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pr 11 SB?#' SECTION 2-PAGE t-PLAINDEALEE• FRIDAY,NOVEMBER9.1»7t ; - Tax credits, grants, ap­ pliance labeling, building s t a n d a r d s , h o m e weatherization, and national speed limits sound like a very mixed bag, but they all add up to an international energy conservation cam­ paign. Twenty industrial nations including the United States- all members of the In­ ternational Energy Agency (IEA)-- observed October as the first International Energy Conservation month. During October, member nations shared methods of saving energy as part of the IEA goal of limiting total oil imports. In the United States and elsewhere, seminars, con- ; ferences, demonstrations, and educational campaigns were under way to stress the dollars and sense of saving energy. Energy conservation policies in IEA nations have many things in common; for instance, the taxing power is used to encourage energy thrift (credits for home insulation) or penalize energy waste (higher taxes on large and inefficient cars). Even so, each nation's approach to energy con­ servation has been shaped in large part by its climate, energy resources, and degree of dependence on imported energy. For instance, Belgium imports a large majority of all the energy it consumes. Belgain law requires yearly cleaning of oil and coal burners and limits the temperatures of public buildings to 20 degrees Centrigrade (68 degrees. Fahrenheit) in offices and 18 degrees C (64 degrees F) in schools. Although New Zealand has good energy resources, it also has mandatory building energy codes and offers interest-free loans for in­ sulating existing homes and for installing solar water heaters. And the govern­ ment has imposed a national speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour (about 50 mph). Canada, which also has o For A Holiday o Treat... JVlcflcniV ^nn A Have Your f Holiday Feast With U FAMILY SIZE TURKEY WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS 0 (complete with salad bar) "Sized To Suit Your Family's Needs" By Reservation Only 344-0900 $#25 ~ 10% off to O per person Senior Citizens Serving 1 lam to 9pm (.JVIc'fleniy "Inn ••Family Iloqse 4512 W.Rte. 120 * ' ~ McHenryJIli 2 Blocks West of McHenry Market Place Shopping Center Vio ----or s u b s t a n t i a l e n e r g y resources, seeks energy self- reliance by the mid-1980's. Towards this, the Canadian government recently in­ creased its excise tax on heavy passenger cars. The Canadians have also limited heating in federal buildings (and in conserving energy have also saved an estimated $30 million a year) and have removed federal sales taxes from insulating materials. Italy must also import a very large part of its energy. Its laws include national maximums for space heating and hot water temperatures, and a heavy tax on heating oil en­ courages prudent con­ sumption. The Dutch motto is Ver- standig_ met Energie - "Use Energy Wisely . The Netherlands is one of several European nations that are e n c o u r a g i n g d i s t r i c t heating, in which central urban plants supply hot water and steam heat to surrounding homes and businesses. In Sweden, refuse has become a natural resource. Fourteen refuse incineration plants burn trash to recover its heat, which is used to generate electricity for residential and commercial use. One plant has produced the energy equivalent.to that in 160,000 barrels of Oil. Most of the plants are operating in the black, and more are being constructed. Two-thirds of the energey used in Japan must be im­ ported. The Japanese plant­ ed Uie seeds of energy con­ servation In. 1951 with passage of a Heat Control act for larger factories. Now, some 25,000 heat control officers nfonitor industrial energy con­ sumption. Japan also im­ poses a progressive tax on cars by their size and weight, and the auto in­ dustry voluntarily labels new cars for fuel efficiency. Because of other legislation, hundreds of thousands of Japanese homes have solar water heaters. Ireland's program in­ cludes grants to industry that partially cover the cost of hiring energy auditors. And to keep the idea of conservation green, the Irish frank their mail with "Conserve Energy" for two months each year. Like many nations, Spain has established compulsory insulation standards for new homes, but it also regulated display lighting in shop windows and on streets and highways, and urges its W j y O L D ( u k w a u ( % . £ . £ . Q / a C C c y mis <zA/[zdioa[ tfjxoufi, <£. d. Woodstock, III. 60098 ANNOUNCES THE ASSOCIATION OF PATRICIA J. RITZMAN, M.D. IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY OFFICE HOURS BY APPOINTMENT PHONE: 815-338-6600 many tourists to save energy in hotels. West Germany relies heavily on tax incentives to encourage the installation of energy-efficient equipment in homes and factories. Industry's contributions include producing washing machines with high-speed spin cycles so that laundry requires less drying time. While Norway is a net oil exporter because of its rich oil fields in the North Sea, Norwegian policies include allowing industry to set aside tax-free funds if they invest in equipment to capture and use waste heat or if they use waste products as fuel. Among the United Kingdom's conservation* programs are grants -to the Royal Institute of Architects to retain mid-career ar­ chitects in designing buildings for energy ef­ ficiency. Although IEA nations employ diverse methods and policies to save energy, the I n t e r n a t i o