Save energy, save money: Online videos

The MoneyTalksNews channel on YouTube (by Stacy Johnson) focuses on saving you money by making smart energy choices. The philosophy is that making big investments in "green" choices such as buying a hybrid vehicle, a solar panel etc. are not the only ways to go green. Shown below are the videos I add to my YouTube playlist (and are therefore filtered for spam, hopefully :-))

The videos are:
1. Simple energy saving tips: CFLs vs. incandescents, monitoring appliance energy consumption
2. Using less water
3. Environmentally friendly hotels
4. Warm/cold water for laundry
5. Saving money on dishwasher, microwave and oven operation
6. Cutting cooling bills by installing fans and cleaning your AC filters
7. Saving money by doing less paperwork
8. Saving money by borrowing CDs, switching off entertainment centers and reading online newspapers
9. Home energy-audits
10. Eco-friendly interior design

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Speculation in Crude Oil, Middle men and prices

Here is one (my) perspective on how speculation was affecting price of crude oil , but profit margins of refiners (solo refining companies like Valero, Sunoco, etc) have not really gone up. Of course for the common public, the face of gasoline are companies like Valero/Sunoco/LukOil in some markets in US. The presence of "speculators" in the energy futures markets has just added more middle mento the path the crude oil takes from the well to the refinery and then to the gas station (petrol pump).
The addition of middle men is going to increase the cost of the goods at the final step. This is NOT any kind of value addition. But it was merely was an artificial way to increase the demand on a given contract of crude oil. The addition of speculators (who cannot be prevented in a truly free market) definitely puts an increased "Phantom Demand" for crude oil-which is merely a dirty oily raw material.

But wait, I dont think we are done when it comes to the price increase of crude. It will rise again but in a more gradual way and climb towards $250 within 3 years. If that does not happen, you can fry a donut in crude oil and serve it to me.
The increased demand due to actual use (of newly added vehicles, increase in vehicles in India and China, SUVs and pickups in the market all over the world) is a totally different factor.

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Energy saving initiatives across the world

The Wall Street Journal describes energy saving initiatives that cities across the world have adopted, either in response to mandated targets (Amsterdam), or external pressure (Beijing) or better reasons. Reading about Chicago's green buildings reminded me of the LEED certification of buildings at Penn State and the Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon. More info after the jump.

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