Also going by the nickname "cash for caulkers", Homestar is close to becoming a reality.

This from the white house;

The White House

Fact Sheet: Homestar Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program

WASHINGTON–In his State of the Union address, the President called on Congress to pass a program of incentives for homeowners who make energy efficiency investments in their homes. Today, while touring a training facility at Savannah Technical College, the President outlined more details of a new “HOMESTAR” program that would help create jobs by encouraging American families to invest in energy saving home improvements. Consistent with the President’s call for a HOMESTAR program, the Senate Democratic leadership included a proposal of this kind as part of their Jobs Agenda released on February 4, 2010. The President looks forward to continuing to work with Members of Congress, business, environmental and labor leaders to enact a HOMESTAR program into law.

Background on the HOMESTAR program

With unemployment in the construction sector near 25% and with substantial underutilized capacity in our manufacturing sector, the HOMESTAR program has the potential to jumpstart our economic recovery by boosting demand for energy efficiency products and installation services. For middle-class families, this program will help them save hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs while improving the comfort and value of their most important investment – their homes. In addition, the program would help reduce our economy’s dependence on oil and support the development of an energy efficiency services sector in our economy. Key components of the HOMESTAR Program include:

• Rebates delivered directly to consumers: Like the Cash for Clunkers program, consumers would be eligible for direct HOMESTAR rebates at the point of sale for a variety of energy-saving investments in their homes. A broad array of vendors, from small independent building material dealers, large national home improvement chains, energy efficiency installation professionals and utility energy efficiency programs (including rural utilities) would market the rebates, provide them directly to consumers and then be reimbursed by the federal government.
• $1,000 - $1,500 Silver Star Rebates: Consumers looking to have simple upgrades performed in their homes would be eligible for 50% rebates up to $1,000 - $1,500 for doing any of a straightforward set of upgrades, including: insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, HVAC units, windows, roofing and doors. Under Silver Star, consumers can chose a combination of upgrades for rebates up to a maximum of $3,000 per home. Rebates would be limited to the most energy efficient categories of upgrades—focusing on products made primarily in the United States and installed by certified contractors.
• $3000 Gold Star Rebates: Consumers interested in more comprehensive energy retrofits would be eligible for a $3,000 rebate for a whole home energy audit and subsequent retrofit tailored to achieve a 20% energy savings in their homes. Consumers could receive additional rebate amounts for energy savings in excess of 20%. Gold Star would build on existing whole home retrofit programs, like EPA’s successful Home Performance with Energy Star program.
• Oversight to Ensure Quality Installations: The program would require that contractors be certified to perform efficiency installations. Independent quality assurance providers would conduct field audits after work is completed to ensure proper installation so consumers receive energy savings from their upgrades. States would oversee the implementation of quality assurance to ensure that the program was moving the industry toward more robust standards and comprehensive energy retrofit practices.
• Support for financing: The program would include support to State and local governments to provide financing options for consumers seeking to make efficiency investments in their homes. This will help ensure that consumers can afford to make these investments. 

The program will result in the creation of tens of thousands of jobs while achieving substantial reductions in energy use – the equivalent of the entire output of three coal-fired power plants each year. Consumers in the program are anticipated to save between $200 - $500 per year in energy costs, while improving the comfort and value of their homes.    

