Rich Fein’s Recent Comments

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  Need to consider maintenance as well

  As a painting contractor, you have to remember the environmental impact of coating and recoating wood.

  Wood siding should be painted every 5-8 years. There are different grades of fiber cement.  Assume about the same time frame or slightly longer than wood.

  Aluminum needs painting purely for aesthetic reasons (the paint wears off), but only needs painting every 15-25 years.

  Vinyl is the same as aluminum in that after a long, long time, you'll want to paint it because it fades.  But it can eventually dry and crack, so it doesn't last as long as aluminum.

  Whatever you do, don't replace your aluminum siding.  It paints great, the coating lasts a long time and the siding itself will last longer than a lifetime.On Umbra on house siding posted 1 year, 9 months ago 9 Responses

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  ..the ONLY industrialize nation to hold out?

  When Grist states that the United States is "the only industrialized nation still holding out on Kyoto ratification" they ignore the other major villian in the Kyoto debate.  When are we going to start holding China accountable?

  It's unlikely we would be able to get China to reduce CO2 emissions to 1990 levels, and their non-participation in Kyoto is not grounds for the U.S. to not sign. But the Kyoto signees need to start demanding action to slow and reverse China's raging growth in CO2 emissions.

  Are we afraid that the price of our clothing, electronics, toys and even hiking gear will increase?

  Assuming that China is even part of the Bali agreement, waiting for a new accord to get approved by each government is too long to wait for China.  Perhaps it's time to ask (insist) China reduce to 2002 emissions levels - or 2005 levels or even 2007. Something. Anything.

  And perhaps the signees need to start applying some teeth to Kyoto and to include some teeth in the Bali agreement.  It gets back to free trade vs. fair trade.  But in this case it's not to protect jobs.  Instead it's to protect every nation's next generation.
  On Australia ratifies Kyoto Protocol posted 1 year, 11 months ago 1 Response