Friday, April 24, 2009

Climate Protection Police Organized In Austin Texas

Austin Climate Protection Program tries to ramp up its work

Jake Stewart, former soldier, sees the work as a security issue

On a bookshelf in Jake Stewart's dimly lit Austin Energy office leans a framed set of Army commendations and epaulets, including a tiny pin that says "Always Out Front!"

Now he's out front of another enterprise, one he sees as related to the intelligence work he did for the military: working on local energy security to tamp down Austin's energy consumption.

Stewart, 34, manages the Austin Climate Protection Program, which is charged with figuring out diverse ways for the city and its residents to cut their power use and carbon emissions.

The program, established by the City Council in February 2007, has had its hiccups.

A Web site with an online carbon calculator to help Austinites measure their energy consumption, so they can reduce it to save money, and a social networking component so they can communicate with like-minded neighbors, has yet to materialize. That has delayed attempts to promote climate protection in the community. A deadline for a report on meeting city targets was missed last year.

The city budgeted $805,864 this year for the Climate Protection Program. That includes pay for nine full- and part-time employees, both young talents and a sprinkling of veterans. City officials say the program will save money in the long run by determining ways to cut overall energy use.

The program aims to reduce carbon emissions, which scientists link to global warming and which Stewart says will get pricier if the federal government begins regulating them. As part of the broad strategy, the city invests in energy-efficiency projects — such as subsidizing home insulation upgrades — to avoid having to pay for more electricity plants.

Full story HERE

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Sheeple



The Black Sheep tries to warn its friends with the truth it has seen, unfortunately herd mentality kicks in for the Sheeple, and they run in fear from the black sheep and keep to the safety of their flock.

Having tried to no avail to awaken his peers, the Black Sheep have no other choice but to unite with each other and escape the impending doom.

What color Sheep are you?

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