There’s no denying the fact that Barak Hussein Obama is a new kind of president. In the past we’ve always had presidents with executive experience, with a solid, concrete understanding of the reality of global political and economic conditions.

Obama breaks that mold. He has burst onto the scene wet behind the ears, singing Kumbaya, prostrating himself before a Saudi petrotyrant, and snubbing our historical allies. But the most disturbing of all might just be the unbridled enthusiasm with which he has embraced yet-unproven climate change theories.

Before you chastise me for the term yet-unproven, recall that when the presidential primaries began, the AlGorians were concerned about the “global warming” that was a “certainty”. Now that it has been established that we are in a global cooling phase, the inconvenient phrase is “climate change”.

This comes as no surprise. After all, on the campaign trail, he vowed to eliminate the coal industry.

That brings us to his energy “plan”. Embracing new alternative energy sources is a great idea. His plan is segmented into the two basic kinds of energy, geothermal and solar. Drilling down, each type is broken down into specific categories, with funding earmarked. For example, in the solar energy department, $51 million is going to photovoltaic technology development, $40 million to solar energy deployment, and nearly $26 million to concentrating solar power research and development.

“So, what does this mean to me?,” you ask. Plenty. Cap and Trade legislation will have the net effect of an attempt to strangle out conventional electricity production. This will be disastrous for workers in that industry, but the expense of that death will be felt by consumers when they open those utility bills each month.

An article published by the Heritage Foundation think tank not long ago estimates that your utility bill may rise as much as 50%.

As I said, new technology is a great idea. So what is Obama missing? The bridge between the old and the new. The Pickens plan has addressed this by proposing a shift from oil to natural gas, but so far, the president hasn’t exactly been running to embrace the plan.

The HR 1835 bill proposes tax credits to encourage the bridge plan, but as usual, Nancy “waterboard” Pelosi, Barney “boy brothel” Frank, and their band of bandits are sitting on their hands.

Once a Utopian, always a Utopian. You can lead a liberal to wisdom, but you can’t make them think.

Yes folks, it seems only yesterday that hurricane Ike was abusing us like a 2000 pound steer whuppin’ up on a rodeo cowboy. You can run, but you can’t hide. It’s still the tail end of May and already there’s a “disturbance” out in the Atlantic. Does this mean a hurricane?

Probably not this early, but it may become a tropical storm. And they can still kick some serious gluteus maximus. What does this tell us? Just that it’s time to get ready. Here are a few things to do this early in the hurricane season:

Get the plywood and hurricane clips for your windows now. Don’t be one of those folks standing in line at Home Depot at Landfall - 1 and counting down. Spend that time actually battening down the hatches. If you don’t want to cut and install it yourself at the last minute, call around now and lock in a commitment with a handyman. To find a reliable one, use Angie’s List where thousands of consumers share their ratings on the local contractors and service companies they hire.

Beef up the cupboard with canned goods and drinking water. My approach? Every time I go to the local Kroger’s grocery store, I pick up a few tins for my survivalist stash. Every now and then a case of bottled water. Have enough of each for a minimum of two weeks.

Stock up on ammo now. I’m not joking. I’m big on second amendment rights because looters are too. It doesn’t help to plead Obama platitudes to them while they’re shaking down your family. Ammo has been scarce lately, but I did score a thousand rounds of 9mm yesterday.

Need an emergency generator? Strictly speaking, no. But if you can afford one, this is the way to go.

Keep your vehicle gas tank topped off. Don’t wait; make it a practice to fill up when you get to 3/4 full. Not only will this help your fuel economy, it will keep you from sitting in line if your area gets emergency evacuation orders.

Buy a camp stove and plenty of fuel. During a power outage, a warm meal is a luxury.

Batteries, flashlights, and candles. This one needs no explanation.

You should already have the basic makings of an emergency first aid kit. If not, make it happen.

These are just a few of the things to take care of now. Forewarned is forearmed. ‘Nuff said.

Although there will be better times coming, this is the best time yet to build an energy efficient home. Well, from a green building practices standpoint anyhow, it not from a getting a construction loan standpoint. If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are becoming more common in home building. It’s not only easy on the utility bills once the home is completed, it’s really an economical way to do the building.

