I just received my GRI G3 reporting certification from the course I took last week.  The course was delivered in Colorado for the first time due to the efforts of CORE with support from Deloitte.  Lead, out of Canada, provided the training based on materials from the Global Reporting Initiative.

The instructor was well informed, as were the 26 attendees. Lively discussion, along with some good and some not so good exercises provided us all with a great understanding of the G3 framework and the processes companies should put in place to engage stakeholders, prioritize initiatives, disclose results, share goals and increase sustainability through management processes and transparency.

Global Reporting Initiative
The Sustainability Reporting Framework – of which the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines are the cornerstone – provides guidance for organizations to disclose their sustainability performance. It is applicable to organizations of any size or type, and from any sector or geographic region, and has been used by thousands of organizations worldwide as the basis for their sustainability reporting.

The Daily Camera reports the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus has received another green designation. The Sustainable Endowments Institute, a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors gave CU the highest grade awarded on its 2010 report card. And for the second year in a row, CU was named an Overall College Sustainability Leader.

CU this fall was ranked by Sierra magazine as the No. 1 green university in the nation.

The rating was based on an independent review by the Sustainable Endowments Institute and responses by CU-Boulder officials to 120 questions assessing sustainability in the categories of administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building, transportation, student involvement, endowment transparency and shareholder engagement and investment priorities.

Some things are worthy of a second look.  Check out this educational advertisement for the water millions walk miles to taste.

L’DESH FRESH

Growing up in the South, you don’t have a lot of opportunities to test out your winter gittin’ around skills.  And with a big snowstorm about to him my hometown area, here are a few hard learned lessons about moving around in the white stuff.

Cowboy boots and ice don’t mix.

Always wipe the snow off the top of the car door before you open it.  Or just wear your rain pants everywhere.

Drive like you’re in your bass boat.  Look way out front and pretend you got little or no brakes.

Them big ‘ol four wheel drives are great at getting ya’ going, but ain’t no help at all when it comes to stopping.

And the number one thing to remember:  It’s not all about how well you can drive in the snow, it’s more about how the folks around you drive in the snow.

Now that I really think about it, you may want to stay home if you can.

It appears Starbucks customers in New York are able to make intelligent decisions when provided with the information about the calorie content of food on the menu.

A new study by Stanford released Jan. 6 examined consumer behavior before and after calorie counts were posted, and determined that when restaurants post calories on menu boards, there is a reduction in calories per transaction.  Based on transaction data provided by Starbucks, researchers from the Stanford Graduate School of Business found that calorie-posting in New York City in 2008 led to a 6%  reduction in calories per transaction.

I suspect this surprises few of us.  Yet, opponents of posting this information claim it is available elsewhere and therefore not needed in the cafe.

Studies continue to reveal this is just not the case.  Information available in real time makes a difference in our buying decisions.  The same is true for energy conservation efforts.  Just presenting people with details about the energy they are using while they are using it, changes behaviors that on average reduce energy consumption by 3-5%.  Give folks simple ideas to reduce consumption further and the vast majority of us will do so.  That’s why we are working with companies to make energy usage information (and comparisons across companies, departments and work areas) available to employees.

In a move clearly designed to keep up the pressure on the US to take strong action on climate change, UN climate chief Yfo de Boer stated, “Whatever route is taken, the president of the United States committed to a 17 percent emissions reduction in Copenhagen.  The president of the United States committed to more ambitious emissions reductions for 2030 and 2050. And it is those statements to which the international community will hold the government of the United States accountable.”

via U.S. Bound by Obama\’s Copenhagen Emissions Pledge — U.N. Official – NYTimes.com.

The term “smart grid” is shorthand for a number of technologies intended to automate and digitize management of electrical power. By computerizing the 20th century electrical system, utilities and others in the power industryhope to manage and control electrical output more efficiently and reliably. Though smart grid sounds like it’s a single system, it’s more an array of different tools and technologies, from smart meters to solar power, all designed to reduce costs, waste less energy, and provide better networking and communications between homes and utilities.

