A Mandate for New Home Building

Various local governments have different housing standards and codes for how homes should be built. It's now time for the U.S. government, or at least state governments, to add to the codes for the betterment of the nation and in a small part help improve the world.

The change that is needed is to mandate that all new homes being built should be able to generate a percentage of the energy they use in a year. The amount of energy should be calculated based on the average consumption for a house in a range of sizes and geographic locations. The percentage of energy that must be produced by the home should be around 25-50% of what is used. I feel this is reasonable, but the percentage would truly need to be determined by a panel of scientists and researchers. In addition to producing energy, each home that is connected to the electrical grid should be built with the capability to sell back the energy they do not use. This eliminates the need for an energy storage system.

To make this transition less painful, I feel that the government should not monitor how much energy is being produced after the home is sold. We do not need "energy police". The benefit to the owners of saving money on their energy costs should be enough incentive to keep using and maintaining their systems (solar, wind, etc...).

There are two ways to make this solution work. A home can produce a large amount of energy, or it can consume a small amount of energy so the required amount to be produced can be small. The heavy use of materials and devices that conserve energy will be extremely beneficial for everyone.

One Way Out of America's Economic Slump

One of the major reasons for America's economic slump is the rising cost of fuel. The price of crude oil has dropped significantly over the past few weeks (even though gasoline and diesel have not dropped much), however the lower prices will not last. It's time for a major overhaul, and the technologies already exist to do this.

I typically believe in smaller more efficient government, however there are times when this strategy needs to change. Similar to the Tennessee Valley Authority that was established by the U.S. government in 1933, we need a similar government owned company to handle alternative energy production (among other projects that the TVA were involved in). It's time to spend money to create jobs, and launch the U.S. towards a hydrogen fuel based economy. The first steps will be hard, but the long term affects will be tremendous.

The apprehension by the government to do this is apalling. It also appears that whether Obama or McCain win the presenditial election that neither will do enough to make this drastic of a change. The change can be much easier than it sounds.

This change can either be made drastically or gradually. To break out of the economic slump it needs to be made drastically. Gradual change has not been working, and promoting the use of ethanol (while it seemed good at first), has been a contributing reason as to why food costs have increased. People in the government need to step up and move forward. Enough with short term patches and minor solutions because they are getting us no where. We need the change now.

Is America's Solution Drilling for more Oil?

On the surface, drilling for more oil seems logical for the mid-term, but it is neither a short-term or long-term solution. I have read that it will take between 5-7 years for the new drilling to have an effect on oil prices. Even if we have more oil, our refineries are pretty close to the limit of max production, and there are no plans to build any new refineries.

Drilling for more oil definitely is not a long-term solution. The politicians should stop wasting time, and push completely towards the use of hydrogen as fuel. The new oil wells will dry up, and then we will be left in this same exact situation again 15 years later. People need to start thinking far enough ahead and not just for the hear and now.

If the government would get behind private investors to push the building of cars that can use hydrogen (either through fuel cells or combusting it), then we will all be better off in the end. As a matter of fact, the government can do this on their own without private investment as well. This is a big enough project that it surely could warrant the cost.

The politicians need to get together and look at this clearly and with eyes to the future.

Prayer in American Public Schools

I am a Christian, yet I believe that fighting for a set public prayer time in public schools is a waste of energy and resources. There are much greater battles that need to be fought (e.g. the forced teaching of all evolution as fact without allowing other viewpoints to be heard).

It is the responsibility of the parents to provide their children with the religious education they deem fit. Children can pray whenever they want on their own time, and adding extra time in school does not make sense. The time is unnecessary, and it gives the appearance that Christians are forcing their viewpoints on all others. If we do not want to have other people's doctrine forced on us then we should not force ours on them. The children are not being prevented from praying on their own, and if there are cases (other than the one I state below), then these type of situations should be fought for.

To all the people who are fighting for prayer in school, please spend your energy on changes that will be more effective. Spend this time fighting for free speech where teenagers are being told they can't pray before their high school football games. This is a serious affront and insult to Christians.

Public prayer time in school will not make better behaved Christian children, and it will not change the moral fabric of the United States. Public prayer should always be a personal decision and not mandated by the government. The government should never impose or prohibit a person's right to free speech, and this includes prayer.