Okay, not just China, but everywhere.  Oil is a global commodity and as such, follows the highest price.  If the global market price is higher than the US market, the oil won’t stay here.  We’ll be sending it elsewhere.  The extra volume will theoretically decrease prices with extra supplies, but it’s a drop in the bucket.  And go ahead and pass a law saying that US oil has to stay here – the market will respond by sending less here, so the net effect is the same.

So “Drill, Baby Drill,” but if you believe in economics, it’s not helping us anymore than it’s helping France.

The Citizens for Fire Safety has blanketed Maryland with scary flyers calling Maryland legislative bill HB1 “A Deadly Mistake” – “Help stop the bill that will ban material used to make flame resistant products. Call your state Senator!”

Undoubtedly, there are a lot of “Citizens for Fire Recklessness” groups that are mad now…

Strangely, the Maryland State Fireman’s Assocation supports SB1:

The Citizens for Fire Safety have not returned phone calls or e-mails as we have requested them to do to validate their existence or claims. Lobbyists have been hired by this group to contact as many fire service personnel as possible to assist in the defeat of this bill. We are not sure if they have given a complete and accurate set of facts with their requests.

PLEASE!!! If you have been contacted by this group, call us and get the true facts from people you know and can trust to be there tomorrow. Be sure you know the FULL STORY before you make your decision to call your legislators.

Which likely leads one to believe that Citizen for Fire Safety is really just Manufacturers of Chemical Crap with a website.

Minnkota Power, a generation/transmission cooperative serving electricity consumers in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, is not happy about climate change and they want their customers to know about it, every other month. A review of their customer newsletter, the Minnkota Messenger, indicates a consistent concern that climate change is a massive environmental sham. Some of it reads like grocery store tabloids and it’s quite interesting how much coverage they give to it, perhaps hoping that quantity will make up for quality. They might do well to read “How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic.”

• Nov/Dec 2007, p6 – “A Developing Catastrophe”

• Sep/Oct 2007 – break

• Jul/Aug 2007, p9 – “Global Warming: The Rest of the Story”

• May/Jun 2007 – break

• Mar/Apr 2007 – break

• Jan/Feb 2007, p9: “Polar Bears and Climate Change”

• Nov/Dec 2006 – break

• Sep/Oct 2006, p6: “A shaky foundation”

• Jul/Aug 2006, p6: “Another Perspective: Noted scientist weighs in on climate change issue”

• May/Jun 2006, p10: “Political Science: New film puts climate change in headlines”

• Mar/Apr 2006, p10: “Myth: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate.”

• Jan/Feb 2006, p10: “An astonishing discovery: Recent finding underscores cautionary approach”

• Nov/Dec 2005 – break

• Sep/0ct 2005, p11 – “A hurricane of misinformation global warming activists turn storms into spin”

• Jul/Aug 2005, p6 – “Earth’s ever-changing climate state geologist offers his perspective”

• May/Jun 2005, p12 – “Alarmist warning; Myth: Carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere are currently at an all-time high.”

• Mar/Apr 2005, p11: “Baliunas debunks Kyoto Protocol”

• Jan/Feb 2005, p12: “Myth: Global warming caused the recent tsunami in Sumatra.”

And the list goes on…

1. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you’re a conservative radio host. Then it’s an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

2. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

3. Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain of illness.

4. “Standing Tall for America” means firing your workers and moving their jobs to India.

5. A woman can’t be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all humankind without regulation.

6. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

7. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans’ benefits and combat pay.

8. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.

9. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won’t have sex.

10. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

11. HMOs and insurance companies have the interest of the public at heart.

12. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

13. Global warming and tobacco’s link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

14. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush’s daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a “we can’t find Bin Laden” diversion.

15. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is a solid defense policy.

16. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

17. The public has a right to know about Hillary’s cattle trades, but George Bush’s driving record is none of our business.

18. You support states’ rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have a right to adopt.

19. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the 1980s is irrelevant.

20. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist; but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

[Update 1/5/08: It's pretty sweet when your blog has thousands of hits, not because of something intelligent you wrote (if I've in fact done that), but because of humerous crap that you passed along.]

Swing off of Rhode Island near the Shaw Howard University metro station and you’re bound to his U-Street, where a string of ethiopian restaurants reside. The most famous is probably Dukem, which serves respectable fare. But if you want to taste something a little more authentic, try Etete.

Amazingly good Ethiopian that is served in bowls instead of directly on the bread, the food tastes more like kitchen fare than restaurant. And that makes sense, since the back of the rowhouse appears to be living quarters. (Except for the fancy electronic soap dispenser, you feel like your in your friend’s bathroom when you wash up.)

And as an added bonus, they might fire up the big screen projector and let you taste not only the food, but African music videos with pelvis thrusting women dancing around a hipster grandpa, even if no one else is really there or appears to be watching. It makes it a little distracting to have all that ass shaking around while you’re trying to eat and talk with your girlfriend.