BACKGROUND ON PARTICIPANTS IN TODAY’S PRESIDENTIAL EVENT

• Business Leaders
  • Larry Laseter, President of Masco Home Services.  Masco is a Fortune 150 company specializing in products and services for the home building and home improvement business, including windows and doors, installation, and contracting. After being hit particularly hard by the recession (40% reduction in workforce over a several year period), Masco created Masco Home Services (MHS) a year ago with the intent to provide residential energy efficiency retrofits to American households. Laseter is a Georgia resident, and MHS will open a Home Performance branch in Atlanta in May.
  • Mike Lawrence, Vice President and General Manager for Insulation Systems, Johns Manville. Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer and marketer of insulation and roofing materials for commercial, industrial, and residential applications.  Johns Manville is based in Denver, CO and has manufacturing facilities in Georgia as well as California, Montana, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, and New Jersey.
  • Mark Andrews, CEO, North America, Knauf Insulation.  Knauf Mark was named to a newly created North American CEO position in January 2010.  Knauf’s US headquarters is in Shelbyville Indiana, and Knauf has manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Alabama, and California.
• Local Efficiency Contractors
  • Patrick Shay, Green Swap.  Patrick is an architect and co-founder of Green Sweep, an energy efficiency company that works with residential, commercial and industrial customers on cost saving clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades.  Pat is also a Chatham County Commissioner and chair of the Chatham Environmental Forum, which is addressing energy, climate and other sustainability issues in the Savannah Chatham area.
  • Howard Feldman, Costal Green Building Solutions.  Howard is a co-founder of Coastal Green Building Solutions.  He is a builder, renovator and a certified RESNET HERS rater, which means he evaluates homes and businesses for energy efficiency opportunities and upgrades.  Howard’s company works in both Georgia and South Carolina. In addition to Patrick Shay and Howard Feldman, several other Savannah-area contractors and small businesses who would create jobs if this program were passed are in attendance.

By LUKE MULLINS

Posted: February 11, 2010

Twitter link:http://shar.es/mndxS

While the debate over climate change rages on, energy-efficient features have become a key attraction for today’s home buyers. The National Association of Realtors’ 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that nearly 90 percent of buyers considered heating and cooling bills important, and more than 70 percent wanted high-efficiency appliances. "One of the things that we as advocates of energy efficiency have been encouraged by is a change in home buyers’ and homeowners’ attitudes towards energy efficiency," says Kateri Callahan, the president of the Alliance to Save Energy. 

[Slide Show: 10 Energy-Efficient Home Improvements.]

And why not? Energy-efficient home features help lower your bills while reducing your carbon footprint. On top of that, Uncle Sam is now handing out tax credits worth up to $1,500 when you purchase certain energy-efficient home products. But if you’re planning on going green, you had better get moving, says Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor at Consumer Reports. "All the tax credits expire at the end of 2010," she says. "So this is the year to do a lot of those things because Uncle Sam is going to help you pay for it." To assist consumers who are considering making these upgrades, U.S. News spoke with a number of experts to compile a list of 10 Great Green Home Improvements for 2010. 

[Also see 10 Ways to Save Cash and Go Green.] 

1. Energy-efficiency audit: Before you can make your home more energy efficient, you need to know where you currently stand. A so-called energy audit, in which an energy professional inspects your home to determine where efficiencies can be created, is a great way for homeowners to figure out which parts of their property need attention. "That is the very first step that any homeowner should take," says Karen Thull of the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance. "[An energy-efficiency audit] is a great way to kind of measure where there are inefficiencies." Homeowners can contact their energy company or a contractor about conducting an energy audit, which may be free in some cases. "I’m an energy guy, but I even called my local utility and had their auditor come out [to inspect my house]," says Randy Martin, the former director of energy-efficiency services at the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. 

2. Seal it up: Ensuring that your home is tightly sealed is a key component of energy efficiency. "You can talk about the future of the smart home and all of that," says Meg Matt, the president and CEO of the Association of Energy Services Professionals. "But it really does come back to the basics of sealing what I call ‘the leaky house.’ " Plugging up the leaks that allow cold air to slip into your house—and drive up your heating bills—is an important first step. Such leaks are often found near doors and windows, but they can also spring up in your basement or attic. Certain materials used to seal these leaks—such as caulk, spray foam, or weatherstripping—can qualify for federal tax credits. "It’s something that homeowners can do easily," Thull says. "And there are a lot of different products out there that are able to do [it]." For more specific information on eligibility and the tax benefits associated with different products, visit this site. 

