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We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Thursday, August 7. 2008

An experiment with a Green Dictatorship

Well, historic Marburg, Germany, is giving it a try. One quote:

The town council took the significant step in June of moving from merely encouraging citizens to install solar panels to making them an obligation. The ordinance, the first of its kind in Germany, will require solar panels not only on new buildings, which fewer people oppose, but also on existing homes that undergo renovations or get new heating systems or roof repairs.

To give the regulation teeth, a fine of 1,000 euros, about $1,500, awaits those who do not comply.

Read the whole thing, and consider the possible effectiveness of solar panels in Germany. These folks are insane. Truth be told, it's probably more sensible just to pay the fine, and then throw the rascals out.

It sounds like the politics of Seattle (h/t, Junk Science), or like the Massachusetts government medical plan. The world is full of sanctimonious jerks who want to tell other people how to live.

Posted by The Barrister in Politics at 16:04 | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0)

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Recently Hawaii has enacted a law that requires all new homes to install solar water heaters. Eventually, Hawaii may have as many solar water heaters as Israel, where 90% of homes have solar water heaters installed.

Solar heaters were first installed in Israel when the country experienced a fuel supply crisis in the early 1950s. The government responded by severely restricting the times when water could be heated. Israelis in turn responded by purchasing huge quantities of solar water heaters. A law was eventually passed requiring the installation of solar water heaters.

In 2005, Spain became the second country (after Israel) to require solar water heaters. It also became the first country to require the installation of solar cells for electricity generation in new buildings.

Next thing you know the government might require you to purchase energy efficient appliances.

Imagine the horror!
#1 mika. on 2008-08-07 17:38 (Reply)
Speaking of energy efficient appliances, here's Energy Secretary Mr. SAMUEL BODMAN on the topic. This needs to be seen to be believed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6PLZ-NAr0
#1.1 mika. on 2008-08-07 23:08 (Reply)
If Marburg is near Koenigsburg, all they'll have is a Koenigsburgian haze to work with. I think Nietzsche covered it in ``The History of an Error.''

Here it is, number 3

http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80130/part1/sect4/Nietzsche/Error.html

3. The true world -- unattainable, indemonstrable, unpromisable; but the very thought of it -- a consolidation, an obligation, an imperative.

(At bottom, the old sun, but seen through mist and skepticism. The idea has become elusive, pale, Nordic, Konigsbergian)
#2 Ron Hardin (Link) on 2008-08-07 21:10 (Reply)
Follow the money. My city, a northern suburb of Boston, just passed an ordinance requiring everyone to purchase their trash bags from the city (at two bucks a pop). This (according to the announcement sent out by the city) is to encourage us to recycle more.

Of course, a gain in revenue of 1.5 mil to the city is not a factor in passing this ordinance, nope, they just want us to be more responsible....
#3 Jerub-Baal (Link) on 2008-08-07 23:33 (Reply)
It's generally thought to be a good idea to underprice trash collection, because it's free to dump trash if you don't care where you dump it.

I don't know if that came up.
#3.1 Ron Hardin (Link) on 2008-08-08 07:26 (Reply)

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