New Legal Corporations for Social Entrepreneurs

From the Wall Street Journal 

• RUNNING A BUSINESS
• DECEMBER 12, 2011, 12:42 P.M. ET

By KYLE WESTAWAY

You may have noticed the emerging class of "social entrepreneurs" who are creating companies that seek profit but also are devoted to a social purpose, to create long term, sustainable value.

About the Author

Kyle Westaway is founding partner of Westaway Law in New York, and cofounder of Biographe, a sustainable style brand that employs survivors of the commercial-sex trade. He lectures on social-enterprise law at Harvard Law and Stanford Law, and launched socentlaw, a legal blog for social entrepreneurs.

Social entrepreneurs believe a business can be a part of the solution to some of the world's greatest challenges. It's this kind of thinking that has given rise to such mission-driven companies as Better World Books, TOMS Shoes, D-Light Design and Warby Parker, to name a few.

But, until recently, social entrepreneurs would find themselves in the position of choosing whether to organize either as a for-profit company or a nonprofit organization. The problem was that sometimes a company would be too much of a business to be a nonprofit. Yet, it also might be too mission-driven to be a for-profit.

Fortunately, there are a few innovative legal structures designed for entrepreneurs who are driven as much by mission as money. The cost of using one of these new legal structures will vary depending on lawyer fees, but generally those fees shouldn't exceed more than $10,000 for a start-up with fewer than 10 employees.

Here's an overview:

L3C

Ideal for: companies that want to blend traditional capital with "philanthropic" capital, such as from foundations

Available to start-ups in: Vermont, Michigan, Wyoming, Utah, Illinois, North Carolina, Louisiana, Maine and soon in Rhode Island.

The Low Profit Limited Liability Company is a new class of LLC for mission-driven companies.

An L3C offers the same liability protection and pass-through taxation as an LLC. But it must be organized primarily for a charitable purpose – and secondarily for profit. Unlike a traditional nonprofit, it may distribute its profits to owners.

The L3C is designed to attract both traditional investment and a very specific type of philanthropic money called Program Related Investments (PRI). PRI is capital – in the form of equity or debt – from a foundation to a for-profit company that is doing work in line with the charitable purpose of the foundation.

BENEFIT CORPORATION

Getty Images

Ideal for: companies that want to create a measurable positive impact while and providing greater transparency to the public

Available to start-ups in: Maryland, Vermont, Virginia, New Jersey, Hawaii, California and soon New York

The Benefit Corporation is a new class of corporation with a corporate purpose to create public benefit, a broader fiduciary duty and is transparent about its overall social and environmental performance.

By definition, it must operate for the general public benefit – defined as a material positive impact on society and the environment. Every benefit corporation is required to publish an assessment using an independent, third-party assessment tool. To create a material positive benefit, a benefit corporation operates in a manner that not only creates value for the company's shareholders, but also its community, environment, employees and suppliers.

The structure also calls for a high level of transparency and accountability. Within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a benefit corporation is required to publish a "Benefit Report," which states how it performed that year on a social and environmental axis.

FLEXIBLE-PURPOSE CORPORATION

Ideal for: companies seeking to do good on their own terms

Available to start-ups in: California

The Flexible Purpose Corporation a new class of corporation that creates the maximum amount of flexibility for socially/environmentally conscious companies. It is designed for businesses that want to pursue profit along with a special purpose of its own designation.

The structure allows the designation of a special purpose that the company will pursue in addition to profit. For example, a flexible purpose corporation might be a for-profit developer that has a special purpose of building a public park in each of its developments.

This type of corporation must issue an annual report that is available to the public and provides details on the following: the special purpose; the annual objectives that it has set to achieve its special purpose; the metrics used to gauge the success of the special purpose; how it has achieved or fallen short of the stated objectives; and how much money was spent in furtherance of the special purpose. But it does not require any measurement against an independent third-party standard.

The Secret of Oz - Winner, Best Docu of 2010 v.1.09.11

If you wish to understand how to fix the current economic crisis, and create a sustainable economy, you must watch this documentary.

Book Talk: John Palfrey on Intellectual Property Strategy

The cutting edge of Intellectual Property Minds speak to the practical application of the IP Law and strategy. John Palfrey — Henry N. Ess Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at Harvard Law School — discusses his new book, Intellectual Property Strategy (MIT Press), which argues for strategies that go beyond the traditional highly restrictive "sword and shield" approach, including Jonathan Zittrain, Lawrence Lessig, Phil Malone, Terry Fisher, and Eric von Hippel.

George Soros and the Open Society

In his Open Society Lectures in 2009, George Soros presently and accurately described the exact nature of our current historical position in a series of philosophical lectures in Budapest, Hungry. I now understand that Soros is not just a great capitalist, a great philanthropist, and a great intellect, he may go into history as one of the 21st century's greatest political philosophers.

I highly recommend this five part lecture series, produced at Central European University, to anyone who is serious about understanding the world we live in. If you are interested in politics, the economy, philosophy, or the best investment for your money, there is something to learn from George Soros. He will no doubt one day be held in the same regard as Andrew Carnegie or the Rockefellers, as one of the most influential people in the fields of economics, philanthropy, and public education.  

Watch the Soros Lecture Series:

1. Reflexivity
2. Markets
3. Open Society - Q&A
4. Capitalism 
5. The Way Ahead - Q&A

In Budapest, presented by Central European University. With Collin McGinn, Philosophy of the Mind.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve this mission, the Foundations seek to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, we build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. The Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

Also see Sacred Economics

Too Big To Fail

Opening the Vault on the Financial Crisis

Sheared by the Shorts:

How Short Sellers Fleece Investors

Friday 30 September 2011

by: Ellen Brown, Truthout | News Analysis

(Photo: Christian Newton / Flickr)

"Unrestrained financial exploitations have been one of the great causes of our present tragic condition." -President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933

Why did gold and silver stocks just get hammered, at a time when commodities are considered a safe haven against widespread global uncertainty? The answer, according to Bill Murphy's newsletter LeMetropoleCafe.com, is that the sector has been the target of massive short selling. For some popular precious metal stocks, close to half the trades have been "phantom" sales by short sellers who did not actually own the stock.
 
