Go Green - Not Broke

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published July 2, 2009 in The Jambalaya News

In some cases, going green is synonymous with going broke.

Hybrid cars and organic produce are expensive, but there are ways to conserve precious energy that will also keep you from emptying your wallet.

A recently completed housing development in Lake Charles is providing a new way to find out just how much energy – and money – people can save by going green.

The developer will have the opportunity to study and compare electric bills of a house with average fixtures to figures from an identical house with energy-efficient upgrades, according to CJ Tech’s Charles Abshire, the electrical contractor.

It's not easy being 'green'

By KELLI FONTENOT
Published February 20, 2008 by The Current Sauce


Despite the amusing commercials, it's obvious that America does not, in fact, run on Dunkin' Donuts.

Last week, President Hugo Chavez said he would cut off oil supplies to the United States after Exxon Mobil Corp decided to freeze billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets.

Experts predict that Chavez is all talk - and that it wouldn't make a huge difference even if he did follow through. Each year, the U.S. Department of Energy prepares for emergencies by reserving millions of oil barrels and storing them in "underground salt caverns along the Gulf of Mexico coastline," according to the Department's Web site.

Of course, the promise of crude oil hidden in mysterious underground salt caverns is comforting, but Chavez still poses a daunting threat. Venezuela is the nation's fourth largest oil supplier, according to the Associated Press.

Foreign crude oil dependency has been debated in Congress, online forums, and South Park episodes, but so far, it seems like we haven't made a great deal of progress.

The U.S. guzzles millions of barrels of oil each day, which is enough to supply more than 99 percent of the fuel used in our automobiles, according to the Department of Energy's Web site.

Major car companies have encouraged the use of environmentally friendly fuels by introducing hundreds of concept cars and a handful of actual vehicles - like the Toyota Prius, the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Ford Escape Hybrid - to the market.