Smart-grid spending to hit $200 billion by 2015 | Green Tech – CNET News.

The U.N.\'s leading panel on climate change has apologized for misleading data published in a 2007 report that warned Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035.  In a statement released Wednesday, U.N. climate chiefs apologize for glacier error – CNN.com the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said estimates relating to the rate of recession of the Himalayan glaciers in its Fourth Assessment Report were “poorly substantiated” adding that “well-established standards of evidence were not applied properly.”

In an attempt to put the proper spin on this, IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri admitted errors and according to Agence France-Presse, stated, “Theoretically, let’s say we slipped up on one number, I don’t think it takes anything away from the overwhelming scientific evidence of what’s happening with the climate of this earth,” he said, according to Agence France-Presse.

Errors and mistakes happen in science research as in all other areas of human involvement.  And when they do, it is best to own up to them quickly and with humility.  This seems to be as important for climate science, maybe even more important, because predictions are so difficult, hindsight is always 20/20 and there are so many groups wanting to poke holes in the research and predictions.  Some may even claim that early predictions were intentionally exaggerated in order to gain more attention.

In any event, those wanting to really understand the issue are no more likely to take this error and believe all the science is suspect, than they would take the worst case prediction and ignore everything else.

The first ever Yellowstone BioBlitz took place in August and uncovered more than 1200 species in a two-square mile area of northern Yellowstone, including several species not previously known to exist in the park. While Yellowstone’s wolves, bison, bears, and elk typically receive the most attention-both from scientists and tourists-the focus of the BioBlitz was on decidedly smaller and lesser-known creatures. Yet to scientists and park officials the findings were no less exciting. Findings included microscopic worms, mushrooms, a bluish-green lichen, a slender grass, and a colorful tiger beetle. 373 plant species

86 mushroom types
46 kinds of bees
5 kinds of bats (I know a 9 year old who would love to see these)
24 butterflies
Over 300 kinds of other insects 

This rich biodiversity provides the ecological building blocks upon which the larger, more charismatic mammals depend for survival. The BioBlitz results will help park management better understand ecosystem dynamics and potential threats to ecosystem stability. You can read more about the BioBlitz at the Greater Yellowstone Science Learning Center.

From the Yellowstone Association’s Dec. ‘09 E-Newsletter

The 45th Annual Event Sponsored by the Business Research Division in the Leeds School of Business and BBVA Compass
The annual forecast of the state’s economy includes snapshots from specific counties and regions around the state, as well as updates on international trade, population, labor force and personal income growth, and a general outlook on the national economy.
December 7
Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1750 Welton Street, Denver
1:00 p.m. Welcome by Leeds School and BBVA Compass
1:15 p.m. Colorado economic outlook for 2010
         Richard Wobbekind, Economist, Leeds School of Business
         John Lymberopoulos, Professor Emeritus, Leeds School of Business
2:00 p.m. Question and answer panel session
2:30 p.m. Keynote address: Nathaniel Karp, Chief U.S. Economist, BBVA Compass
3:15 p.m. Concurrent discussion sessions:
         The Future of Uranium, Renewables, and Coal–Impacts on Colorado’s Economy
         Moderator and Speaker: Vince Matthews–Colorado Geological Survey
         Panel: Jim Burnell–Colorado Geological Survey
                    Bob Burnham–Wood Mackenzie
                     Jeff Lyng–Governor’s Energy Office
4:45 p.m. Networking reception
There is no charge for this event. No RSVP is necessary. Download printable postcard invitation.
More info:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $338 million in funding for the exploration and development of new geothermal fields and research into advanced geothermal technologies.

These grants are directed toward identifying and developing new geothermal fields and reducing the upfront risk associated with geothermal development through exploration and drilling projects and data development and collection.

In total, 123 projects in 39 states will receive funding from these grants.

President Obama set to be in Copenhagen on Dec. 9th with an offer to cut US GHG emissions in the range of 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. 