A bear raid is the practice of targeting a stock or other asset for take-down, either for quick profits or for corporate takeover. Today, the target is commodities, but tomorrow it could be something else. When Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in September 2008, some analysts thought the investment firm's condition was no worse than its competitors'. What brought it down was not undercapitalization, but a massive bear raid on 9/11 of that year, when its stock price dropped by 41 percent in a single day.

The stock market has been plagued by these speculative attacks ever since the four-year industry-wide bear raid called the Great Depression, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was reduced to 10 percent of its former value. Whenever the market decline slowed, speculators would step in to sell millions of dollars worth of stock they did not own, but had ostensibly borrowed just for purposes of sale, using the device known as the short sale. When done on a large enough scale, short selling can force prices down, allowing assets to be picked up very cheaply.

Another Great Depression is the short seller's dream, as a trader recently admitted on a BBC interview. His candor was unusual, but his attitude is characteristic of a business that is all about making money, regardless of the damage done to real companies contributing real goods and services to the economy.

How the Game Is Played

Here is how the short-selling scheme works: stock prices are set by traders whose job is to match buyers with sellers. Short sellers willing to sell at any price are matched with the lowest buy orders to create a sale. Since stock prices are set according to supply and demand, when sell orders overwhelm buy orders, the price drops. The short sellers then buy the stocks back at the lower price and pocket the difference. Today, speculators have to drop the price only enough to trigger the automatic stop loss orders and margin calls of the big mutual funds and hedge funds. A cascade of sell orders follows, and the price plummets.

Where do the shorts get the shares to sell into the market? As Jim Puplava explained on FinancialSense.com on September 24, 2011, they "borrow" shares from the unwitting true shareholders. When a brokerage firm opens an account for a new customer, it is usually a "margin" account - one that allows the investor to buy stock on margin, or by borrowing against the investor's stock. This is done although most investors never use the margin feature and are unaware that they have that sort of account. The brokers do it because they can "rent" the stock in a margin account for a substantial fee - sometimes as much as 30 percent interest for a stock in short supply. Needless to say, the real shareholders get none of this tidy profit. Worse, they can be seriously harmed by the practice. They bought the stock because they believed in the company and wanted to see its business thrive, not dive. Their shares are being used to bet against their own interests.

There is another problem with short selling: the short seller is allowed to vote the shares at shareholder meetings. To avoid having to reveal what is going on, stock brokers send proxies to the "real" owners as well; but that means there are duplicate proxies floating around. Brokers know that many shareholders won't go to the trouble of voting their shares; and when too many proxies do come in for a particular vote, the totals are just reduced proportionately to "fit." But that means the real votes of real stock owners may be thrown out. Hedge funds may engage in short selling just to vote on particular issues in which they are interested, such as hostile corporate takeovers. Since many shareholders don't send in their proxies, interested short sellers can swing the vote in a direction that hurts the interests of those with a real stake in the corporation.     

Lax Regulation

Some of the damage caused by short selling was blunted by the Securities Act of 1933, which imposed an "uptick" rule and forbade "naked" short selling. But both of these regulations have been circumvented today.

The uptick rule required a stock's price to be higher than its previous sale price before a short sale could be made, preventing a cascade of short sales when stocks were going down. But in July 2007, the uptick rule was repealed.

The regulation against "naked" short selling forbids selling stocks short without either owning or borrowing them. But an exception turned the rule into a sham when a July 2005 SEC ruling allowed the practice by "market makers." A market maker is a bank or brokerage that stands ready to buy and sell a particular stock on a continuous basis at a publicly quoted price. The catch is that market makers are the brokers who actually do most of the buying and selling of stock today. Ninety-five percent of short sales are done by broker-dealers and market makers. Market making is one of those lucrative pursuits of the giant Wall Street banks that now hold a major portion of the country's total banking assets.

One of the more egregious examples of naked short selling was relayed in a story run on FinancialWire in 2005. A man named Robert Simpson purchased all of the outstanding stock of a small company called Global Links Corporation, totaling a little over one million shares. He put all of this stock in his sock drawer, then watched as 60 million of the company's shares traded hands over the next two days. Every outstanding share changed hands nearly 60 times in those two days, although they were safely tucked away in his sock drawer. The incident substantiated allegations that a staggering number of "phantom" shares are being traded around by brokers in naked short sales. Short sellers are expected to cover by buying back the stock and returning it to the pool, but Simpson's 60 million shares were obviously never bought back to cover the phantom sales, since they were never on the market in the first place. Other cases are less easy to track, but the same thing is believed to be going on throughout the market.

Why Is It Allowed?

The role of market makers is supposedly to provide liquidity in the markets, match buyers with sellers, and ensure that there will always be someone to supply stock to buyers or to take stock off sellers' hands. The exception allowing them to engage in naked short selling is justified as being necessary to allow buyers and sellers to execute their orders without having to wait for real counterparties to show up. But if you want potatoes or shoes and your local store runs out, you have to wait for delivery. Why is stock investment different?

It has been argued that a highly liquid stock market is essential to ensure corporate funding and growth. That might be a good argument if the money actually went to the company, but that is not where it goes. The issuing company gets the money only when the stock is sold at an initial public offering (IPO). The stock exchange is a secondary market - investors buying from other stockholders, hoping they can sell the stock for more than they paid for it. In short, it is gambling. Corporations have an easier time raising money through new IPOs if the buyers know they can turn around and sell their stock quickly; but in today's computerized global markets, real buyers should show up quickly enough without letting brokers sell stock they don't actually have to sell.

Short selling is sometimes justified as being necessary to keep a brake on the "irrational exuberance" that might otherwise drive popular stocks into dangerous "bubbles." But if that were a necessary feature of functioning markets, short selling would also be rampant in the markets for cars, television sets and computers, which it obviously isn't. The reason it isn't is that these goods can't be "hypothecated" or duplicated on a computer screen the way stock shares can. Short selling is made possible because the brokers are not dealing with physical things, but are simply moving numbers around on a computer monitor.

Any alleged advantages to a company or asset class from the liquidity afforded by short selling are offset by the serious harm this sleight of hand can do to companies or assets targeted for take-down in bear raids. With the power to engage in naked short sales, market makers have the market wired for demolition at their whim.  

The Need for Collective Action

What can be done to halt this very destructive practice? Ideally, federal regulators would step in with some rules; but as Jim Puplava observes, the regulators seem to be in the pockets of the brokers and are inclined to look the other way. Lawsuits can have an effect, but they take money and time.

