robertshields's comments:

on End of the Legislative Session

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I submit this solution as a legislative action because....

  • To attract the financial resources one building at a time is not big enough.  This needs to be pushed through as a one time infrastructure investment, which also helps with the final price tag using economy of scale strategies.

  • Since we want to stimulate new jobs, which can be sustained by applying this same action to EVERY residential, commercial, industrial piece of development in the state.  We must (for this single action) suspend, prevailing wage and standard contracting practices while preserving and enhancing the minority and emerging small business opportunities.

  • Schools and state agencies are not organized to generate revenue.  Indeed steps must be taken to ensure the budget levels of government buildings be maintained because an efficient government this month gets less money next month (kind of counter productive measures).

We are in the midst of an social, political, and economic revolution.  Like the early mammals we must adapt to this changing climate lest we go the way of the dinosaur.

More information can be obtained from the Alliance for Reason and Knowledge Linked In Group (soon on the arkpdx.org website) or simply by dropping me a line at robert@arkpdx.org

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on End of the Legislative Session

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  • Including the costs of the estimated $1M/mile to run new transmission lines it is not logical to consider building new concentrations of large wind farms or other massively degrading large scale power plant (including offshore ocean energy) until ALL the on site ability to generate clean sustainable energy has been developed FIRST.  The cheapest energy is energy generated and consumed at the same place.

To the critics who say there is no money to accomplish this task, I say they are not looking hard enough. 

  • I do not have the resources of the federal government but I have been able to identify SEVERAL sources of private equity funding offering BILLIONS of dollars for sustainable investment opportunities.

  • The financial models that could make these work for school started as a simple expansion of the Bonneville Environmental Foundations solar for schools program www.b-e-f.org and make it possible for industry to see the profit in making  these investments.

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on End of the Legislative Session

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Setting aside the economics for a moment, the technical challenge of this approach are pretty simple as solar and for the most part micro hydro and small wind have reached the point of pretty much plug-n-play! its going to take longer to orient and design the systems, arrange the financial packages, and get the material on site than it will to actually install them. A success would also produce some additional positive returns on the investment...

  • There are roughly 440 schools in the metropolitan region. It will take the coordination and cooperation (not competition) of every engineer, architect, installer, and manufacturer (in regards to Solar World and Abundant Renewable Energy Oregon's' only clean technology manufacturers) in the state to accomplish this mildly ambitious goal.  Any Oregonians want green jobs? (I think other states should run their own programs)

  • Although I don't have the numbers in front of me the combined sustainable revenue stream established be avoided energy cost and excess electrical generation would probably fill up the rain barrel which is the states "rainy day fund".

  • In my humble opinion the investment into education is THE HIGHEST PRIORITY of ANY intelligent society (unless you liked the thought of seeing the movie "Idiocracy" played out in real life).  With this in mind the math of doing this especially to the schools is Dr. Seuss simple- Get the schools a churin, to keep the teachers earnin, to see our kids succeed in their learnin. ~Thanks Cat~

  • I can understand taxing things we don't want like alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, pollution, excess driving, gasoline and ANY fossil based fuel source, or monolithic corporations but i have never understood why the government taxes land, hard working peoples income, or the contributions they choice to make to the free market.  I guess I always assumed that if all the schools and city/state/federal buildings generated and sell clean power THIS would be the sustainable revenue stream that would keep our communities strong and stable.  I may also just be a dreamer but I know I am not the only one.

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on End of the Legislative Session

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In my humble opinion the failure of this (and past) legislation is that they have not done enough to protect our schools and government services.  It seems clear to me that our government is operating under the mistaken assumption that to balance the budget there are only two options:

1) save money by slashing services

2) increase revenue through taxation

It is appropriate at this point to mention insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

I heard people asking over and over this morning for a third option.  So lets explore Option Green [Senate Bill MJK911]

In my humble opinion the simple solution to this budget issue is (while a radical deviation from business as usual) to complete what the Energy Star program started and bring EVERY school and government building to life (buildings that enhance rather than degrade their environment).

  • Maximize the energy conservation of every building (and making them healthy, safe, and environmentally sensitive as an after thought).

  • Using a mix of solar, wind, and micro hydro to eliminate what conservation cannot and, with an eye on good taste, equip them with enough technologies to turn them all into small power producers.

  • We can also install vertical axis wind turbines along all the roadways and bridges to pay for transportation costs.  www.urbangreenenergy.com

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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