Have you ever checked how insulated your house is? Well maybe you should! In an attempt for a more ambitious energy program German Federal Minister of Environment
Sigmar Gabriel suggested enforcing a new law that allows renters a rent reduction if their apartment does not hold up to environmental standards.

"Don't waste your money. Dress your house warmly", the ad of the Federal Ministry of Environment says“We waste too much energy. We got to change that”, Mr. Gabriel said to Braunschweiger Zeitung. According to the minister renters should be able to refuse handing over their money if landlords are unwilling to renew heating installation or replace single glazing.
The German Magazine Wirtschaftswoche said there are about 2,4 million households that are in need of modernization. Mr. Gabriel’s suggestions will be up for debate in late August when the German government appoints a new climate protection program.
Oh, and just because Germany has this new idea, does not mean the rest are exempt. Chancellor Merkel set the agenda for other politicians by announcing to reduce the energy consumption of Germany by 20 percent until 2020. And since its election time in the United States and the United Kingdom, environmental questions will come to the fore.

In the US after all the House of Representatives has past a bill for the advancement of environmentally friendly forms of energy. Until 2015, energy groups will have to obtain 15 percent of their energy from wind or solar or other renewable energy sources. Proponents of this new law say its arrangements will lower CO2 emissions by about 500 million tonnes per year. The law will also decrease the subsidies for the oil industry by 16 billion dollars in order to invest this money into renewable energy research. President Bush is not very fond of the project and has announced his resistance.

Find more in the Financial Times Deutschland