In the meantime, Puplava advises investors to call their brokers and ask if their accounts are margin accounts. If so, get the accounts changed, with confirmation in writing. Like the "Move Your Money" campaign for disciplining the Wall Street giants, this maneuver could be a nonviolent form of collective action with significant effects if enough investors joined in. We need some grassroots action to rein in our runaway financial system and the government it controls, and this could be a good place to start. 

This work by Truthout is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

Capitalism's End - From Russian TV's Cross Talk

Imagine an alien comes to earth and asks us "What is Capitalism?", and gets 7-Billion different answers".

Confidence Men - Ron Suskind

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Ron Suskind Extended Interview Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

The Feds Secret Loans, part 2

Bloomberg keeps filing F.O.I.A. requests to find out what the Federal Reserve wants kept secret. Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s unprecedented effort to keep the economy from plunging into depression included lending banks and other companies as much as $1.2 trillion of public money, about the same amount U.S. homeowners currently owe on 6.5 million delinquent and foreclosed mortgages.

SECRET Foreign Borrowers

It wasn’t just American finance. Almost half of the Fed’s top 30 borrowers, measured by peak balances, were European firms. They included Edinburgh-based Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, which took $84.5 billion, the most of any non-U.S. lender, and Zurich-based UBS, which got $77.2 billion. Germany’s Hypo Real Estate Holding AG borrowed $28.7 billion, an average of $21 million for each of its 1,366 employees.

Timeline of Bloomberg's lawsuit against the Fed

- May 21, 2008: Bloomberg files a Freedom of Information Act request. The Fed denies this request

- Nov. 7, 2008: Bloomberg files suit to require disclosure [Bloomberg LP v. Federal Reserve, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan)].

- Aug. 24, 2009: Judge Loretta Preska rules that the Fed must disclose this information

- Sept. 30, 2009: Fed appeals decision

- Jan. 12, 2010: U.S. Court of Appeals hears oral arguments

- March 19, 2010: Appeals court upholds Preska decision

- May 4, 2010: Fed and Clearing House ask full U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn Preska ruling

- Aug. 23, 2010: Full appeals panel refuses to overturn Preska ruling

- Aug. 27, 2010: Court of Appeals gives Federal Reserve 60 days to decide on taking the case to the Supreme Court

- Oct. 26, 2010: Federal Reserve decides not to join the Clearing House Association in asking the Supreme Court to consider an appeal.

- Feb. 19, 2011: U.S. Solicitor General recommends the Supreme Court reject the Clearing House's appeal.

- March 21, 2011: Supreme Court rejects appeal and orders release of bank loan data

The interactive graphics are wonderful. Check out the story in the Atlantic, too.

From an accounting perspective, the loan programs shrank, excess reserves were retired, and the Fed simultaneously reprinted money to purchase the MBS and Treasury securities. It did not borrow money from commercial banks. Put another way, the money printed to fund the emergency loan programs, and more, was morphed into MBS and Treasury securities and this is clearly shown in a chart of the Fed’s assets: http://www.cumber.com/content/misc/fed.pdf

Think about it. Where would the excess reserves come from that banks held with the Federal Reserve, if the Fed hadn’t originally made the emergency loans or subsequently purchased assets? If Mr. Melloan’s analysis were correct, the excess reserves, which are assets to the private banking system, would have had to come from shrinkage of their assets and deposits, thereby turning required reserves into excess reserves, or by keeping their balance sheets the same size and shifting the composition of their assets by reducing loans and securities and increasing their reserves at the Federal Reserve.

Just before the crisis in August 2007, banks held only $45 billion in total reserves, and $40 billion of that was in the form of required reserves. Clearly, shrinkage of deposits could not have funded the huge increase in excess reserves in the banking system that came with the Fed’s emergency lending programs. What about a shift in the composition of bank assets from loans and securities to deposits at
the Fed? Data show that while bank loans have declined by about $600 billion, securities holdings have increased by about $600 billion. Therefore, the so-called borrowing from commercial banks could not have come from declines in their securities and loans.

So, George Melloan has totally mis-characterized the source of funding for the Federal Reserve’s QE1 and QE2 asset purchases. The Fed first printed high powered money through its emergency lending programs and as those programs were phased out the Fed again purchased agency mortgage-backed securities and Treasuries from the public by printing money, and the proceeds of those purchases show up as customer
deposits in banks, with the offsetting asset being not new loans but excess reserves held at the Fed.

In conclusion, the whole crisis has simply redivided the pie, and shifted debt from private banks to the US public by 'printing' money and thus reducing the value of US currency. This shifts value out of tangible goods while keeping the ratios of wealth steady. As real value bounces back, only those with capital will be in position to buy up resources. As the commoners have no capital, and the governments are in deep debt, the only people with capital will be private banks, owned by the wealthy.

Making Money Out of Market Crash

This is why we fail.

A Roadmap to a Life that Matters - Umair Haque - Harvard Business Review

Looks like even those at the Harvard Business Review are beginning to gain enlightenment.

Now, my little principle might cause those with hand-made suits and beancounterly tendencies to leap out of their chairs and hit me with the tarantallegra jinx. But even the cynics might be willing to admit: given a mysteriously non-recovering "recovery" for a global economy perpetually poised on the brink of perma-crisis, the status quo's out of ideas, out of options, and running out of time.

In an economy dedicated to the pursuit of more, bigger, faster, cheaper, nastier, the greatest hidden cost and unintended consequence is that something vital, enduring, resonant, and animating has gone missing from our lives — and it might just be the biggest thing: meaning in what we do, and why we're here. -

Umair Haque

It is obvious that there are no easy answers, but I suspect that cooperation, courage, and compassion, are becoming survival skills, putting even the scared, cynical competitors with business degrees on the verge of extinction.

A Roadmap to a Life that Matters - Umair Haque - Harvard Business Review

Intelectual Ventures = Patent Troll, Extortionists

Nathan Myhrvold is a genius and a polymath. He made hundreds of millions of dollars as Microsoft's chief technology officer, he's discovered dinosaur fossils, and he recently co-authored a six-volume cookbook that "reveals science-inspired tech­niques for prepar­ing food." Myhrvold has more than 100 patents to his name, and he's cast himself as a man determined to give his fellow inventors their due. In 2000, he founded a company called Intellectual Ventures, which he calls "a company that invests in invention."