The DOE is investing up to $1.18 million for a project in Boulder, Colo. to upgrade the 100-year-old Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project by replacing two older turbines with a single unit. The new turbine is expected to operate at a wider range of flows and higher efficiency ranges, resulting in an increase in annual generation of 11,000 MWh (30% increase).

Along with 6 other projects the DOE is investing $30.6 million to create an additional 187,000 MWh/year, while replacing turbines that are as much as 90 and 100 years old.  Clean (cutting 110,00o tons of CO2 emissions/year), cheap (adding generation at less than 4 cents per kWh) and lowering operating and maintenance costs.  

In Massachusetts, a proposed wind farm called Cape Wind was dealt a blow last Friday that will delay what would be the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. The Massachusetts Historical Commission agreed with local Indian tribes who claim that the location for the wind farm should be considered for listing in the National Historic Register because the Wampanoags’ history and culture are “inextricably linked to Nantucket Sound,” according to the opinion.

“If the tribes are successful, that would have a severe chilling effect (on the entire wind industry) because tribes up and down the coast could make the same claim,” said Mark Rodgers, the communications director for Cape Wind. “Never before has an open ocean been caught up in this kind of declaration.”

Then again, never before has a rare combination of private and government investment pumped so much into alternative energy projects. As these projects grow in frequency and scale, a new breed of NIMBY (not in my backyard) is emerging: Opponents of wind or solar installations who generally support renewable energy, just as long as they are built somewhere else. Coal and nuclear plants, it turns out, aren’t the only energy facilities people don’t want built in their backyards…or coastlines.

The Cape Wind fight, in particular, has brought together a testy combination of excellent wind conditions, opposition from well heeled local residents including members of the Kennedy clan, and a surprising assertion of Native American rights.

via .

The University of Mississippi is using data from SmartSynch’s smart meters and passing it to dashboards for campus operations personnel to monitor, analyze and act via RSS and social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook.  As a part of the university’s Red, Blue and Green initiative, students and faculty can register with the school’s Green Initiative website and get real time view and comparisons of energy usage around the campus.

It appears that people don’t only wish to keep up with their neighbors with bigger homes and wider if flatter TVs.   This seems to be true with energy efficiency as well. 

From hotels to neighborhoods, the power of influence work by Dr. Robert Cialdini is being put to the test with positive results.  Looks like water may be next.

McKinsey and Company’s central conclusion from their U.S. Energy Efficiency report says much about the energy efficiency opportunity in the US:

Energy efficiency offers a vast, low-cost energy resource for the U.S. economy – but only if the nation can craft a comprehensive and innovative approach to unlock it.  Significant and persistent barriers will need to be addresses at multiple levels to stimulate demand for energy efficiency and manage its delivery across more than 100 million buildings and literally billions of devices.  If executed at scale, a holistic approach would yield gross energy savings worth more than $1.2 trillion, well above the $520 billion needed through 2020 for upfront investment in efficiency measures (not including program costs).  Such a program is estimated to reduce end-use energy consumption in 2020 by 9.1 quadrillion BTUs, roughly 23 percent of projected demand, potentially abating up to 1.1 gigatons of green house gases annually.

Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy – McKinsey and Company

2008 proved to be a year of extremes for both the economy and energy around the world.  Not surprising since fuel prices are so closely tied to world economic growth and in 2008 one of the longest periods of sustained economic growth can crashing to a halt.  This sent record oil prices of $140 per barrel plummeting by more than 70%.  See the details in BP Statistical Review of World Energy – June 2009.

Department of Energy Secretary Chu announces $93 million from the Recover Act to support the development of additional wind energy in the United States. The money will support R&D and testing for wind turbine drivetrains, support university and industry consortia focusing on critical wind energy challenges, advanced technology development in the private sector and a National Wind Technology Center in Colorado.

Chu also announced the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will receive $100 million for infrastructure projects. The largest is the development of an energy efficient LEED Platinum certified office, constructed at the same cost as that of a low efficiency commercial office building. The others are to use solar and other green energy sources to reduce the labs carbon use and to upgrade the integrated bio-refinery research facility used to develop commercial scale cellulose to ethanol technologies.

