Save and Conserve

As Al Gore has recently stated, changing light bulbs is nice, but it doesn't really address the climate crisis/global warming/energy crisis in a meaningful way (it's far more symbolic). Much more interesting is the notion of government working to pass laws that enforce/encourage/mandate energy efficient behavior.

Which leads us to the news from Hawaii:

All new homes in Hawaii will be required to have solar water heaters installed starting in 2010 under a law approved by the Legislature.

Hawaii becomes the first state requiring the energy-saving systems in homes.

Solar water heaters typically cost home buyers about $5,000 extra on their mortgage, but island residents will save thousands of dollars over the years on their electricity bills, supporters said.

This is the sort of aggressive law-making we need right now. Kudos to the Hawaiian state legislature, which passed this bill nearly unanimously. Obviously that implies the Hawaiian people support the bill, but still it's a pioneering step that shows other states it can be done.

These are the kinds of changes that can have real significant impact to energy consumption/carbon emissions further down the road. Great news!