Nathan Myhrvold destroys technological innovation and scientific creativity. His corporation, Intellectual Ventures (e.g. Computing Platforce, LLC., or Quan Holdings, Enhanced Software, LLC) buys up thousands of patents, shuffles them through a series of shell-corporations, and uses them to hide what they are doing. Nathan claims he is defending inventors ... so why hide?

In the interview, the Chief Council of I.V. couldn't even tell the producers when they bought a particular patent from Chris Crofford the patent inventor. Thom Ewing said they might likely be independently owned interested parties, i.e. they get a cut of the back-end arrangement for a percentage, e.g. a cut of the lawsuits.

They buy up thousands of patents and sue giant companies like Apple and Google to "monetize" and "Realize the Value" of the intellectual property. In other words they EXTORT MONEY from those who can afford, and give nothing to the inventors.

This American Life and Planet Money uncover the broken nature of our US Patent System, that issues duplicate patents for things like "Thermally Refreshing Bread" (i.e. Toast, 2000).

The patent process actually stifles innovation because they are so broad that everyone must break patents to do everything they want to do on the internet. The lawyers destroy our world.

A mysterious corporation: Oasis Research, 104 East Houston Street, suite 190, Marshal, TX, which has no employees, is a shell that owns many other mysterious corporations such as Bulletproof and Jellyfish, that create legal firewalls between the 'owners' of the patents and the potential legal accountability that is somewhere in the future. Just another beautiful scheme from Texas.

"Litigation is just licensing by other means." - If companies pay, then more patents are filed. Thus all big corporations have amassed large libraries of patents, to defend themselves against lawsuits, via mutually assured destruction. Thus, if you sue us, then we sue you. But only the largest players can amass such arsenals. So "Intellectual Ventures" shake-down most companies saying, 'It sure would be unfortunate if someone sued you. Why not hire IV to protect you from such suits.' 

Civil Lawsuits, thousands of lawsuits, by fake corporations owned by lawyers. Makes me want to shower just thinking about it. But in collecting $2-Billion in 'royalties', is the "Troll On Steroids" - Oasis Research (i.e. Intellectual Ventures) helping inventors collect on patents or just extorting protection money? But unless they achieve $35-Billion over he next 10 years, the venture capitalists behind Intellectual Ventures, will not be happy. That's an unnecessary expense, that will be passed on to the customer, destroying every innovative new competitor in the process.

ACN Investigation

Beware of Multi-Level-Marketing Schemes that use Pyramid Structures to create 'risidual income' without producing a product or service.


ALL multi-level-marketing schemes are unethical by their very nature. They concentrate wealth in the hands of a few, without fairly sharing the effort to generate that wealth. The pyramid model is very popular, but it charges customers a non-competitive premium in order to fund all the middle men up the chain. It is a scheme to motivate network marketing for inferior products at high cost.

Among dubious Multilevel Marketing corporations like AMWAY and ACN, Avon or Marry Kay, are a few good people trying to figure out how to make money. These entrepreneurs are taught how to sell other people's products and services, because they don't have anything else. But beware, the scheme teaches unethical practices, because you treat people as a means to an end, instead of an end in themselves. Any company that asks you to invest YOUR money up front to gain a 'business opportunity' where you will earn 'residual income' without producing a product or service, is a BAD CORPORATION.

I've written this because of a threat to my own industry (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy). American Communications Network, Inc., a phone service company, has begun selling people renewable energy appliances. Beware of ACN collecting homeowner's personal financial information to sell them unnecessary products without properly assessing their building safety or energy needs. All ethical photovoltaic businesses do full home energy audits and building safety inspections, then recommend and encourage energy efficiency remodeling on existing real-estate before installing any renewable energy appliances, like solar panels.

As customers should know ACN, Inc. is not a publicly traded corporation, it is a privately held corporation, so it is beyond SEC control. American Communication Network, Inc. doesn't trade on any SEC regulated stock exchange (note the ACN stock symbol is for a different company, Accenture ).

-Michael Russell
http://www.sdsustainablefuture.com

Insanity IS Holding Two Opposing Thought In Your Mind

Watch this video about Goldman Sachs, and learn what an UNSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS looks like.

The Daily Show - Exclusive - William Cohan Extended Interview Pt. 2
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

John Stewart interviews William Cohan author of "Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs came to rule the world" on the Daily Show.

Inflation Is GOOD for the Economy

Holding Inflation below five-percent (5%) actually decreases capital available necessary for a healthy economy, i.e. 100% employment. So, why do central banks all over the world (i.e. The Federal Reserve) have policies that try to hold inflation as close to zero as possible? Because those with capital investments gain from predictable markets (i.e. no innovations) and inflation competes with their return on investment. Ideal inflation should stay in flux between 5%-10% to create markets that have maximum employment and productivity. (Caveat- if your markets are hot and maximized the competition tends to create its own problems, like environmental degradation and corrupt business practices that require government regulation because their solutions are not profitable) If you want to make money - you need to create things, real-property that can be traded for currency. The danger is that only those with capital have the industrial foundation to make stuff efficiently enough to be competitive. The only things that you can create without physical capital, are ideas, and those require sharing to become useful.

From THE REAL NEWS NETWORK interview with Ha-Joon Chang author of "23 Things they don't tell you about Capitalism"

The Primary Dealer Credit Facility = $9-Trillion+

The Primary Dealer Credit Facility - according to CNN Money and ProPublica, the total extent of this UNDISCLOSED Federal Reserve 'Emergency' (no-interest) Loan program between May 2008 & 2009, was $9-Trillion, and although $7-trillion of the PRINCIPAL has been 'repaid', this represents an increase in the money supply of ~$90-T. Meaning the US$ is worth 1/3 less today than in '08. Has your salary, home equity, or the value of investments risen by 33% in the last three years? If so, you are a winner of this game. Also, the Banks gave bonuses as a result of this 'increase' in capital and lend the money to corporations at interest, creating debt of nothing, and that expense is passed on to the consumer as a cost of business. If they had failed to pay back these 'loans' the US Taxpayer would have been responsible, via an increase in US National Debt. (so much for pocket change of the $700-B TARP, and $800-B 'Stimulus')

http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/01/news/economy/fed_reserve_data_release/index.htm
http://projects.propublica.org/tables/treasury-facilities-loans

Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Three-Going The Extra Mile

Napoleon Hill - Think And Grow Rich - The Extra Mile = Free Labor

The case for Collaborative Consumption

"Sharing is something you only do with people you trust. To bad you don't trust anyone."
Rachel Botsman (HOT!) challenges you to collaborate.