During his visit to the Golden, CO facility Chu stated that $26 billion of the more than $100 billion in the Recover Act for renewable energy projects had already been authorized with the goal of 70% being authorized by early September. He also discussed streamlining the DOE loan approval process with the goal of reducing the time to getting a loan application approved to a few months. It has been known to take years under the current process.

It is great to see some of this huge spending bill is being directed to innovation and more importantly that this is being coordinated with private industry. There continues to be a gap in funding for the commercialization of proven technologies. Until this gap is filled, the great innovation from the labs and universities will be delayed in helping solve our energy issues.

Bob Metcalfe, using the history of the Internet as a guide, provided his list of things to look for and look out for in the changing energy sector.

Metcalfe gave an optimistic view of the environmental challenge suggesting not only are we in a Global Warming Bubble but that cheap, clean energy will be so abundant, it will easily be squandered.

He suggested the best place for research is in the research universities and not in government labs which are “nothing more than local earmarks”. In this model, professors along with their graduate students, will commercialize innovation with the help of entrepreneurs and venture capital.

Metcalfe warned that energy and environment are two overlapping issues and they should be viewed as two things. Otherwise, we may solve energy without solving the environment or vice-versa. Oh, and he offered a new color for clean energy, blue.

McKinsey’s Matt Hirschland interviews three European leaders about a global climate agreement this year.

McKinsey

Economists Nicholas Stern and Michael Grubb, along with European Commissioner Janez Poto?nik, agree that the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009, marks a critical juncture for addressing climate concerns. And they all agree the United States must take serious action to back up the serious language currently coming out of Washington, D.C.

It is likely that the energy to power your car came from the Sun hundreds of millions of years ago and was converted by algae into simple sugars that eventually was pumped out of the ground as crude oil. Is it possible to shorten this cycle into a few weeks or even days and power our economy by cultivating algae today? Many people are betting that we will, as more and more investments are made in algal biofuel companies.

Why the interest in algae? The primary reasons is it grows fast, very fast. In fact, with ample sunlight, CO2 and the right nutrients, algae can double it’s mass in a few hours. And under the right conditions, algae can also be coaxed into producing a large percentage of its mass into fuel rich lipids. With no need to reach toward the sky algae spends little to no energy building the complex cellulosic structures found in land plants. This means a higher percentage of the plant can be converted to fuel. Some companies are focusing on genetically altering fast growing strains to directly produce hydrocarbons, in effect, eliminating the refining step.

Today companies are able to produce biofuel from algae for somewhere between $9 and $36 per gallon. Not barrel, per dollar. Huh? Yes, algal biofuel science still has some work to do. Algae grown in ponds get a free source of energy from the sun, but require a lot of water and the associated energy costs of moving it around and filtering the final product. These open ponds also have to be protected from natural strains which do not produce the desired lipids. Closed bioreactors are great at controlling the environment and preventing contamination, but require a lot of energy either via artificial light or in the case of GreenFuel, sugar.

Algae has advantages in addition to its ability to grow quickly. Acre per acre, algae outperforms any other biofuel source around. Compared to 60 gallons of diesel per acre from soybeans or 600 gallons per acre from oil palms, algae can produce 1850 gallons per acre and some experts are claiming 5,000 gallons per acre is feasible.

Algae also consumes a vast amount of CO2 and produces lots of oxygen. Three quarters of the oxygen in our atmosphere is produce by algae. Experimental sites are often located at coal fired utility plants in order to use the vast amounts of CO2 produces by burning coal to feed the algae. While this certainly does not sequester the CO2, it lowers the total emissions by recycling the CO2 and gaining energy from it twice.

There are forms of algae that grow in lots of types of water that we would find difficulty using for ourselves or our food supplies. This allows algae farms to use water that will not impact scarce water sources. These add up to a crop that can be grown on land not used for food, using water that would not be used for human consumption or food crops and suck up a lot of CO2 in the process. We simply have to find ways to do it more cheaply.