3. Insulate upstairs: Adding insulation can help keep your home comfortable year-round. "It turns out that about half of the homes in the United States are underinsulated," Callahan says. "If your home was built before about 1980, you should really look at it to see if you have got the proper level of insulation." For those adding insulation, Callahan recommends starting with an easily accessible part of the house, such as the attic. "In the attic spaces, a lot of times, the insulation over a period of years will reduce down to maybe 3 or 4 inches where you are supposed to have like 10 inches of insulation," says Paul Zuch, the president of Capital Improvements. "A lot of the insulation companies promote going in and blowing an additional 10 inches of insulation in your attic. That really helps." Certain insulation products can qualify for federal tax credits.

4. Seal the ducts: Ducts carry hot or cold air to different parts of homes with forced-air heating and cooling systems. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that roughly a fifth of this air escapes through leaks. To address this headache, consumers can use duct sealant to repair leaks in exposed ducts, like those in an attic or basement. Kuperszmid Lehrman recommends that homeowners have their ducts insulated as well. "If they don’t have insulation, you should add the insulation," she says. "And because that is going to be a project where you are going to need to do it in places that are going to be hard to reach, that’s probably a project where you are going to want to hire somebody." 

5. Programmable thermostat: Another way to cut down on energy costs is a programmable thermostat, Callahan says. These devices—which can be found for less than $30—help prevent homeowners from wasting energy. For example, a homeowner could use this device to program the downstairs heat to lower by 15 degrees at 11 p.m., when the family is in bed, and return to its normal temperature at 6 a.m. "A programmable thermostat allows you to set back the temperature pretty significantly when you are not in the home or if you are asleep," Callahan says. "They save about 10 percent on your heating bills and your cooling bills in the summer—so they pay for themselves literally in a matter of months." 

6. Energy-efficient windows: Replacing old, leaky windows with higher-efficiency models can also make your home greener. Zuch recommends that consumers buy wood windows instead of aluminum-framed models, which can allow hot or cold air to pass through more readily. "Wood windows are great because wood is a natural insulator," Zuch says. "It just doesn’t allow heat and cold to move through the frame." Energy-efficient windows typically have two panes of glass filled with a gas that works to slow down the heat that passes through it, Zuch says. Qualified energy-efficient windows are eligible for a federal tax credit, but installation costs are not included. 

7. Energy-efficient doors: Certain higher-efficiency door models also can qualify for a tax break from Uncle Sam. When looking for energy efficiency, avoid hollow metal doors, Kuperszmid Lehrman says. "Any kind of hollow door is going to be terrible because the air is going to infiltrate right through," she says. Instead, look for a door of insulated steel, fiberglass, or wood. If you’d prefer that a portion of the door be glass, look for energy-efficient components. "If you are going to go for glass, you want to make sure that you get the same sort of insulating features that you would look for in a window." 

8. Add storm windows: Storm windows can be a lower-cost alternative to a full-blown window replacement project. "Storm windows are a very inexpensive way to increase the energy efficiency of your current windows," Kuperszmid Lehrman says. But she cautions that the project makes financial sense only if a homeowner’s current windows are in good condition, since rotting or leaky windows would need to be replaced sooner or later anyway. "If your interior windows are in good shape, then [installing storm windows is] a quick way to increase your energy efficiency without going through the expense and the mess of ripping out your current windows," she says. Certain storm windows and doors can qualify for a federal tax credit, but installation costs are not included. 

9. Energy-efficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system: Replacing an outdated heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system with more energy-efficient models can also lower your monthly energy bills. But because the project can be quite expensive, Kuperszmid Lehrman suggests that homeowners take this step only as a last resort. Before considering this project, it’s essential to make sure your home is as well sealed and insulated as possible. "If you upgrade your HVAC system but your house is still leaking, you still are going to use an enormous amount of energy," she said. Only homeowners who have properly sealed homes but old and unreliable heating and cooling equipment should invest in a new HVAC system, Kuperszmid Lehrman says. "I wouldn’t call somebody to replace your heating system in the dead of winter," she says. "I would do some research and then call them when people aren’t calling them for the emergency calls." Certain heating and cooling products can qualify for federal tax credits. 