Rita’s Ice Cone shops are becoming quite the chain, but I can taste why. This one is at the corner of South Dakota and Rhode Island on the northeast side and is THE stopping point for DC and Prince George’s County ambulances – five stopped by in the hour we were there. Plus, we can bike there from Mount Rainier.

You can get soft serve custard, but why?

Instead, go for the gelati. Tonight I had custard with pina colada and wild black cherry flavored shaved ice on top of more custard. Incredible.

We live in Mount Rainier, Maryland, that town you’ve never heard of that is not a mountain and is right next to DC. When we go to visit friends in Fairlington, we pass some curious sights and good food on the way…road trip!

1. Rita’s Ice Cones – Rhode Island and South Dakota

You can get soft serve ice cream, but why? Instead, go for the gelati. Tonight I had custard with pina colada and wild black cherry flavored shaved ice on top of more custard. Incredible. The choice for DC and Prince George’s County ambulances – five stopped by in the hour we were there.

2. Road Funds Sign – Rhode Island and 13th St NE

Rhode Island Avenue is in the process of being resurfaced from North Capital to 30th St NE. Love the construction. But in an amazing feat of accountancy, the project’s costs are known down to the penny…$1,495,597.23 for the Feds and $303,076.53 for DC.

3. Etete Ethiopian Restaurant – 1942 9th St NW

As you continue down Rhode Island, you might get hungry and swing off near the Shaw Howard University metro station to Etete Ethiopian near U-Street. Amazingly good Ethiopian that feels less commercialized than Dukem (it’s half-house, half restaurant after all). Plus, if you’re lucky, they’ll fire up the projector and play African music videos with pelvis thrusting women for your fine dining pleasure (even if you’re the only ones there)…

4. I-395 Speed Camera Slow-Down – south of the New York Avenue entrance

There is a speed camera just after the tunnel on I-395 at New York Avenue. Everyone local knows it and the speed limit is 45 mph. But everyone slows down to 35 mph. Why????

(Picture TBD)

5. Guy Camping on I-395 – under 7th Street SW

So you’re finally getting somewhere and are set to head over to Alexandria. But wait, there’s a guy camping, complete with a tent, BBQ, and lawn chairs in the grassy median underneath the 7th St NW overpass between the east and westbound I-395 traffic. He’s been there for at least a month, hanging out in broad daylight. The Washington City Paper did a story on him last week, “Median Man.”

6. Idiots Crossing Five Lanes of Traffic – Jefferson Davis Hwy exit

You’ve crossed the river and are in Virginia! Congratulations. But here’s an SUV going 25 mph, trying to cross five lanes of traffic after gawking at the Pentagon and throwing the bird because you didn’t let him in…Have a nice day.

(Picture TBD)

7. All These Condos Looks the Same – Fairlington

You’ve finally made it to Arlington, home of your friends. But every single one of these condos looks the same and now you’re lost…

So you’ve decided to move to Mount Rainier, Maryland?

Congratulations on finding the best, undiscovered city outside of Washington D.C. Housing prices are reasonable (for DC), there’s a metro within walking distance (17 minutes to Chinatown), it’s a friendly walkable neighborhood where you get to know your neighbors, and there’s no real mountain. Takoma Park at half the price and twice the diversity…

This guide should help you in finding your way (and if anyone has suggestions, make a comment below and I’ll incorporate it)…

Statistics

Even with all the single family homes, apparently Mount Rainier has the highest population density in Maryland, over 12,000 people per square mile (of course the total area is only 0.65 square miles).

• Mount Rainier on Wikipedia
• Mount Rainier Profile

Basics

• Government
  • City of Mount Rainier
  • Police
  • Fire (county)
  • Library (county)
  • Hospital
    • Providence (DC)
    • Prince George’s (MD)
• Utilities
  • Water – Washington Sanitation District
  • Electricity – Pepco (cheapest default supplier) or Pepco Energy (green electricity, roughly 3 cents/kWh more than coal/nuclear)
  • Natural gas – Washington Gas (cheapest default supplier)
  • Curbside Pickup (city)
    • Compost on Monday (yard waste)
    • Trash on Wednesday
    • Recycling on Friday (paper/cardboard, #1/#2 plastic, aluminum, metal; don’t separate)

Community

• Arts – Gateway Arts District (a growing artist community; my review)
  
• Economic Development
  • Gateway Community Development Corporation
  • Anacostia Hours (alternative/local currency; my review)
  • Route 1 Growth Blog
• Food
  • The Glut Food Coop (“still funky, still cheap” groceries; my review)
  • Artmosphere Cafe (great jazz on Mondays; my review)
  • Island Style Ice Cream (mango, stout, and soursop flavors; my review)
• News
  • Prince George’s County Gazette
  • Mount Rainier Email List (community chatter)
  • Washington Post Local Explorer
• Other Resources
  • Community Forklift (building materials reuse center)

Outside

• Northwest Branch Trail
• Mount Rainier Nature Center
• Mount Rainier Pool Club
• Running Club
  
• Biking
  • Biking Club
  • Mount Rainier Bike Coop Website / Email List

Other Links

• Joe’s Mount Rainier Website

Want to live here? Find a home in Mount Rainier.