Trading activity picks up for carbon financial instruments (CFIs) after the release of President Obama’s budget. Even though the budget does not include revenue from carbon allowances until 2012, future contracts prior to this date moved higher. Some people believe these instruments can be used as early action credits in a federal cap and trade system.

Between 2012 and 2020, nearly $645 billion could be raised from the sale of emission allowances, the budget outline says.

According to Point Carbon (subscription) estimates, that would assume around 80 per cent of the economy would face caps on their greenhouse gas output starting 2012 at 2005 levels, or roughly 7.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

This means the budget is banking on carbon prices of nearly $13.70 per tonne by 2012.With the cap declining around 2 per cent per year after 2012, Point Carbon estimates the price of carbon in 2020 would go up to $16.5 per allowance.

So just what is a cap and trade system and how does it work? MSNBC has a Frequently Asked Questions page that answers this question. While President Obama signaled his desires in his budget, congress is required to pass the legislation and the details. Many experts are suggesting legislation is unlikely this, however “Powerful Democrats such as House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., have said they would work hard to get legislation passed by this summer.”

Earlier this week, the White House stated a climate bill passed in 2010 would be fine as long as it included the critical components President Obama included in his campaign promises. This is consistent with President Obama’s budget which includes revenue for carbon cap and trade allowances of $658 billion in total for the years 2012 through 2019. $150 billion of this will be committed to invest in clean energy along with tax credits.

2008 was a bumper year for wind energy investment. The US added 8,300 megawatts (MW) of wind energy to lead the world with 25,170 MW. 42% of the country’s new power-producing capacity came from wind. The 50% increase in wind power generation also created 35,000 jobs bringing the total employee bast to 85,000.

Worldwide over 27 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity was added. China doubled capacity to 12.2 GW and is on tract to double capacity again in 2009 and may reach its goal of 30 (GW) by 2010, ten years ahead of plan. All of Asia added about 8.3 GW with Europe and North America adding 8.9 GW each.

In the US, the financial crisis hit the wind industry and orders for turbines and components has slowed to a trickle. This needs to be reversed quickly if the US is to stay ahead of schedule to reach 300 GW of wind capacity, or 20% of our electricity needs, by 2030.

Three prominent weather forecasting companies took advantage of their podium positions to request laboratory support to help them provide better information to renewable energy projects, namely wind projects. The monthly Sustainable Energy and Atmospheric Sciences seminar series kicked off the new year January 21st at the National Institute of Standards (NIST) in Boulder, CO. Pascal Storck of 3Tier, Bruce Bailey of AWS Truewind, and Mark Ahlstrom of WindLogics spoke about the weather/wind forecasting process in the US and requested help in these areas:

1) Increased number of observation points to improve accuracy.
2) Independent evaluation of low profile observation instruments, such as LIDAR and SODAR, to increase adoption by the industry
3) High quality global and regional forecasts
4) Improved mathematical prediction models

It was the clear consensus that the US Labs are critical to providing the data needed to help wind projects successfully plan and use wind energy AND that the US Labs could do a lot more to help the forecasts being provided to the project operators. Today the European forecasts are often better at predicting weather over the western states than the forecast generated here. To insure the US meets the predicted increase in Wind Capacity from about 20 GW today to more than 300 GW by 2030, better information about the weather is critical.

So, how many Google searches produce the equivalent CO2 emissions as boiling a cup of water?   

A confusing question unless you been following the stream of posts generated by the Sunday Times of London quoting (or misquoting) Harvard University physicist Alex Wissner-Gross‘ study on the energy used by view webpages. IN the story, the Times reporters stated “Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research.” This seems to equate to about 7 grams of CO2.

Google immediately responded in a blog post stating “we have designed and built the most energy efficient data centers in the world, which means the energy used per Google search is minimal suggesting the number is closer to 0.02 grams per search.” And went on to state the energy used by the PC performing the search is greater than the search itself.

Meanwhile according to Tech News World, Wissner-Gross claims neither he nor the study mentioned Google or had anything to do with Google and certainly not with tea kettles. “They did that. I have no idea where they got those statistics,” Wissner-Gross said.