10. High-efficiency water heaters: These can drive down home energy costs as well. "Water heating makes up anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of the annual energy usage in a home," says Steve Koep of Marathon Water Heaters. High-efficiency water heaters conserve energy by keeping water hot for longer than traditional water heaters. "You start saving money on a monthly basis, and that technology will generally pay for itself in anywhere from three to five years," Koep says. Certain water heaters can qualify for federal tax credits.

Not that the net necessarily needs another tutorial on weatherstripping a door, mind you.  But, we’ve seen hundreds of attempts at  "do it yourself" weatherization and many of them just flat-out don’t work.

This door is being sealed and insulated by Marcus Renner, the Building Analyst for Conservation Pros, using a product known as a "Q-Lon with metal carrier".  

Huh?

Translated, that means it’s a vinyl-clad foam, mounted on an aluminum frame, that allows you to properly weatherstrip even the oldest and warpedest (call it techno-jargon) of doors.  

The key difference is that you adjust the seal to meet the door, rather than try to get the door to meet the many (!) layers of foam you’ve glued to the frame.

Unfortunately, those big box stores that have put all the local hardware stores out of business (You know who you are!) don’t carry the right product for the job, at least not in our neck of the woods.  One great source for them is EFI.org .  (No,it’s not an affiliate link, they’re just good people.)  

But, shipping these suckers one at a time can be a pain.  We’ve gotten broken and bent shipments in the past.  EFI has made good on the shipping, but told us that we were to order more of them next time.  

It is, after all, 7 foot long box!

Maybe you could start a weatherization materials buying club on your street!

The HOME STAR Program

Proposed national incentives for residential efficiency retrofits would address America’s urgent need for job creation in the troubled construction and manufacturing sectors

How You Can Help to Make HOME STAR a Reality (in only 15 minutes!)

1. JOIN THE HOME STAR COALITION: Click here to fill out a simple Web form and register your support.

2. EMAIL YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE: Click here, then enter your zip code to select your senators. Modify a standard template by adding details about your business. Hit submit!

3. CALL YOUR SENATORS: Start by downloading the HOME STAR Talking Points. Look up your Senators’ phone numbers on the Senate Web site. Take a moment to review the talking points to stay on message. When the attendant answers, tell them that you are a constituent and would like to discuss how the HOME STAR program is going to help you create jobs in their district. This will likely only take a few minutes per call (but if they want to discuss, talk about your business and happy clients in their home districts!).

4. SPREAD THE WORD: We need to show a ground swell of support. Call your friends, family, and co-workers. Forward this email, or send people a link to http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/home-star and ask them to voice their support.

What is HOME STAR?

HOME STAR is a proposed federal program that would provide direct incentives to American homeowners who invest in improving the energy efficiency of their homes. The basic structure of the HOME STAR program was developed by an ad hoc committee of private sector advisors, with strong participation by Efficiency First. Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr presented the program at a meeting of President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) on Nov. 2, 2009, and the plan is now under consideration by the White House. On January 27, 2010, during his State of the Union address, President Obama addressed the urgent need for a jobs bill stating:

We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities, and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs.

As outlined in a memo that was formally endorsed by PERAB members on Dec. 4, HOME STAR would reimburse homeowners for residential energy upgrades such as air sealing, insulation, new light bulbs and new appliances. Homeowners would be eligible to receive up to $2,000 for implementing at least two upgrades from a list of qualifying measures, or up to $3,500 for at least four qualifying measures. Higher incentives would be available to homeowners who achieve energy savings of at least 20 percent. Weatherization projects that reduce energy consumption by 20 percent would be eligible to receive up to $4,000 in incentive money, plus $1,500 for every additional 5 percent reduction in energy consumption. TheTimes also notes that all HOME STAR incentives would be capped at 50 percent of project costs, and a percentage of projects would be audited to ensure that the improvements perform as expected.