n a l . E n e r g y agency estimates that together they will reduce total IEA energy con­ sumption significantly by 1985. Members of the IEA are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, West Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, S w i t z e r l a n d , the United and the United What lust One Person Can Do S w e d e n , Turkey, Kingdom, States. The Threat of Nuclear Disaster The effect of the accident at the Three Mile River nuclear power plant is just beginning to awaken the consciousness of Americans. I, for one, have been deeply shaken by the realization that the poisons of nuclear waste will retain their killing power for thousands of years, while the temporary containers in which they are being stored have a life expectancy of decadefc or at best centuries. The two sources of potential danger, are the • nuclear power producing plants, and the manufac­ turers of nuclear explosives. To date the nuclear power plants have accumulated more than 81,000 cubic feet of toxic waste. This is nothing compared to the weapons industry which is presently storing in excess of 9.4 million cubic feet of high level radioactive waste. Considering that we add from three to 10 nuclear bombs to our arsenal each day, not to mention the arms production taking place in Russia and other countries, the world is becoming in­ creasingly glutted not only with explosive material but with indestructible lethal waste material. This radioactive material has a half-life of 25,000 years. If mishandled or accidentallv disturbed, or deliberately sabotaged, it can lead to for us, for our _ i, for our children's children, for centuries un­ counted. Even if none of our 28,000 'nuclear bombs is ever ex­ ploded, the threat posed by • the storage of nuclear waste is creating a legacy of ex­ treme danger and possibly utter destruction for our descendants. In my judgment this is the greatest moral, political, religious and human problem in the world today. Even Salt II does not face up to the danger of nuclear waste. It te a token of recognition by the super­ powers that we are heading down the wrong road. The survival of the human race is at stake. The Christophers believe in the power of the individual to make a difference. The danger for us today is in ~ believing that responsibility for this situation is so dispersed that each one of us can close our eyes to the significance of his or her own part in the events of the future, Carlyle's thesis claims that wars may be caused, or empires fall or civilizations decline, not necessarily through some colossal criminality, but from multitudinous cases of petty betrayal or individual neglect. Another writer put it this way: "Behind the shocking crime at the center, the blame goes to the vast numbers of individuals, each guilty of small derelictions of duty or petty compliance with vested interests - each gravely r e s p o n s i b l e , t h o u g h astoundingly unaware of the importance of what he was doing." (Herbert But- terfield, "Writings on Christianity and History") Consumers Hail ICC Winter Shut-Off Ban Michael J. Karasis, M.D.S.C. Would Like To Announce The Opening of His Practice in Urology COMMENCING ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9th at 526 WEST SOUTH STREET WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS HOURS BY APPT. 24 Hour Answering 338-3200 The Illinois Commerce commissionhas voted to ban winter shut-offs or residential gas and electric service from Dec. 1, 1979 to April 1,1980. Both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate passed resolutions last spring urging the ICC to institute such a ban. "For over three years we have been struggling to put an end to the inhumane practice of shutting off a person's heat in the dead of winter", said Joy Williams of the Food Justice program and board member of the Illinois Public Action council. "No one should have to freeze to death because they cannot keep up with their soaring utility bills in the winter," continued Ms. Williams. "This does not mean that they will not have to pay their bills. It gives time for a reasonable bill collection schedule to be worked out that is ac­ ceptable v to both the customer and the utility company." "This is a tremendous relief for senior citizens who have been dreading the coming winter for fear of having their heat turned off," said Margaret Person, chairperson of Metro Seniors in Action. "No longer will we have to face the threat of a cold apartment or even possible death because our heating bills were too high." WINTER FANTASY Dinner-Dane* 'Benefit McHenry Area Rescue Squad Friday, December 7, 7 Andres' Steak House FEATURING: IRIL06Y ^35^per couple Sponsored by Fox Ridge Women's Club For reservations, call Patti Castle 344-1631 This prestigious business address can be yours .... on a RENTAL BASIS for as little as $ 4 5 0 - ' < ^ Vi? +:"£ I. • - ; • ' v . * . Whispering Point Center Office Miniums 4302-C Crystal Lake Rd. & Hanley, McHenry, IL per square foot (Utilities not included) UNIT E-2455 sq. ft. area. You may rent with a two year lease the followinq variety of sq. ft. area. * 2455 s.f. area rental fate $4.50 per square foot 1224 s.f. area rental rate $5.00 per square foot 1085 s.f. area rental rate $5.50 per square foot 912 s.f. area rental rate $5.75 per square foot 612 s.f. area rental rate $7.00 per square foot Immediate Occupancy We will subdivide the above units, as needed to fit your personal needs. 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