We have heard about some of the knocks on the first draft of the economic stimulus package which has passed the House of Representatives.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003980.html?hpid=topnews

For example, of $30 billion in highway spending, less than $4 billion would occur over the next two years. Of $18.5 billion proposed for renewable energy, less than $3 billion would be spent by 2011. And of $14 billion for school construction, less than $7 billion would be spent in the first two years.

How about something that could get people working right now and help us reduce our dependence on polluting fuels.  Here is a suggestion from the National Association of Homebuilders.

http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?sectionID=0&newsID=8520

Mike Hodgson, president of the California energy consulting company ConSol, revealed the results of a study conducted for the California Homebuilding Foundation last fall. Seventy percent of the greenhouse gas emissions related to single-family envelope energy consumption can be attributed to homes built before 1983, the study found.

“Simple arithmetic demonstrates how retrofitting existing homes with energy-efficient features is four to eight times more carbon- and cost-efficient than adding further energy-efficiency requirements to new housing,” Hodgson said.

The importance of window caulking

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-6-v-71.html

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs can be beautiful

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-6-v-55.html

Energy Star Appliances to save lots of energy

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-6-v-43.html

Here is a link to more great energy saving ideas from the EPA Energy Star Program

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_hpwes