Economic Benefits of HOME STAR

Unemployment nationwide now exceeds 10 percent, and the situation is particularly dire for the construction industry, which has lost 1.6 million jobs since December 2007. With unemployment in the construction sector at a shocking 17 percent and demand for new buildings in a tailspin, there is an urgent need to create new high-paying, long-term construction jobs that cannot be outsourced overseas. The HOME STAR program leverages private investment to create a strong market for home energy retrofits that would put hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans back to work and stimulate demand for building materials produced by American factories. A $23 billion investment in HOME STAR incentives would support 5.9 million residential energy retrofits and quickly create new local jobs in construction and related industries.

Lower Home Energy Bills and a Healthier Planet

HOME STAR would help Americans pay for cost-effective home improvements with the potential to deliver permanent reductions in household energy bills and significantly scale back our national carbon footprint. Residential energy efficiency improvements covered by the HOME STAR program can reduce energy waste in most homes by 20 to 40 percent, and when combined with low-interest financing, can be cash flow positive as soon as the project is completed. A nationwide initiative to improve the efficiency of America’s 128 million homes would unlock significant reductions in building-related greenhouse gas emissions and generate long-term energy savings for American consumers.

dhull@mercurynews.com

Hoping to capitalize on the success of the federal government’s Energy Star label for appliances, the White House and business officials are pushing a new program dubbed "Home Star," which would give property owners rebates and other incentives to weatherize their homes and make other improvements to cut their energy use. Home Star is expected to be part of a broad jobs bill Congress is preparing to unveil in the coming weeks.

Although details are still being hammered out, several players involved in drafting the Home Star legislation say the program falls into two main categories. Short-term upgrades like air-sealing, insulation, and furnace and water heater replacement would give homeowners $250 rebates for each new appliance installed. Longer-term projects that reduce a home’s energy use by 20 percent could see households earning a rebate of as much as $4,000.

Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, who serves on President Barack Obama’s board of outside economic advisers, is a leading champion for Home Star, which he describes as "Cash for Caulkers." The idea has widespread support from big-box retailers, labor unions, environmental groups and the construction and contracting industries, which have been devastated by the collapse of the housing market. Although national unemployment remains at about 10 percent, almost a quarter of the nation’s construction workers are unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"We are in an urgent moment where we desperately need jobs," said Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an architect of the Home Star legislation. "You have business and environmental interests aligned around making this happen, and happen now. I have never seen a coalition this broad and this committed."

Photo by Erin Brethauer  (ebrethau@citizen-times.com)

ASHEVILLE — As the national and regional economies struggle through the worst downturn since the Great Depression, Western North Carolina hopes to see green jobs sprouting up in the coming year.

“There is a lot of promise, but the green jobs seem to be slow to take root,” said Carl Donovan of Conservation Pros, an Asheville-based company specializing in making homes more energy efficient.  “The business is certainly picking up, but I don’t see the jobs yet.”

That could change soon.

The federal stimulus package could provide $4.2 million to weatherize homes in four local counties over the next two years.

Another $1 million in stimulus has been awarded to Asheville and Buncombe County for weatherization and other energy efficiency efforts, but that money has yet to be spent as federal guidelines were worked out, said Maggie Ullman, the city’s energy coordinator.

In addition to weatherization, the region also hopes to build on strengths in solar energy and biofuels. The result could be the creation of more jobs in a much-touted but so far relatively small sector of the local economy.

A place to start

Western North Carolina has seen brutal declines in the number of manufacturing jobs since the 1990s, and that drop has continued during the current recession. The number of manufacturing jobs in the Asheville metropolitan statistical area — Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties — dropped from 20,600 in January 2008 to 18,000 in October, according to the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

And that’s just part of the region’s struggling employment situation. In November, the unemployment rate for the Asheville MSA was 8.6 percent, which meant that nearly 18,000 people were actively looking for jobs.

“I don’t know that we can say that green is the magic solution to bring back those jobs,” said Matt Raker, the new senior director of AdvantageGreen, an initiative to promote green industry from economic development group AdvantageWest. “But we do have a lot of opportunity to bring solar panel manufacturing and other components here.”

AdvantageWest sees potential in the Asheville area not only in local solar companies, but also in biofuel and weatherization. There’s also a potential workforce developing through Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, which offers courses in green jobs. 