[Update 2/7/11: There are a now a number of companies offering the residential performance model, i.e. PPA, that CitizenRE intended to start but ran into problems with, and in California a growing percentage of the residential market is moving this direction.  SolarCity has certainly led in this area, much like SunEdison did in the commercial markets five or so years ago.  Whether CitizenRE is a legitimate company now or not, I can't say, but if I were a consumer, I'd be wary of anyone offering this model outside of a few select states like CA, NJ, HI, CO, and perhaps AZ, NV, MA, and NY.  The numbers have to add up for the company and the consumer and many places they don't...yet.]

[Update 1/8/08: Helio Micro is now moving into the residential PPA market, creating a third residential PPA style company.  Their website is more murky than Sun Run (below), so you can't evaluate much of anything (which always causes me pause), but they just hired a finance director from SunPower (Solarbuzz article).   To my knowledge, none of the three has installed a system under this model...yet.  Remember: hype (!) = cover-up.  This will happen in California first and then trickle elsewhere - don't hold your breath.  NJ just voted to provide rebates to everyone on the waiting list, but not anyone new as they transition to a market incentive, which is good in the long run, but creates market uncertainty now (article).  So their market attractiveness to this model is on hold.]

According to a news release on Renewable Energy Access, CitizenRE now has a competitor in the residential solar-leasing services industry (of which there are no documented installations as of yet). It isn’t FREE! but I predict they’ll beat CitizenRE to the punch in having actual solar installations…

Borrego Solar, a solar installer since 1980, has a partnership with Sun Run LLC and is now offering a similar solar-leasing product to CitizenRE, but they have a bit of realism embedded in their business plan. It is currently only available in Contra Costa County, California on a pilot basis (not EVERYWHERE for ANYONE!).

Essentially, they install a solar system on your home and if it offsets your electric bill 50%, you pay 50% to your electric company at their prices and 50% to Sun Run at their prices, which are either fixed or declining.

Sun Run’s website has some information about the process on their website (no contracts or clear costs persay) and there are two options:

1. Higher downpayment with a fixed 20 year solar rate

2. Lower downpayment with a higher but declining solar rate

The solar rate they give in their example, shows the higher down payment of just over $16,185 (not FREE!) and a solar rate of 13.5 cents/kilowatt-hour, which seems expensive but California has high rates (actually, even in Maryland, I pay 15 cents/kWh). It should be noted that the $16K down payment is still $20K less than buying it yourself, based on their math.

Before solar, this example home pays 26 cents/kWh to the electric company, and after, they pay 17 cents/kWh to the electric company (since they’re now in a lower rate tier with solar because they are consuming less) and 13.5 cents/kWh to SunRun at a 20-year fixed rate.

If electric rates never rose, you would break even on this investment over 20 years if you used over 23,000 kWh/yr, not counting the cost of money (that’s a lot – I use 3600 kWh in DC). So, you are really banking on electric rates rising to recoup your up-front investment on a quicker basis, and using a lot of electricity (but cut your electric bills first!).

The second option doesn’t have an example on their website, but would be something like paying $8,000 up front and your solar rate being 18 cents/kWh in year 1, and declining to 13 cents/kWh in year 20, when conventional electricity prices are presumably much higher. Ultimately, the economics are probably the same for either option for the company but gives the homeowner the option to make a choice on the amount up-front.

On it’s face, this sounds like a much more reasonable alternative to CitizenRE:

• No hype
• Actual employees
• Financial numbers that are realistic (not FREE!)
• Pilot program to prove the model
• Working with an established solar company
• Limiting the scope to states/markets that make sense

There are only a few places where some combination of electric rates, amount of sun, and solar incentives make this possible – California, New Jersey (when they aren’t running out of incentive money), maybe Arizona, Nevada, or New Mexico. Hawaii has sun and rates but not incentives. The East Coast has high rates, some programs, but less sun. Colorado’s sunny and has incentives, but the rates are a bit too low (and they may run out of $/motivation soon if they aren’t careful by growing too fast).

Like with all things, if it sounds like a silver bullet, things are almost always more complicated than they seem. I know nothing about either of these new companies, but on their face, the programs have a measure of realism to them that CitizenRE never had (note past tense).

As has been pointed out in the past, this is only “new” because it’s being done on homes, which are higher cost per amount of solar installed. Large business no-cost solar systems are a common part of the solar industry in California and New Jersey already.

This provides an interesting reference for how much CitizenRE would have to further reduce costs to get to their goal of a $500 down payment and solar across the country. Just to operate in California, they’ll have to deal with the over $15,000 they’re not getting from the customer, and in other states, the lower electric rates and solar resource. My original 3 part series on CitizenRE can be read here – “Not All That’s Renewable Is Green – Part 1 of 3″.