And in response to these back and forth discussions, more than a few bloggers have decided to weigh in:

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5489134.ece

http://www.livescience.com/technology/090112-carbon-internet.html

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/seven-grams-per-google-search.php

So what do you think? How much water could you boil while searching for the amount of CO2 emitted from a Google Search? or something like that?

Wind Power installations to triple between 2007 and 2012 accroding to a brief history of wind power as reported in The Economist.

Globally, wind power installations are expected to triple from 94GW at the end of 2007 to nearly 290GW in 2012, according to BTM Consult, a Danish market-research firm. They will then account for 2.7% of world electricity generation, the company predicts, and by 2017 their share could be nearly 6%.

Well behind much of Europe in percentage of electricity generated from the wind, the US has 18% of worldwide wind power production following a year which saw an increase of 45% in wind power capacity.

British scientists at Novacem have developed a cement from magnesium silicate which absorbs more carbon dioxide while hardening than is emitted during production. The high heat cooking required for conventional or Portland cement production emits about .8 tons of CO2 for every ton of cement. When mixed with water cement absorbs about half of this amount of CO2. The net production of .4 tons of CO2 per ton of cement produces about 5% of the world’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Novacem’s cement emits only .5 tons of CO2 while the curing process absorbs more than twice this amount, 1.1 tons. Many years of testing remain and much will have to change to use this in more than a few applications. Converting even a small portion of the 2 billion tons of cement production from contributing .4 tons of GHGs to removing .6 tons is a good thing. Technology that turns a major CO2 emissions problem into a substantial abatement process are exactly what is needed to help solve Global Warming.

President elect Barack Obama added John Holdren, a clean coal and nuclear energy proponent, as his next Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.   The head of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Science, Technology, Public Policy Program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Holdren will expand Obama’s clean energy team with his ideas on using nuclear energy and clean coal technologies to reduce global warming while reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

Idaho State energy czar Paul Kjellander sees BTUs where other see Cow $#!+ and he hopes to get others to see it his way.  As head of Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otters Office of Energy Resources, Kjellander is pushing a package of income tax credits, property tax waivers and other incentives in the 2009 Legislature starting Jan. 12 to transform Idahos southern heartland into a methane Mecca.

That odor wafting from 550,000 cows that make up Idaho's growing dairy herd smells like energy independence and economic development to state energy czar Paul Kjellander.

 With over half a million cows and ranking 3rd in dairy production, there is definitely a lot of manure.  This contributes greatly to agriculture being the third largest producer of methane in the US.  Methane by volume has 25 times the greenhouse effect as CO2 on climate and is second to CO2 in greenhouse gas contribution to global climate change.

Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc. soon aims to sell electricity from its $8.5 million, 2.25 megawatt digester and generator facility at the 10,000-cow Bettencourt Dairy in Hansen to Idaho Power Co., the state’s largest utility.

This is the agricultural conglomerate’s first such project, but Cargill has another southern Idaho plant due to open in 2009. It’s also exploring similar endeavors in neighboring Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, California, Texas, New York and Indiana, said Craig Maetzold, Cargill Environmental Finance’s operations manager.

“We believe the credits in renewable energy are only going to increase in value in the future,” Maetzold said.

The European Parliament has approved a deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the 27-member bloc. The package will obligate EU nations to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. The package also seeks a 20 percent energy savings and increasing the use of renewable energy sources up to 20 percent of the total. Lawmakers in Strasbourg also agreed measures to cut CO2 emissions from new cars by 18 percent by 2015.

President-elect Obama has followed up on his campaign climate commitments in selecting his “Green Team” for environment, energy and new coordinating positions. His picks confirm the Obama administration intends for the US to make an about-face on energy and environmental issues. His selections are experienced in alternative energy and cap-and-trade systems. In several cases choosing science and engineering over legal and political experience, Obama is clearly indicating the climate debates in his administration will include significant scientific evidence.