The first step, though, is deciding which jobs count as green.

“A green job doesn’t mean we go out and hug trees every day,” Donovan said. As for the weatherization work his company does, Donovan said, “It’s hard work. It’s filthy stripping out old insulation from houses. It’s like any other construction job.”

Depending on which study you pay attention to, North Carolina already has somewhere between 6,500 and 63,000 green jobs, Raker said.

The North Carolina Employment Security Commission has gotten $1 million in grants to inventory the number of green jobs statewide. Similar efforts are under way locally through Land of Sky Regional Council, another regional economic development group.

Success to date

WNC can point to progress in the past year. FLS Energy, for example, has grown from three employees to 45, providing solar hot water systems for area businesses and hotels. FLS is also working on a solar farm on the old Canton landfill, which will generate enough electricity for about 1,100 homes.

Sundance Power Systems, based in Weaverville, saw a 50 percent increase in business with solar photovoltaic systems as well as wind turbines, said company founder Dave Hollister. Sundance hired about eight more full-time workers, boosting the staff to about 30.

“And I’d say we put about 50 to 60 people to work this year, when you count the electrical contractors and engineers and others,” Hollister said.

As the company begins to work on projects that will use federal stimulus money in 2010, Hollister expects that trend to continue. “This is a whole industry that we’re trying to create,” he said.

The year ahead

The $4.2 million in stimulus money will be used to weatherize homes in Buncombe, Madison, Transylvania and Henderson counties.

Community Action Opportunities, the local nonprofit that administers federal weatherization funds, will coordinate efforts to update homes with insulation, more efficient furnaces and other upgrades.

The group generally takes applications from elderly and disabled residents and families who make up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $16,000 a year for an individual or $33,000 for a family of four.

In addition, the city of Asheville has received $804,700 from an Energy Efficiency Conservation block grant, to be spent in the next year, Ullman said. Buncombe County received about $124,000 in stimulus money for energy efficiency.

Under federal guidelines, that money could generate 15 or so new jobs. Local officials and people in the industry hope that’s just the start.

In the coming year, Raker sees the potential for a few hundred green jobs in weatherization, solar and wind power and other energy efficiency sectors across North Carolina’s 23 western counties.

Weatherization efforts financed with federal stimulus funds are still expected to pump new energy into the economy in 2010 while saving energy costs for a number of residents.

Community Action Opportunities has already completed 50 homes this year, with 83 in progress and 250 more on the list, said Ben Watts, the nonprofit’s director of economic development.

By the end of next year, 459 homes could be weatherized in Buncombe, Madison, Henderson and Transylvania counties, up from the 100 or so the nonprofit typically renovates in most years, Watts said.

“We’ve added about 12 jobs and there are more to come,” Watts said. “We’re also contracting with more electricians and plumbers, and buying Energy-Star appliances at the local Home Depot, Lowe’s and Sears — so all that money trickles into the economy.”

Jan. 11, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune News Service delivered by Newstex) –

Most of us want to find ways to go green and maintain a budget. We need our dollars to go as far as possible.  At home, your best spending is to improve your energy efficiency. Unless you seal up the drafts in your home, you are letting money blow right out the window. Heating and cooling your home account for nearly 50 percent of a typical household utility bill.  Now is the perfect time to take on two very simple projects that will practically pay for themselves in a few short weeks.

We’ve all heard about the benefits of installing extra insulation and weather stripping around doors and windows, but there are two additional leaky culprits that you should know about. Both allow heat to escape from your home in the winter. Fortunately, both are not expensive to fix. Warm air rises.  If you have a fireplace, it’s likely rising right up and out of your home all winter long. Unfortunately, there are very few fireplace flues that offer an airtight seal. Also, many times we forget to close the flue between fires.  There is a simple solution: an inflatable balloon that fits just under the flue, sealing off leaks. It’s called a fireplace plug or chimney balloon and you can install one in less than five minutes.  A quick-release valve means the plug deflates in seconds when you’re ready to use the fireplace again. So for an investment of roughly $60, you can seal up one of the biggest sources of heat loss in your home during the winter.

