Posts Tagged ‘Economy’

Green Sells: Energy Upgrades Raise Home Value

Row of purple Monopoloy houses with a green house in the middle.The housing market, like the U.S. economy, is a mess. GDP growth dropped from 3.7% to 2.4% in the second quarter. In the housing market shrinking incomes and greater lender restrictions mean fewer qualified buyers are looking, which is driving down prices.

Here is the bottom line: if you want to sell your home without losing your shirt, you need an edge.

To find an edge, just look to the part of the economy that’s still growing – the green sector. In Massachusetts, major utility companies have stepped up energy efficiency investments this year with the goal of tripling enrollment in their programs. A recent report funded in part by the state department states that renewable energy use is at “a clear tipping point” for growth. Never before has… [view entry]

The Economics of Climate Change

Paul Krugman Talk by TaekwonweirdoLooking past the exciting technical, legislative and community advancements made to address climate change over the last few years, lies the reality of whether we as a society will make the necessary changes in energy use, lifestyle choices and investment decisions in time to avoid the most catastrophic global warming scenarios.

In last weekend’s New York Times, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman examined the question that could fatally delay the steps necessary to reduce the impact of climate change. It’s the question that many of the people running our government and global corporations are now pondering, “Is it good for business?” Photograph by Yoshikazu Nema; Artwork by Yuken Teruya

Even when people accept the reality of climate change, there is some legitimate debate on how fast and how hard the truly negative effects of global warming… [view entry]