Could You Use a Green Tax Break?

In case you haven't heard, the oft-mentioned but not-as-oft understood Stimulus Package includes a variety of tax credits for qualified energy efficiency improvements.

Some highlights that could affect YOU include tax credits for:
-materials costs (not labor) related to more energy efficient insulation, windows, furnace, boiler, and A/C installed in 2009.
-up to 30% of some larger energy-efficiency projects.
-geothermal heat pumps and small wind turbines.
-plug-in hybrid/electric cars and motorcycles, vehicle fuel cell systems

These are national tax credits. State-by-state tax credits and incentives have also been funded, so be sure to check out your own state's allocations and requirements.

If you have some energy-efficiency projects in mind for your house or car, this could very well be the perfect year to make them reality.

Specifics and qualifications will vary according to state, income, and project, so you'll have to take it from here, but here are a few good places to start your research:

Energy Star
Department of Energy
Alliance to Save Energy

St. Patrick's Green-o-Meter Off to a Good Start

A follow-up, about 15 hours later, at the close of St. Patrick's Day: how? How could they resist? Maybe everybody blew all their "green" jokes on St. Patrick's Day last year? I'm so...is it disappointed or proud? Hard to say.
Molly



* * *

Let's have some fun. How many "Go Green for St. Patrick's Day" list-serv messages do you think I'll receive today? Me, I'm guessin'...5, without even looking outside of my Inbox. Ready? Ticker starts NOW.

1. National Wildlife Federation

You don’t need four-leaf clovers to go green this St. Patrick’s Day. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be reducing your impact on mother nature in no time.

1. Fix that drip. Water dripping from a
leaky faucet can waste up to 5,000
gallons of water a year. And, a leaky
toilet can waste a whopping 25,000
gallons a year.
2. Keep your tires properly inflated to
save the planet…and about 12 cents a
gallon!
3. Install a programmable thermostat.
Adjust the temperature for maximum
energy savings when you aren't home.

These are just a few of many tips that can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint this spring.

And, if you’d like to know how your daily actions can add up to make a real impact on our environment, become a Good Neighbor today. When we all combine our small actions together, we make huge strides for the planet and those who will inherit it.

Plus, with a $15 donation, you’ll receive our popular Good Neighbor benefits package (see sidebar). So, let's get started!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Attention eBay shoppers!

I'm curious to hear people's reactions to eBay's new "Green Team" initiative. I haven't swum the deep waters of eBay yet as a buyer or seller, though I know I should and also know lots of people who love it.

I'll tell you that as someone who researches environmental and greening claims and is deeply attuned to "greenwashing" (false or exaggerated greening claims for marketing purposes), I have to say that at first glance, the eBay stuff looks pretty good.

What I see at first glance is (a) an open forum for discussion of environment-related topics, (b) a "Green Team" forumyou can join, (c) greening tips and tales from Daily Green, and the (by my estimation) most interesting and laudable parts, (d) tips on selling green and (3) tips on buying green.

Of course. eBay is a naturally mixed bag. The great side is - when you're finished with things, give/sell them to someone else! Reduce/re-use at its best. Saves you from making trash, saves the person buying from buying new. Great! Thumbs up! Fabulous! The shipping, of course...it would be better if we were all doing this in our own communities...but how picky can we be? And not all eBay stuff is used... But the point is that eBay's new "buy green" features enable and encourage you to find things that are "green" because they are used, "sustainable" (sounds like this is used to describe things that are new but created using sustainable materials), or "resource-saving" (i.e., energy-efficient).

But their "selling green" section (while not revolutionary, making good but not-new suggestions like "recycle" and "save and reuse packaging") does a very nice job of laying out some details about green packaging, green shipping, and even green marketing.

Anyway, I'll be quiet and let you
check it out.