meander’s Recent Comments

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  Berkeley's financing: pay for solar over 20 years

  The city of Berkeley, California started a program where people who install solar on their house can pay for it over 20 years on their property taxes. The first offering was filled in under 1 hour. The financing is handled by a private entity, not by the city (but one could easily imagine the city selling bonds to provide the capital).

  The San Francisco Chronicle has details.On Solar hot water heating's day in the sun posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses

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  Amazon too

  Amazon is working with manufacturers to receive products in non-clamshell packages, as this piece at AZoCleanTech describes. They are in a special position, though, because they don't have to worry about display or shoplifting.On Goodbye to the clamshell? posted 10 months, 4 weeks ago 1 Response

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  Sort of mainstream: Living on Earth

  It's not exactly the NYT or WaPo or USA Today, but public radio's Living on Earth has been on top of the renewable tax credit story, giving it coverage several times. Once they even mentioned that the tax credit proponents were one vote short of breaking the filibuster and John McCain couldn't be bothered to show up for work, so the bill was stopped.

  The L.O.E. website has transcripts and downloadable audio available for many years of the program (and is also available for subscription via podcasting software).On Media finally tells public about the real roadblock to good energy policy posted 1 year, 3 months ago 8 Responses

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  Forget amending the farm bill, we have a C-in-C

  "Speaking of the farm bill, that tortured piece of legislation brings to mind another reason to look askance upon Schwab's offer: making it happen would require rewriting the farm bill. Does anyone really think that's going to happen?"

  <snark>
  Some apparatchiks in the Bush administration probably think that the president can unilaterally change farm subsidy policy.  Here's how they would see it: 1) under the unitary executive theory, the commander in chief can not be limited by Congress or the judiciary on matters of national security.  2) United States soldiers, torturers and spies eat food, therefore food policy is part of the commander in chief's official duties. 3) Thus, Congress cannot interfere with the president's work on food policy.
  </snark>On Beware of U.S. trade officials bearing gifts posted 1 year, 3 months ago 3 Responses

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  "Raw" doesn't mean raw anymore

  Another thing about almonds is that since September 1, 2007, most packages of "raw" almonds have been sterilized using either fumigation by propylene oxide (a potential carcinogen that was briefly used as a gasoline additive for racecars) or steam heating. If you want truly raw almonds, you need to purchase them directly from the grower, which is impractical for most of the country. Finally, the pasteurization rule doesn't apply to almonds destined for export (are non-U.S. stomachs that much tougher?).  This rule was forced on the USDA by the big almond companies to prevent scares about food poisoning from damaging their revenues. Personally, I think consumers should be given the opportunity to buy truly raw almonds if they want, allowing them to take the very small risk of food poisoning (almonds sit on the ground for a time after being shaken from the tree, and they can be contaminated by sloppy practices in shelling and packing plants too).

  Last year, I wrote a piece at the Ethicurean with more details on the USDA's raw almond scam and some pictures of an organic almond farm near Sacramento.
  On The unshelled story on the nutty side of our food supply posted 1 year, 4 months ago 7 Responses