SIPs are basically panel sandwiches made of OSB for the bread and rigid foam plastic insulation for the meat and cheese; plus pickles, if you wish.

So the panels are pre-engineered by an architect using using home design software and put together. They are assembled at the job site. This cuts down on the labor for construction (time), and waste to be hauled off to the land fill (scrap). The later is one of the tenets of green building practices accepted by LEED.

Now I must admit, if I was building a new home right now, I would go with ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms). But then again, I live here in hurricane land. That’s one of the drawbacks. Things like the possibility of hurricanes are the trade off for living somewhere where I can be involved in long distance running all year long without dressing like Jerimiah the mountain man.

So if you have a new house on the horizon, do yourself a favor and plan to lower your air conditioning and heating utility bills before they even hook up the meter. This advice is free!

When it comes to making the home energy efficient, windows are a huge issue. After all, although they let in the light, they let in the light. What I mean to say is that on the one hand, we don’t have to burn every light in the house during the day, and on the other hand, they also let in heat. So they beg for energy-savings steps.

The question is, does it make more sense to replace the existing contractor grade windows with double or triple glazed argon-filled Energy Star windows (whew, that’s a mouthful!), or compromise budget and efficiency and install solar window film?

The Home Envelope

First, a bit of an overview to put it all in perspective. How efficient the home is depends on the entire home envelope. I love radiant barrier foil in the attic. It is more effective (in the big picture) in a one-story house than a two-story house. Why? Because with one floor, the roof is a larger percentage of the total envelope.

Conversely, on a two story, windows comprise a bigger envelope percentage than they do on a one story (Two stories = twice as many windows). What I’m trying to say here is that all renovation projects that lower utility bills are important, but each home’s priorities are different.

Let’s get this out of the way first - do your radiant barrier as a first line of defense. And do this job yourself. Labor charges double the price of the project and only the cost of the material is eligible for the stimulus package energy tax credit.

Now, Focus on Energy-Efficient Windows

Alright, how much money do you have left? In the real world, this determines what to do about the windows. Energy Star replacement windows are optimal, but boy, are they proud of them at the check-out counter. If you can afford them, go for it. Don’t forget to upgrade your homeowners insurance policy.

This is likely not a DIY project for most folks.

On the other hand, solar window film is a great DIY job, considering that you have patience. And it makes less of a mess than complete window replacement. It’s available in several shades, and if you’re after privacy, there’s a mirrored finish available.

As a further compromise, your remodeling budget might justify replacement windows on the side of the house that takes the sun’s hammer most violently, and apply film on the more docile sides.

So in answer to, “Window replacement or window film?,” the answer, like many things in life is, “It depends.” Don’t you love it when I’m ambivalent?

It’s already getting into the high 80s here, but I suspect where most of you live it’s not really time yet to crank up the central air conditioner. In fact, I spoke to my mom earlier this week. She lives in Arkansas and tells me the weather there is still cool.

Regardless, this is the time of year to get your home cooling system tuned up, be it central air, window unit, or an efficient heat pump. Most of this annual air conditioner maintenance you can do yourself, but if you have to add or recover refrigerant, you’ll need an HVAC technician with a license.

And this is the time to contact them, before the summer rush.

Or is it time to get a new unit? The energy tax credits for these types of Energy Star appliances has gone up, so it really is food for thought. The SEER ratings are so much higher today, that the energy savings plus the tax credit are a good justification to upgrade.

The rule of thumb is if your cooling system is 10 years old or more, you probably need to change it out, even if it’s still running fine.

It feels good to have this little project behind me. I added insulation, five rolls of R-30 to the areas that needed it. The original was blow-in insulation and some of it had settled over time, as it is wont to do.

The method of foil installation I did was simply covering the attic floor. Yesterday I posted an article of the things I learned - radiant barrier foil installation tips. Much of it was common sense to me, but I’ve had many years in the trades. Some DIYers out to save labor costs might not have that advantage.

Anyone that doesn’t want to fool around in an itchy, hot attic can just hire a handyman. Professional installers charge as much per square foot for labor as the material costs, or thereabouts.