Steven Chu, the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a 1997 corecipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, is Obama’s pick for secretary of energy. Lisa Jackson, a former commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection who was trained as a chemical engineer, is nominated for the post as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. And Carol Browner, former EPA chief in the Clinton administration, has been asked to serve as a “high-level coordinator” on energy issues—and perhaps something of a “czar” on climate change.

Department of Energy – Steven Chu
At Berkeley, Chu has strongly advocated research into solar power and advanced biomass, in particular biofuels made from grasses that won’t compete for space with farmland. At a talk this summer in Nevada, Chu said, “In the first eight months of a new research program, we have developed ways to separate out cellulose, and we have already made a yeast [that] makes a gasolinelike fuel. Already within eight months, we are working on diesel and jet replacement fuels. We need to work with making this really scalable so it will outperform the yeast we have to today.” (One potential disagreement with Obama: Chu has criticized corn-based ethanol, which Obama has strongly supported in the Senate and in the campaign.)

Administrator of the EPA – Lisa Jackson
Ms. Jackson had been the head of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection since 2006, and in October, Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced that she would become his chief of staff starting on December. She presently serves as Vice President of the Executive Board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a program organized by northeast states to develop a regional cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy producers. She has a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Princeton and spent 16 years at the federal E.P.A. as a top enforcement officer in Washington and New York. She has led the Obama transition team at E.P.A. and knows the agency inside and out, according to associates.

Coordinator of Energy and Environmental Policy
Browner will work closely with Obama, who pledged his “personal engagement” in these issues, and coordinate the work of the DOE, EPA, as well as the federal, state and local governments. Obamo pointed out that Browner will bring her experience from the EPA of establishing the NOx and SO2 emissions trading programme. On the international stage, she was behind drafting the US’ submission to the Kyoto protocol in 1997, which he said was the “the best framework for carbon policy that has ever been developed.”

Ms. Browner, an acolyte of former Vice President Al Gore, will have forceful support in the new Congress, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Henry A. Waxman of California, who will be the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Senator Barbara Boxer of California, who is returning as chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Opposing their efforts will be many Republicans and some Democrats, as well as manufacturers, utilities, oil companies and coal producers who will bear the brunt of the costs of any steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the main culprit in global warming.

The nominees have a record of supporting high levels of federal involvement in energy and environmental issues, both in terms of money invested and regulatory oversight. During the early 1990s, Browner earned a reputation for attempting to uphold water and air regulations in the face of opposition from congressional Republicans. Jackson, likewise, at a congressional hearing last May on mercury emissions, told lawmakers, “Implementing the real maximum achievable protections is simply the only moral and ethical choice available if we are to meet our responsibility as public officials.”

Citing lower forecasts in 2009 output along with an increase in the number of firms announcing temporary shutdowns, analysts are scaling back their forecasts for carbon emissions and the price for allowances for those emissions. Societe Generale has cut their forecast for EUAs a third to 17 euros a ton. They went on to say prices could rise to 20 euros by 2012, sharply down from estimates earlier this year that prices would reach 37 euros during this timeframe.

Deutsche Bank believes EU emissions in 2009 could be 10% below 2007 levels. This would push emissions below allowances for 2009. The excess allowances for 2009 can be “banked” for use through 2012 and the forecasted emissions for 2009-2012 remain slightly above the EU carbon allowances. As a result of reduced emissions and smaller shortfall, UN-approved Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) which EU industry can import from developing nations to meet compliance, may be able to meet the entire shortfall. Price estimates for EUAs and CERs clearly indicate analysts believe CERs will set the pricing for EUAs for the next few years.

The good news is EU will be able to meet the allowances under phase 2 with a small “carbon price” in this recessionary period. This is also the bad news, as the lower price reduces the investment per ton of CO₂ available for carbon abatement projects. The net is by 2012, the European Union will have done less and perhaps much less to lower the Green House Gases (GHG) they produce per unit of energy they consume than anticipated when the allowance allocations were set.

