The threes Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle—are what people in my career field of facility management live and abide by.
I also live by these rules. In order to be efficient, everyone should attempt to do what they can to not be so wasteful. This includes buying products with more recycled materials, recycling at your home and being aware of the energy you use or waste.
Next time you leave the house, make sure all your lights are off. There is no need for them if you are gone. As tedious as this may sound, it does add up. We are running out of renewable resources and this is why people are looking for alternatives.
This brings me to Proposal 3 in Michigan. This proposal will amend the State Constitution to establish standards for renewable energy. According to Michigan.gov the proposal would include various standards.
For one, electric utilities would have to provide at least 25 percent of their annual retail sales of electricity from renewable energy sources (wind, solar, biomass and hydropower) by 2025. This could help increase jobs for installation of creating this energy, helping the Michigan economy.
Second, the electricity utility rate would be limited to no more than a 1 percent increase charge to customers. This way our government cannot gourge us in utility bills since we are going green.
Third, the government would allow extension of time to meet the 25 percent standard so the rate of utilities would not exceed a 1 percent increase in cost. This would be beneficial so there is no excuse for higher bills. This would be a safeguard against our utility bills skyrocketing.
Last, this proposal would enact additional laws into legislation to encourage the use of Michigan-made equipment and employment. This could only help Michigan in this tough economic time.
The initial up front cost will be there but in the long run will help us save on energy so it doesn’t run out. It is up to you to research the proposals on the ballot to be educated. Visit Michigan.gov to learn more so you can make an educated decision on Nov. 6.