Are you ready to wake up?

1. Reduce.
2. Reuse.
3. Repair.
4. Re-purpose.
5. Recycle.
6. Redistribute.

"You need the hole, no the drill"

Swap.com

Athiests Vs. Christians

Is it surprising? Atheists give much more than Christians.



Kiva.org
If we can get people to create REAL farms just as they create virtual farms on FaceBook, we can change the world.

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Pendo Luisi, 27 years old, borrowed $175 to open a cafe in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

Kiva was born of the following beliefs:

* People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.
* The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity.
* By connecting people we can create relationships beyond financial transactions, and build a global community expressing support and encouragement of one another.

Kiva promotes:

* Dignity: Kiva encourages partnership relationships as opposed to benefactor relationships. Partnership relationships are characterized by mutual dignity and respect.
* Accountability: Loans encourage more accountability than donations where repayment is not expected.
* Transparency: The Kiva website is an open platform where communication can flow freely around the world.

The Search for the 'Purple Squirrel'

For years I've been a proud generalist. Now it seems like the world has finally come around to the point of no return, and the specialists are being forced to change and adapt, taking on more and more tasks, until they become certified in multiple cross-discipline skill sets.

My degree is in Philosophy. The question people always raise is "What job do you get with that?" I often take the time to educate them about my unique perspective. I didn't go to college to get a job, I went to university to complete my education. But most people just don't grok. They think that if you invest $100,000 and four (or more) years in school, you should get a "Return on investment" and that requires a JOB.

Never hire anyone who isn't smarter than you are.

This is an old business quote, that many employers live and die to follow. They only hire people who are reported to be very well trained to provide a specific solution to their particular business problems. They have a need and the employee must solve the problem. But in today's economy, where every problem involves multiple levels of understanding in many fields, the traditional specialists are at a loss. So the employers are looking for 'Purple Squirrels'.

People with cross-discipline training are rare. Who goes to school to be a plumber, and learns how to produce videos? What mechanist was ever taught how to program artificial intelligence. How do you find an electrician with an MBA? But now imagine that you need a computer programmer, an MBA, a video producer, a plumber, and electrician, and a mechanist and you only have the salary for one person. Now you need a generalist.

I'm a generalist, my skills don't limit me to one speciality or another, I know how to think and learn extremely quickly. I like complex systems, I like information, I can see patterns that others don't because I'm naturally curious about very diverse areas of inquiry. Normally, this puts me at a disadvantage, I'm not the 'BEST' at any one skill set, because I've never specialized, but give me a little time and I'll become good at anything.

Because generalists understand the underlying principals of any system or process, they can see the links between otherwise disparate specialties. Give a generalist enough time and they become experts at everything, allowing them to bridge the gaps in communication, and act as hubs of information. This is what is needed in today's business world, because the problems are too complex and interrelated for any one virtuoso. The age of the specialist is over, the age of the Generalist is at hand.

Unfortunately, this is where our systems of education have failed us. Schools and Universities have become so focused upon producing specialists, that they no longer know how to produce generalists. Thus we must suffer a term, while the next generation re-tools. I hope we have that much time left.

Social Enterprise Workshop

Social Enterprise Workshop, November 5th, 2010, Downtown San Diego.

In the past, Entrepreneurs have been called 'opportunists', because they tend to take advantage of asymmetries in the economic environment. Businesses today are expected to take advantage of their customers ignorance, and Corporations are designed to manipulate our economy for their profits. These unjust business practices have become the norm, a cancer within our society, but now the very economy itself is failing due to these unfair and unsustainable practices.

It doesn't have to be this way, we can build prosperous businesses without preying upon our customers or the environment. We can choose to create an ethical, sustainable business model from the ground up. The biggest opportunities for entrepreneurism today is in social businesses, which seek to solve problems above making profits. We are in a time of great change, and only those enterprises that are able to adapt and evolve will survive, and only those that practice fair trade will ultimately succeed. 

Come join a dialog about how to build an ethical business. Learn how to change existing corporations into the kind of socially responsible businesses that are not only sustainable, but produce value for their entire community. 

Where: The Space Bar 

7454 University Avenue

La Mesa, CA 91942-6059

(619) 461-7100

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=The+Space+Bar+la+mesa&fb=1&gl=us&hq=The+Space+Bar+la+mesa&hnear=San+Diego,+CA&cid=0,0,6501159911118846600&ei=3zAQTOKXDeSxnAfL37jMDQ&ved=0CBMQnwIwAA&ll=32.759237,-117.037117&spn=0.009203,0.013497&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A

Wireless access, bring your laptops.

Michael Russell

of San Diego's SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

http://SDsustainableFuture.com

(619) 573-9560

Greening San Diego Non-Profit Business, what you need to know.

Greening San Diego Non-Profit Business, what you need to know.

Friday, October 15, 2010. 10:00 AM - 12 Noon, at The Red Lotus Society

http://www.sdsustainablefuture.com/events/greening-san-diego-nonprofit

Federal, State, and Local government funding for Energy related issues

Renewable Energy pitfalls and opportunities. 

For Property Owners in San Diego this is a very interesting time.

Be ready for the advent of the new Property Assessed Clean Energy programs and know how to maximize the GREEN Benefits. 

Come learn what you need to be doing to take advantage of government stimulus, incentives, rebates and credits.

Find out how to qualify and apply for programs that save money over the long term by all but eliminating your utility bills.

San Diego's Green Potential:

See what an ideal sustainable business looks like.

Find Answers:

The future of San Diego.

American Recover and Reinvestment Act. 

Green Jobs.

Politics, how you can participate and make positive change.

Private funds for Energy or environmental programs. How to apply, where to get help, what qualifies, etc.

What is 'Net-Metering', and what the new "smart" meters from SDG&E mean?

How can you afford the new renewable energy technology?

How this all applies to local small businesses?

Ask the expert, and join San Diego's Sustainable Future, community progress through cooperative solutions. 

