ETS! encourages comments, feedback, tips, corrections, and info! Please keep them as concise as possible so we can print as many different voices as possible: ETS!, P.O. Box 85541, Seattle WA 98145, or e-mail ets@scn.org.

Conratulations, Rations, Emissions

Congratulations on the daily column for Working Assets.

Re: Water and electricity shortages - the wealthy who waste water and energy will not be deterred by rate increases. Basic resources should be shared equitably, not the most to the richest. All the wierd WWII nostalgia going on reminds me of the rationing we had then. Ration coupons provided for so much per person - of gasoline, and some food items. I'm sure someone could figure out an appropriate share of water and electricity per person in the region. You would be issued coupons with each bill, to be returned with the next bill. If you used more than your share, you could have maybe one warning, and the next month would have curtailed service.

Re: Air pollution - Gasoline rationing! Run out of coupons and you're on a bus, or in a car pool. And you can't fuel up your idiotic leaf blowers, jet skis, etc. Also, car tab cost determined by emissions - the bill issued at the emission test site.

Thanks for everything,

Audrey Lyle, via e-mail

Citizens' Energy Lobby

I was talking to Rebecca Fry for some help on a current political lobbying effort that I'm presently involved in revolving around our current energy crisis, and she gave me your publication. I thought that since Maria Tomchick just did an energy related article you might be interested in this, and if you could make sure that she sees this email that would be cool.

So, what is this energy project.... Well, it turns out that with the recent energy rate hikes, it's now VERY cost effective to start looking at placing power generation equipment (wind and/or solar) into peoples homes, and the payback period is fairly short (5-8 years, and it used to be WAY longer). The problem is that it's hard to finance these systems since they cost $10,000 to $20,000.

I've convinced a couple of the Seattle City Council members that financing should be made available thru the Seattle City Light insulation program, but I think it requires an ordinance to expand that program. That programs thinking is that... "We insulate you, you use less power meaning that we don't have to provide that power to you, meaning that we buy less power off the spot market, and that's a good thing." The statement for financing a solar/wind system would be... We set this system up on your house so that you generate your own power meaning that we don't have to provide that power to you, meaning that we buy less power off the spot market, and that's a good thing." The two statements are close enough together so that they actually see the synergy.

The loans to finance these systems would be repaid by payments as part of the customers utility bill... Low income participants pay no interest, high income participants pay a "low interest" rate.

I need as many people as possible to call the Seattle City Council at (206) 684-8888, and since Heidi Wills is the council member in charge of the utilities committee, it's probably a good idea to talk to her office, but it's also VERY important to talk to ALL of the council members, and just say... "I'd like to see the city council expand the Seattle City Light insulation program to allow them to finance a renewable power generation system for my home, and I'd love to take advantage of that program once it exists, I see it as a way for you the council to empower ME, an average citizen, to help solve this power shortage that we have.".

Secondly: I need to reach out to the activist community to find more people that can help me find and reach people that are willing to help with this.

If anyone wants to know more, please feel free to contact me at (206) 932-6622 or at john_schlick@nhc.adp.com.

John Schlick, via e-mail

Useful Electoral Reform and the True Cost of Wind Power

It's been a while since I had the time to peruse ETS!. A couple of points I would like to make are:

1) Campaign Finance: NONE of the "reforms" being proposed will do one damn bit of good. So long as the voters do not have the ability to reject ALL the candidates running for a position, those who buy influence and elections will continue to win. The ONLY way to put a stop to the sale of influence and elections is to allow voters to reject the ENTIRE slate of candidates being offered. This is known as "NOTA" (None Of The Above).

The proposal is simple: If NOTA wins a plurality of the votes, the election is NOT certified and must be repeated. Those candidates who lost to NOTA are banned from standing for election until the position has been filled by someone else. Those who buy ALL the candidates in an election will no longer have the surety that backing two or three candidates will give them the "influence" they seek. The parties will have to pay closer attention to the ELECTORATE.

NOTA takes nothing away from the voters. If someone is doing a good job, they can keep electing him/her until hell freezes over. If someone is doing a bad job, but keeps facing candidates who qualify as "worse", voters are no longer forced to choose between "bad" "worse". THEY have the power to say, "Give me a real choice!" What could possibly be better for our country?

2) Energy "Crisis": Our energy consumption is out of balance with the true costs of energy production. We are facing a world where many people are demanding a lifestyle that will consume MUCH more energy than we can reasonably produce using today's technologies. Yes, we COULD generate about 25% (maybe as high as 40%) of current American energy using windpower. The TRUE cost of windpower runs in the $32/ MW-hr range in production cost (ignoring the "executive compensation" that drives current commercial windpower systems up into the $50-$70/ MW-hr range). We SHOULD look for ways to apply this. [As a design engineer who has designed and built both commercial and non-commercial windpower systems, I have some "suggestions" here -- if you want a VERY long message.]

Ready, fire, AIM! (The true American motto!)

Lew Merrick, P.E., Quilcene