December 2nd, 2011

While we are all enjoying the ho-ho-ho holiday season, we are perhaps less giddy when reminded that this also is end-of-year tax planning season. But the Alliance to Save Energy is urging American consumers to give themselves the gift of energy efficiency this holiday season – and reap the benefits when they file their 2011 federal tax returns – by taking advantage of tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements.

[Read more →]

December 7th, 2010

It’s cold now. Pretty much everywhere except for those places that converge toward a moderate median in the 70s, like LA, or Miami.

Have you noticed that in the cold, it’s harder to be green?

For example, I have real trouble detaching from my shower after the allotted five minutes. I am cold most of the daytime, but it’s warm in the shower. I want to linger there. You do too, admit it. Once the Lazy Environmentalist was honest with us about that. He said he had good ideas in the shower and he liked to take long ones. (See the article if you don’t believe me.)

During my longer-than-usual shower this morning I didn’t really have any great ideas. I did think a lot about how much I like warm showers in the winter. I strategized extensively on my exit plan for the shower: Grab the towel, retrieve the slippers immediately; get into the wool shirt, even if it sticks to my wet skin, find winter cardigan.

[Read more →]

July 8th, 2010

While critics debate the true impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA) reports some positive effects. The group has announced that its 35 member agencies weatherized more than 17,000 Illinois homes in the past year with the help of ARRA funds, doubling the number of homes from the previous year without ARRA monies.

The IACAA also reported that members created and retained more than 500 Illinois jobs because of the program.

[Read more →]

November 17th, 2008

By Lynette Holloway

Jamie Swise, a Chicago-based weatherization expert, said President-elect Barack Obama made his job a whole lot easier when during a recent debate he urged Americans “to weatherize” their homes to save energy.

Obama made the appeal at a presidential debate last month before his election in response to a question about sacrifices his administration would ask Americans to make during these tumultuous economic times.

“Here you have the soon-to-be president of the United States stressing the importance of weatherization,” Swise said after the election. “He’s got a lot of people thinking about how weatherizing their homes can help save energy. You can’t beat that.”

[Read more →]