And you know what? The air conditioner is already cycling far less than it did this time last year. And who doesn’t want to save the bucks in this depressed recession economy?

Here’s the deal; both the foil and the insulating material are eligible for an energy tax credit this year. In fact, it’s been increased quite a bit as a part of Obama’s economic stimulus package. But, (and here’s the rub), only the cost of the material qualifies, not the labor cost.

I’m not sure if this project was a remodeling project, technically speaking, but it’s close enough that I added it to my Perpetual Remodeling Project article saga for those readers that have been following my progress.

What’s next there? Building and installing a bathroom medicine cabinet. In fact, that’s what I was on when this foil project came up. I wanted to shift gears before the summer heat made the attic blaze like a furnace. Now I can get back to my running routine. I miss those endorphins…

Green building practices are getting more publicity all the time, but there’s more happening that meets the eye. It’s like it is sneaking on stage. Wanting to stay current on the topic, I set up a Google alert on the phrase about a month ago.

Every day now I get an email listing links to articles on green building. Folks, this trend is gathering steam. For example, C&L Refrigeration is now building LEED certified storage facilities. C&L has clients like Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Golden State Foods and Miller Brewing Co.

Weyerhaeuser and Owens Corning are making inroads into sustainable residential building materials. I’m here to tell you that even this improved insulation still itches.

Titebond glue has released a complete line-up of green adhesives.

I’ve spent some time adding insulation and radiant barrier foil in my attic lately. It’s really affected the time available for running workouts, dang it! Both products are Energy Star rated so not only will I save on utility bills, I’ll claim a tax credit at the end of the year. Hey, take it while you can, right?

And what an investment. A report from Henley Business School reveals that LEED certified buildings can reap a rental income of up to 31% more than non-certified properties and that the more highly rated the properties are, the greater the rent. Gotta love it. Well, if you’re the landlord.

But it stands to reason that if things like solar panels are used, the renter still makes out like a bandit with respect to energy bills.

I think my next energy reduction project will be to install solar window film, even though it won’t qualify for a tax credit. Aluminum frames aren’t covered. The IRS has some goofy rules. Just one more thing president Nobama should take care of. But won’t.

For the second time in the past 10 years, a swarm of bees has taken a breather on my property. The first time, it was on a sago palm in my front yard. This time, it’s on a maple tree in the back yard.

We didn’t know what the deal was the first time so we did some research. At first we thought they were adopting us - not a pleasing concept. So we called a pest exterminator to find out what to do. Not to kill them, just how to get rid of them.

Turns out there was no need to worry. When a swarm is on the move, they go until the queen bee wants to take a break. She settles down to rest and the rest of the bees swarm around her tightly. Talk about endurance. If I could duplicate it on a human level, imagine how I could boost my running performance!

When she’s ready to go again, they all take off. The whole operation only takes about two to three days. Fascinating. Click on the pic to see the bee swarm in detail.

Bees really do us a huge favor with pollination, as you well know if you watched The Bee Movie, starring Seinfeld. And since I’ve put in a raised bed vegetable garden, I’m all about pollination.

Just watch out for those stingers when you go for the honey!

I got started on my home improvement project yesterday, and as usual, I was just a bit optimistic. I found out why I don’t install radiant barrier foil for a living. I did make a good dent on the job, but got nowhere near finishing.

If you look at the web sites of foil manufacturers, you’re likely to see guys walking around, merrily going about their task. Well, I’m here to tell you, it just ain’t so. At least not in my attic. Our living room has a vaulted ceiling. It’s nice to look at, but the framing makes negotiating the attic space a bit daunting.

All this “work” is seriously cutting into my running time. That stinks on ice.

Don’t get me wrong. I know this project will pay off. I already sprayed radiant barrier paint up there a few years ago, and that really cut my utility bills, but this Energy Q Thermal Barrier foil will block 97% of heat. So they tell me.

At $0.43 per square foot you can’t go wrong.


I’m also adding insulation as I go along. That part isn’t fun but it will also pay off. And the good thing is that all these materials are eligible for the energy tax credit. Not my labor cost, but I guess you can’t have everything.

Now I’ll have to update my homeowner’s insurance policy…