Where: The Red Lotus Society 

540 3rd Avenue

San Diego, CA 92101

(619) 208-3833

redlotussociety.org‎

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=the+Red+Lotus+Society+on+third+avenue&sll=32.759237,-117.037117&sspn=0.009203,0.013497&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=the+Red+Lotus+Society+on+third+avenue&hnear=&ll=32.731552,-117.119064&spn=0.147292,0.21595&t=h&z=12&iwloc=A

Michael Russell

of San Diego's SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

http://SDsustainableFuture.com

(619) 573-9560

Google and Verizon Create Evil Internet

Dear Google,
I just found out what you're doing with those who own our public internet infrastructure. 

Wow, pretty arrogant. But, I guess you at Google are getting pretty rich. It's cool how you want to share the wealth with people like me, who want to start our own ISP. 

Now that you are evil, all I have to do is offer a "Just Internet" service, that delivers all information at the same rate to the people, for the people, and by the people, they will flock, probably even pay me more, to be part of the just society. 

Google users demand that you not get into bed with Verizon, but I think you should do evil. They think you should not sign on to this deal and sell out freedom on the Internet.  

Google's founding motto is 'Don't Be Evil.' This deal is evil. It undermines the open Internet upon which hundreds of millions of people rely. This is good for me. 

Can I sell fast advertising to your customers? So, they will choose my "Just Internet" over your "Evil Internet". It doesn't make a difference how we get online; The People expect that connection to be free of corporate gatekeepers. That's why we use the inter-web not the broadcast media, but if you think its just me, then make me rich.

Join the "Just Internet" and be rich like me.

Open Letter to John Chiang, CA State Controller:

As ever more public sector salaries in California have been revealed (thanks to VOSD) in the $500,000-$1,000,000 range, public outcry has called for Government Transparency.

John Chiang, has wisely offered to publish all Municipal Salaries on the State Controller's web site (thanks to KPBS), so that the public might finally be informed of the huge benefits of public service. But he stops short of publishing ALL PUBLIC SALARIES, PENSIONS, and BENEFITS.

I think it is way past time to publish all Municipal salaries, I've been calling for that sine 1996, but why not publish the STATE Salaries, too? Once people know how lucrative it is to be part of the Public Sector, all those talented business types will come work for the government and fix all the problems.

As a tax paying citizen of the State of CA, I demand that you publish the salaries of the UC Regents, Presidents, Chancellors, and Professors, ALL COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS, and ALL LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD Superintendents, too.

In San Diego we have a small pension problem, so you should also publish ALL PUBLIC PENSIONS and BENEFITS PACKAGES TOO!

(Name),
(Date),

Click Here to send your own letter.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Here is a new way to count. The premise proposed by Thomas Jefferson, in 1776, that all men have a right to 'The Pursuit of Happiness' is a goal difficult to measure. But it can be done.

Once you know the GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) of a people, what do you do with that knowledge?

Feeding on the Poor is counter productive

Over the years I've seen many unjust business models. The concept of USURY is one of the classics, right up there with Ponzi and PYRAMID SCHEMES.

[Deuteronomy 23:19] Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:

I always wondered why a person would willingly pay 300% interest, or more, on a loan? Even morgages make me sick, paying three-times what a home is worth over thirty years just seems self defeating.

The only reasons to charge compound interest on a loan are to balance risk or make profits. Why would you ever lend money to someone at such high risk that you needed that kind of gross interest rate to equal the exposure and justify the act? What kind of person would lend at such a huge and unfair rate just for an abusive profit? This is not good business.

It seems to me that any such business would have to have a profound disrespect for their customers to participate in the transactions. Perhaps, if we cut the poor a break, and only allowed interest upon loans to reach, say, 30%/year by law, then people would not become trapped in cycles of poverty, and they could eventually become middle class or even wealthy customers? Then our general profits as business people would increase across the scope of the economy, increasing the general welfare of our society.

Listen to Terry Gross interview Gary Rivlin and try to understand why parasitical business practices, busnesses that harm their customers, are unsustainable and harm the general good.

Broke, USA:
From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc. How the Working Poor Became Big Business
- by Gary Rivlin

Elizabeth Warren, Part 2: Why Government Regulation

It seems like all is lost, and one woman keeps fighting.

This is like playing Monopoly, only one guy is given all the cash at the beginning of the game, and everyone else gets just $200.

Today, I heard a story about the "Magnificent 8" a group of wealthy real-estate speculators here in San Diego, mostly former realtors and brokers, who made a killing during the boom times of the last 20 years in San Diego Real-Estate. Now they work together to take advantage of the foreclosure market, they hang out at the county court house, and when foreclosure properties come up for sale, they buy them up with $80-million in rotating investment capital. Last year, 2009, they made $250-MIlLION!

This group has operatives that pre-inspect each property, they never touch anything that doesn't have at least 25%-35% margins (i.e. being sold under market value). They stake their claim, out bid everyone else, and then flip the homes, selling them for a quick profit. They work together, and don't step on each-other's toes, so the auctions seem legitimate, but there is no real competition.

Now these properties, foreclosed on by banks, are what we paid for in the bank bail outs, and will be paying the debt on for the rest of our lives through the national debt. The banks are writing them off against massive profits as they consolidate into a virtual Monopoly. And what is truly crazy, if you get 'upside down' and loose your job in this economy, can't make payments, get foreclosed upon, the Bank will not let you refinance down to the market price, even if you could make payments at the lower price. So, you can't buy your own home at the price it will go for at auction.

But even if you do have someone in your family with the credit or cash to bid on a property, the "Magnificent 8" will bid up the property till it's within 5% of market value, so that you can't make any profit by selling it, or flipping it as they do. This keeps the little guys, their only competition, out of the game.

Nothing wrong with wolves becoming scavengers, right? At least someone is making money in this economy. Seems economic injustice just leads to more economic injustice. I'm not a Pollyanna, I know the game. Capitalism is not a FAIR system. Those with the biggest bank accounts always win. But that is why we have the government, to regulate, and create a fair opportunity for the poor, right? So, why are we allowing this kind of unfair competition?

How To Save The Economy: Elect Elizabeth Warren

There are two fundamental ways to look at America: Top Down or "Middle" Up. We seem to have a problem communicating, we NEED transparency and accountability.

Elect Elizabeth Warren
Watch her on Charlie Rose


Watch Her On YOUTUBE

How to get rich, fast!

