The [Weatherization Assistance] program costs about $2,672 per home and delivers ongoing average savings of $275 per year (or 31 per cent). Priority is given to the elderly, the disabled, and families with children. Native Americans are also eligible. The U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website (http://www.eere.energy.gov/weatherization ) reports that each dollar invested in weatherization returns $3.71 in energy and "non-energy-related benefits," including the creation of 8,000 jobs across the country in a range of local home service industries.~ EERE :: Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program Home Page

Green Building Blocks

• Sustainable Sites alleviate the impact of the landscaping and building exterior on the ecosystem and the region.
• Water Efficiency means minimal use of potable water from the municipal system.
• Energy & Atmosphere performance is optimized through integrated design, use of renewable energy sources and good energy managment practices.
• Materials & Resources employed in construction, renovation and ongoing maintenance shoud be reused, recycled, recyclable, non-toxic, locally produced and renewable.
• Indoor Environmental Quality involves the air, thermal comfort, light views and acoustics in a building.
• Process is the key to better performance in all areas. At its essence, green building is a process - an approach based on teamwork.

~ Shades of Green 2002 :: Report of the Green Building Alliance

"What is the price you pay to purchase a gallon of gasoline for your car? Depending on what part of the country you live in, it is probably between $1.50 and $2.00 per gallon."

The following table was constructed from the information available at the Source Link:

The Hidden Costs of Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Areas of Hidden Costs	Your Penalties
Health Related Costs	Higher state and local taxes, increased pollution clean up costs and higher medical costs for you and your family
Air Pollution	Higher healthcare costs, sick kids and higher taxes
Water and Land Pollution	Destruction of land, increased water pollution cleanup costs
Thermal Pollution	Dead lakes devoid of aquatic life increased clean up costs, higher local taxes and destroyed recreation areas
Macro Economic Costs	Economic downturn, lower stock market, loss of jobs, higher taxes
National Security	Higher taxes to pay for the military, military causalities and less money devoted to domestic non-military uses in this country, like highways, urban infrastructure, education and health care
Global Warming	Worst case, worldwide climate change, economic chaos, mass starvation and the end of our way of life, as we know it now. These are very serious penalties and every American should be aware of this situation

In Conclusion:
   We can lower our healthcare costs, reduce our air, water and thermal pollution, develop a more stable economy and become a far more secure nation if we just begin this inevitable process of evolution toward renewable energy sources.

Nearly two in three Chief Executive Officers of American small and medium-sized businesses expressed concern about the prospects of global warming, according to latest Vistage Confidence Index, a quarterly measure of economic, market and industry trends.

• All but 4 U.S. states now have incentives in place to promote renewable energy.
• California gets 31% of its electricity from renewable resources, including wind and geothermal energy.
• Annual global investment in new renewable energy has risen six-fold since 1995.
• Total investment in this area has been nearly $US180 billion.
• Since 2000, wind generation has more than tripled, increasing now at 24% per annum.
• Solar cell production has risen six-fold, increasing today at the rate of 45% per annum.
• Renewable energy creates more jobs per unit of energy produced and per dollar spent than do fossil fuel technologies.
• Nearly 80% of the world's energy use comes from fossil fuels.
• In 2005, average atmospheric CO2 concentration increased 0.6%, the largest annual increase ever recorded.
• 2005 was the warmest year ever recorded on the Earth's surface.
• Use of fossil fuels continues to increase.