The second place to save some serious money is by modifying your attic entryway.  Whether you have a pull-down stairway or a vertical door, attic entryways are rarely insulated.This provides the perfect escape route for air you’ve paid to heat. Conversely, during the summer it’s also a source of hot air leaking into your air-conditioned home.  Insulating attic entryways are usually an easy do-it-yourself project or you can purchase an insulated cover that fits your need.  Last summer, for about $40, I insulated my attic door with rigid insulation that included a heat-reflecting barrier.  A little heavy-duty glue and some weather stripping were the only other materials needed to complete this quick energy-saving project.

Doing your part to seal up the sneaky leaks in your home is a great return on investment. This is one smart investment that will yield an instant and long term return.

(Terri Bennett is an Earth scientist, syndicated columnist and mom; www.DoYourPart.com. 

Last week the Bureau of Labor Statistics put out employment numbers for December, and they were encouraging only in that they weren’t as disastrous as previous numbers. Nationwide unemployment remained unchanged at 10 percent, but the economy shed another 85,000 jobs.

Locally, unemployment in the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area (which includes Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties) wasn’t as bad, but still discouraging at 8.6 percent in November.

It’s painfully obvious our society can’t function without jobs, but the question is what should be done? Today we’ll look at two initiatives: The stimulus push and the effort to grow “green” jobs in Asheville. The stimulus push seems like a good idea.The nation’s infrastructure has been neglected for years, and work is needed on water, highway, rail projects, etc. Addressing that need while spurring employment is a fit that makes sense. However, an Associated Press analysis released this week showed transportation stimulus spending was, at least to date, barely affecting local unemployment rates. To quote AP, the “analysis found there was nearly no connection between stimulus money and the number of construction workers hired or fired since Congress passed the recovery program. The effect was so small, one economist compared it to trying to move the Empire State Building by pushing against it.”

Should the stimulus idea be abandoned? Not necessarily. Should it be targeted better? Absolutely. In August this newspaper reported WNC was getting short shrift when it comes to stimulus dollars For example, McDowell County, with a 16.1 percent unemployment rate, received zero stimulus dollars for highway projects and ranked 92nd out of the state’s 100 counties in overall funding per resident. Leaders from U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, to Gov. Beverly Perdue to newly-minted state Senate Majority Leader Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe, have to make sure numbers like that are turned around.

Green jobs is another push that makes sense, especially here in Asheville. That’s not simply because Asheville is more environmentally aware than other communities, but because of the environment-related ventures already here: The Climatic Data Center, NOAA, RENCI, solar power ventures, the N.C. Arboretum and much more. Those entities do offer jobs, but the hope here is that some promising shoots in related fields, from alternative energy to energy conservation, will yield fruit on the employment front.

So far, the results have been elusive. Carl Donovan of Conservation Pros of Asheville, which specializes in energy efficiency and weatherizing homes, said, “There is a lot of promise, but the green jobs seem to be slow to take root. The business is certainly picking up, but I don’t see the jobs yet.”

Matt Raker of AdvantageGreen, an offshoot of the venerable AdvantageWest economic development agency, said estimates on the number of new green jobs ahead for North Carolina range from 6,500 to more than 60,000.

Raker said, “I don’t know that we can say that green is the magic solution to bring back … jobs, but we do have a lot of opportunity to bring solar panel manufacturing and other components here.”

He’s right. There isn’t a magic solution, a single silver bullet, out there to solve the jobs crisis. We need not a single bullet, but a bandolier full of them. The green jobs field is a developing industry, and it would be wise to be in on the ground floor. Initiatives like the stimulus package, done right, can provide other jobs and tie in with the green push.

WNC has to get its fair share of stimulus funds, federal funds and attention from Raleigh. We need to protect existing jobs and develop new opportunities such as those on the green front.

Leaders in government and the business community have to realize we’re on the clock and be nimble in embracing new strategies to create new jobs. 

Above all, we need action. Now.