trippin' jan. 8

the rising sun

martin feckler explains that japanese culture is increasingly obsessed with energy conservation. the government provides generous subsidies to individual families, and companies develop technology that sharpen energy consumption and promote reuse. the root of energy conservation may be frugal families. however, japan is also an isolated island, and citizens "have an acute sense of insecurity." hitoshi ikuma, an energy scholar for the Japan Research Institute, explains:

"It's not just technology; it's a whole mind-set. Energy conservation is almost an obsession here among government, companies, regular citizens, everyone."

while small scale energy conservation cannot retard large scale climate change, popular support for energy efficiency can advance systemic change. government policy includes hefty gasoline and oil taxes that generate revenues that support energy efficient technologies. per capita energy consumption in japan is roughly half united states per capita consumption.

apan's higher energy prices have created strong domestic demand for energy-saving products of all sorts, spurring the invention and development of things like low-energy washing machines and televisions and high- mileage cars and hybrid vehicles. Japanese factories have learned how to cut their energy use to become among the most efficient in the world.

house divided

following emergency elections, ehud olmert organized a unity government and labor mk amir peretz bargained the defense ministry portfolio. peretz's portfolio was significant because he had not gained serious honor for his military service. the body politic has consistently elected military leaders and heroes. however, retread approaches to conflicts and diplomacy failed. unfortunately, the olmert government has made a series of significant military mistakes. now, the defense minister is increasingly under pressure to resign or accept reassignment. another article heralds ehud barak's announcement that he will run for leadership of the labor party and, ostensibly, the defense portfolio.

trippin' jan. 7

sunny day

samanth and i recently viewed an inconvenient truth. former vice president al gore presents a blunt review of climate change science and explains the dire consequence of current global warming trends. our building recently started to research installing solar panels on the roof to defray common electricity costs. while first costs are significant, users gain credit for energy sold back to the power grid. over time, users see significant decreases on their energy supply bills. our discussion reflects a growing interest in renewable energy by individual homeowners, small businesses, and larger corporations.

the article explains that rising energy costs led to limited subsidies for solar energy providers and substantial tax credits for consumers. increased demand have also sharpened production cycles and decreased the cost of production, installation, and maintenance. in turn, solar energy is an increasingly valuable investment. the article explains that homeowners can expect to "zero-out" individual electric bills.

Excess credits are lost at the end of the year, so homeowners, at least for now, cannot make a profit from their solar systems. Even so, the savings can be substantial: in 2005 Mr. Felton paid Pacific Gas and Electric about $2,500 a month for electricity. . . [Today] he seldom sees an electric bill. Borrego Solar estimated the system could save Mr. Felton almost $2 million over 30 years — far more than the $255,000 the system cost him after a $134,000 rebate.

clean wages

jared bernstein explains that the new democratic congress will present a minimum wage increase soon. however, president bush and the republican opposition have coupled their support for the bill to further tax cuts. in short, bernstein argues that the bill should be clean of earmarks and party politics. while the minimum wage increase will be dulled by inflation, the proposed tax breaks will remain sharp.

In 2000, the GOP leadership added these bright ideas to a proposed minimum wage increase: a reduction in the estate tax, increased write-offs for business meals and for business investments, tax breaks for timber companies and for tax-exempt bonds, a higher self-employment health deduction, and expanded enterprise zones. Whatever their merits, neither the legislated tax cuts in 1996 nor the proposed tax cuts in 2000 were "targeted offsets" for businesses paying the minimum wage.

former secretary of labor robert reich also argues for a clean bill. he explains:

In fact, a minimum wage hike may actually help small businesses. Evidence from states that have already increased their own minimum wages suggests that a modest increase convinces more people to enter the labor market -- people like retirees, spouses, or teenagers who wouldn't bother working at a lower minimum wage. With more people willing to work, small businesses have more choice of whom to hire. That means they can find more reliable employees, and reduce costs associated with turnover.

speak easy

a recent article profiles the controversy caused by "breaking the silence", a traveling speaking tour that features former IDF soldiers. the soldiers contest "excessive force" and "unethical military behavior" against palestinians in the occupied territories. the speaking tour sparked controversy against the union of progressive zionists, a campus outreach group. the zionist organizations of america (ZOA) demanded their exclusion from the ICC, an umbrella organization for israel advocacy groups.

the soldiers' testimonials are strong and credible. however, they complicate and threaten the traditional narrative presented by israel advocacy groups: israel, the advocacy groups explain, is always correct, always justified, and always humane. political discussion in israel proper is decidedly more complex and more honest.

"American Zionist organizations. . . are becoming increasingly intolerant and bullying," explains Juan Cole, a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of Michigan. . . "[T]he UPZ is just being treated as everyone else is that does not toe the ZOA party line, which is: no criticism of Israel is allowed by anyone, ever, and where someone dares engage in it, they should be relentlessly marginalized and punished."