Comment by bell-cot

Comment by bell-cot 3 hours ago

5 replies

Pretty much ignored in comments here:

> At the same time, colder winter temperatures led many buildings and homes to burn more natural gas and fuel oil for heating last year.

Which none of "shut down the AI DC's", "stop burning coal", or "build more wind & solar" would do squat about.

Maybe we should be looking at boring, pragmatic programs to improve the heating energy efficiency of the worst (say) 5% of America's buildings & homes?

andrewblossom 2 hours ago

We were doing that through efficiency-focused rebates and incentives that the current administration decided are not worth continuing. Instead they're "unleashing American energy" and deregulating any emissions-producing industry they can.

  • bell-cot 2 hours ago

    > ...the current administration decided are not worth continuing...

    At least in my part of the US, there are also "state", "county", "city", and "township" governments, which can do such things. They don't have magically unlimited competence and funding - but Washington has never had those either.

    OOPS: I forgot school systems, community colleges, and public universities. Those generally control their own infrastructure, and have a lot of it. And the community colleges often have Trades programs - which can boost the workforce you need to replace energy wasting old furnaces, windows, and such.

Loughla 2 hours ago

Good thing the US cut incentives for homeowners to improve efficiency in their homes.

lpcvoid 3 hours ago

And why not both? You can criticize the Trump admin's energy policy, and advocate for thermal isolation of homes at the same time.

  • bell-cot 2 hours ago

    So long as you have infinite resources, sure.

    Otherwise - maybe ask somebody who's spent a decade or few in interest groups or politics, about the whole "if you want to get anything done, you gotta focus your efforts" concept.