Here is a great new American way to get rich fast. It is legal, and can even be ethical if done correctly.

First, find a business that is doing something wrong and not telling their share holders. Then gather explicit evidence of the scandal and a list of large media outlets. Now go to your broker, leverage your credit and short-sell as much stock in that company as you can. Then publish the press release of your report, including any sources, to any and all the media you can.

If all goes well the company stock price will tank, and you will make big $$$! Just make sure that the information you release is true and testable. You're just doing a public service.

This is exactly how the complex derivative market works, and exactly why AIG insurance needed to be bailed out. Everyone was betting against the market, and had leveraged the deal. Of course, if everyone is betting against a company, the stock price will drop. When everyone bets against the economy, the economy will fall. But you can still get rich!

Read More ...

Port of San Diego, Green Hybrid

The Port of San Diego is bragging about the New Hornblower Hybrid Ferry docked in San Diego this December 2009.

This is a great green vessel, just the kind of project that San Diego needs for to lead our way into the 21st century.

See the Pictures at Flicker.

See the full Article at the Unified Port of San Diego web site.

Also note the Respect our Planet Blog from Hornblower.

Green Waste is $Valuable$

In Texas, there are storms that knock over trees and tear up the urban landscape. People work hard to clean it up, and waste all that resource. The fuel it takes to pick-up the mess and truck it to the dump, costs the community money, why not just mulch and distribute the green waste on site?

A growing number of cities and towns are seeking to boost their green status by diverting waste from landfills and turning it into green products. This growing market has helped offset some of the decline from the slumping housing industry.

Read More

How to Get Stimulus Dollars

The first step in the $100 billion dollar stimulus voyage begins with paperwork.

One of the first things companies need to do is understand the nuances of the program. Overall, the energy portion of the ARRA consists of $34 billion in stimulus spending, $44 billion in loan guarantees and $12 billion or so in direct government purchases of things like electric vehicles or equipment for the USDA. (Estimates on the size of the portion of the $787 billion ARRA that will help green industries vary.) The loan guarantees require 20 percent matching funds from recipients while grants require 50 percent matching funds.

Applicants in most instances also have to prove they are shovel ready, noted Jim Fulton, who manages Cooley's cleantech practice.

The Last Great Truth Teller

Invest in the last solvent bank in America, Grameen America.

Disneyland Ride: The Incredible Universe

When I was a kid in 1970's they called this ride The Incredible Universe.

Repower America - Al Gore is Back

In his speech, Al Gore challenges America to use 100% of electric energy from RENEWABLE Resources within 10 years.


Check out the Plan to Repower America, and join California in Action.

Municipal Bonds for Power Purchase Agreements

Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)
Date: 4/13/2009
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: San Diego Energy Resource Center
8690 Balboa Ave, Ste 100
San Diego, Ca 92123

This is the first seminar in a series of five. Each seminar will cover various aspects of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The first seminar will focus on the history and background of PPAs, present day PPAs and what an ideal candidate looks like. Other topics of discussion will include maintenance and operation, SRECs, buyouts, removal, expansion of system and system performance tracking.

Lunch will be provided

Contact Name: Agnes Stupak
Phone Number: 858-244-1177
Email: agnes.stupak@energycenter.org

Municipal Bonds Fund Sustainable Energy:
The biggest city so far to announce its program is San Diego.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will today roll out one of the most aggressive plans in the nation to help homeowners and small businesses buy solar power systems.

"The city would request bids from financial institutions willing to put up money for the solar loans. The winning bid would determine the program's interest rate – which is about 7 percent in Palm Desert – and its size.

San Diego officials said they have been approached by two financing companies interested in participating. They said it's a sign of the fiscal markets welcoming what they describe as low-risk loans."

Notes on the Obama Stimulus Plan - Sustainable Energy

Thanks to the BCA for their invitation to talk at the meeting today.

First some quick links you need:

• Tuesday, March 24th, Solar Professionals Meetup, $10, Handlery Hotel 
  
• Saturday, April 4th, CCSE ECO-BUILD 2009
  
• The WEEK of April 19-25, San Diego EARTH WEEK WORKSHOPS and EVENTS
  
• California Center For Sustainable Energy - Free Lunch Classes
  
• San Diego Loves Green

To use renewable energy responsibly and economically you must first conserve energy, then make sure you're not wasting energy. That means reducing or reusing energy, and using passive thermal and day-lighting techniques to conserve. In San Diego we need about $2-BILLION to retrofit all our homes and commercial buildings with radiant barriers, building envelopes, new windows, pressure testing, new insulation, new low-energy HVAC and weatherizing. This would save us so much energy that we could STOP BUILDING POWER PLANTS, and this efficiency and conservation MUST BE DONE BEFORE INSTALLING DISTRIBUTED RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION.

But we are NOT GETTING $2-BILLION for such work. We will get a limited amount for government buildings. $412 Million in Weatherization Funding and Energy Efficiency Grants for California

The State Energy Program of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Project of the U.S. Dept. of Energy - Will this program expand?

DOE - Weatherization Assistance Program - $8-Billion The Weatherization Assistance Program will allow an average investment of up to $6,500 per home in energy efficiency upgrades and will be available for families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level - or about $44,000 a year for a family of four. By STATE

Energy-related issues are a cornerstone of the newly-enacted “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” stimulus package. The signed bill allocates funding for cities to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects within their jurisdictions. It also authorizes funds for weatherization, transportation energy, transmission, green jobs and other energy programs in an effort to stimulate green infrastructure and a green economy. Combined with direct funding for their activities, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) division will receive a total of $16.8 billion to implement energy saving rebates, grants, programs and research projects.

California cities will benefit from the $3.2 billion allocated to fund the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG), which were signed into law in 2007, but have not received funding to date. Of this amount, the 10 most populous California municipalities will apply for funds with the DOE and the remaining smaller cities will apply through the California Energy Commission (CEC) for their share. Funded programs will include development of energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies, energy audits and incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements, as well as building code improvements and education programs. The DOE will oversee this process through the EERE.

In addition, the stimulus bill will provide $5 billion in funding for low-income weatherization programs. Measures eligible for funding include building envelope, heating and cooling system, electrical system, appliance and other energy efficiency improvements. The income eligibility cap will also be raised to allow for more widespread implementation of weatherization projects.

