous law.
The credit cap was also raised to $1,500 this year for upgrades made in 2009 and 2010. Qualifying improvements include adding insulation, energy conserving windows and efficient heating and air-conditioning systems.
The Tax Institute’s McAnarney said the credit is mainly for heating and cooling efficiency items, and therefore appliances such as energy conserving refrigerators are not included.
To find out which of your upgrades qualify for the tax break, McAnarney recommends checking with Energy Star, a government-backed program that determines energy efficiency.
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