The act also stipulates that $3.1 billion of EERE funds will go toward the State Energy Program for additional grants not matched with state funds, but the act applies to states that intend to adopt strict building energy codes and provide utility incentives for energy efficiency measures. An additional $500 million is allocated to the Department of Labor to train for green jobs to staff these projects.

The bill also addresses improvements to California’s aging transmission systems. It allocates $4.5 billion toward worker training and a transmission resource needs assessment associated with a “smart grid” program. It directs $2 billion toward grants for the manufacturing of advanced battery systems and components within the United States, as well as the development of supporting software for transportation energy. Another $300 million will support an Alternative Fueled Vehicles Pilot Grant Program, and $300 million will support rebates for energy efficient appliances, while also supporting the DOE's efforts under the Energy Star Program.

For those curious about SEMPRA ENERGY's plan for the new $1.9-BILLION SUNRISE POWERLINK, paid for by YOUR TAXES.
(see online movie A QUESTION OF POWER)

Ethical Business Leadership for Solar Professionals, Why it is desperately needed today.

There is a huge amount of competition emerging in the Solar Photo-Voltaic (PV) world. Renewable Energy "Professionals" (i.e. Salesmen) are trying to communicate complex information about technology and financing, along with government incentives, utility directives, contractor costs, site surveys, inspections, safety, liability insurance, and alternatives. The huge gap between the lay-person and the informed pro is growing wide, and this imbalance in power is fraught with potential for unethical behavior.

At this time we decide our fate. Either we will organize to provide clear and transparent accountability for ourselves, and secure potential customers, or we will fall into the old traps of greed and competitive manipulation. I suggest we police ourselves, and lead our peers away from the darkness, not out of some sappy moral convention, but out of shear selfish self-preservation and hope for prosperity. If we fully inform our customers and provide them with the facts about energy efficiency and conservation, rather than fatten our pockets selling them unnecessary large solar arrays.  If we charge FLAT FEES, rather than work on a percentage commission like some slick haired realtor. If we police ourselves, and provide a code of ethics, then we will earn the public trust that NO OTHER INDUSTRY NOW CARRIES.

Energy costs are going to rise, the economy is going to get worse before it gets better. People with equity in their home or business are golden, and the only safe place for investors looking for secure and stable returns. In the current frenzy to capitalize upon people's ignorance about sustainable energy, and take advantage of the customer desire to adopt the NEW GREEN technology, many unscrupulous "GREEN" contractors, hungry for work in this down market, are willing to push the most expensive solutions, and over-build with expensive solar photo voltaic panels.

I want to make it clear. For any contractor to even SUGGEST putting Solar PV on a site without first doing a full site energy efficiency survey, maximizing conservation, and minimizing energy waist, is UNETHICAL. That is why it is vital to have a third party, Sustainable Energy Consultant (like me) do an independent energy survey and create a technology transition plan that makes economic sense for the individual customer.

At this crucial time, at the beginning of our new carriers in the Sustainable Energy field, it is crucial that we police our peers, and set an ethical example. The next few years will set the stage. If we fall into the mistakes of the past, then "Solar Professionals" will become the car-salesmen of the 21st century. But if we do right by our customers, we can become the heros in a failing economy, and be part of the change this country needs.

Some interesting numbers for you to chew upon. 

Size and Scope Comparison:

SOLAR PV

• 8 YEARS OLD (ESSENTIALLY)
  
• 38,000+ SYSTEMS
  
• 17,000 JOBS
  
• $2.3 BILLION SALES 2007-2008
  
• 410MW INSTALLED 2000-2007
  
• 823,075MWH/YR
  
• Huge potential to shift technology soon.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

• 30+ YEARS GOING STRONG
  
• EVERY BLDG (TITLE 24) - new building LEED certificaion
  
• 1.5 MILLION JOBS CREATED SINCE 1977
  
• $3.7 BILLION EE PROGRAMS 2009-2011 (JUST THE IOU’S)
  
• 364 MW AVG DEMAND REDUCTION 2000-2004
  
• 1.9MWH SAVED IN 2004
  

Economics and Incentives:

SOLAR PV

• PAYBACK PERIOD, USUALLY 10+YRS
  
• PROJECT COST $16,800 TO
  
• $32,000 AFTER INCENTIVES (3KW TO 6KW)
  
• $1.90/WATT CSI (AND/OR LOCAL UTILITY PROGRAM)
  
• 30% FED TAX CREDIT (UNCAPPED STARTING 1/09)
  

ENERGY EFFICiENCY and CONSERVATION

• SIMPLE PAYBACK PERIOD, USUALLY LESS THAN 3YRS
  
• PROJECT COST $100 (SIMPLE LIGHTING) TO $7,000 (INSULATION AND WINDOWS)
  
• EFFICIENCY REBATES
  
• UP TO $500 FED TAX CREDIT (STARTING 1/09)
  

Sustainable Financing

The trick to making sustainable energy work is to create opportunities for sustainable financing. Given the current economic climate any return on investment seems good, but still credit is hard to find for sustainable infrastructure.

Thus government comes to the rescue, again.
Bright future as Berkeley starts solar program

Also: Calling Solar Professionals in San Diego
Join the Solar Professional Meetup

Fools Gold - New materials for Solar Cells

Solargy Systems Announces 2nd Solar Farm Project in Florida

Sustainable Planet: Energy production needs CARBON TAX

Solar Panel Drops to $1/watt

We have a finite amount of carbon based energy on this planet, and we've wasted about half of it already. We need the rest to bootstrap our world into sustainable energy technologies, but they have a sharp cost.

The only way to reach GRID PARITY, where solar production costs equal carbon fuel costs, in our lifetimes is to create a GLOBAL CARBON TAX to reflect the REAL COST of Carbon Based Fuels upon our environment. Thin Film PV, such as First Solar's cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology, is weak, creates toxic waist products, produces less energy per square meter, and will not stand up to the abuse of the outdoor environment.

Regular Silicon Crystal Technology or even iron pyrite PV will cost us much more because we are still making them using CARBON FUEL, not sustainable energy production.

The ONLY LONG TERM SOLUTION that will save life on this planet, is to change what we are doing, that means taking the PROFIT MOTIVE out of ENERGY PRODUCTION and working for the COMMON GOOD. CARBON TAX.