The 2008-2009 economic recession has had a major impact on energy prices and price estimates for 2009. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates petroleum products consumption in 2008 will fall 5.8% from the 2007 average and another 1% in 2009. Electricity consumption in 2008 is expected to be flat with 2007 and to decline in 2009. With spot fuel prices down from summer 2008 highs, residential electricity rates are predicted to rise 6% in 2008 and 5% in 2009.

The good news is that carbon based energy will be lower as petroleum consumption and electricity demand decrease. And with an increase in wind, nuclear, natural gas and petroleum fueled electricity generation, electricity produced by burning coal should fall 0.2% in 2009. Unfortunately, these changes do little to alter the GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions forecast from the “Business as Usual” scenario (See Increasing Carbon Productivity Tenfold).

According to the The Carbon Productivity Challenge published by McKinsey & Company, the world has 50 years to increase carbon productivity from $7,300 GDP per ton of CO₂e to $740 GDP per ton of CO₂e. Some big steps are needed with a cost for GHG emissions via a cap and trade system at the top of the list.

Big Think shares the views of Van Jones president of profiting from a Green Economy.

Van is correct that the Green Economy can provide opportunities for a people of all walks of life.  And that we have to move and move quickly.  The need to conserve, use renewables and offset Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) will create many jobs where there have been few.  (i.e. Building Nuclear and Wind power stations.)  There will be many jobs that come from the need to reduce GHGs throughout the rest of the economy starting with our own actions to conserve energy.  And while the US does need to move toward better family balance sheets, the picture painted here is overly bleak.

David Pogue interviews E.O. Wilson, founder / father of the Encyclopedia of Life and learns about mushrooms and ants. Predicting we have identified less than 12% and maybe as little as 1% of the species on the planet there are big hopes for this collaborative experienment.

This video is worth a few minutes of your time.

The Generation WE movement is the largest generation in history, they are independant – politically, socially, and philosophically – and are spearheading a period of sweeping change in America and around the world. Check it out.

Is a white roof in your future? Reflective Roofing may in fact be most cost effective geo-engineering option for fighting Global Climate Change. Roof and pavement surfaces with a higher albedo, or ability to reflect the Sun’s energy back into space, may prove to be a critical factor in buying us enough time to lower Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley Labs suggest reflective roof and pavement in 100 of the largest cities could offset the climate change impact of 44 GT CO₂. That’s more than the world emits today. Doesn’t solve the longterm problem, but lowers the impact while CO₂ emissions are reduced.

With allowances exceeding current emission’s forecast the first auction of allowances in a mandatory US system brought little new information. Keith Johnson at Environmental Capital put it this way:
“But don’t get too excited. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or ”RGGI,“ is more likely to start with a whimper than a bang. Prices for the carbon permits are likely to be low, and that will probably undermine the scheme’s plan to force utilities to generate cleaner power.”

US GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions are estimated to rise to 9.7 gigatons of Carbon Dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) up from 7.2 gigatons CO₂e in 2005. Coupled with a gradual decrease in cabon sinks’ absorption many experts and legislation currently before the US Congress places the 2030 target at 3.5 to 5.2 gigatons of CO₂e.

All of this is from McKinsey & Company in a report on how the US can cut GHG emissions by 3.0 to 4.5 gigatons at a marginal cost below $50 per ton using tested approaches and high-potential emerging technologies.

Key findings are both encouraging and at the same time, highlight the effort facing the US and the world in dramatically cutting GHG emissions.

• Carbon abatement opportunities are highly fragmented and widely spread across the economy.
• Almost 40% of abatement can be achieved with a positive ROI.
• Abatement costs, potential and mix vary across regions of the country.

Investments of about $50 billion annually through 2030 are needed to cut 3.0 gigatons of emissions. These investments are highly concentrated in the power and transportation sectors. This number will increase if the nation chooses to mandate higher-cost options and/or if some energy efficiency gains do not materialize.

Five abatement potential sectors from least to highest average cost:

• Improve building and appliances efficiency – 710 to 870 megatons
• Increase fuel efficience in vehicles – 340 to 660 megatons
• Industrial sector – 620 to 770 megatons
• Cargon sinks – 440 to 590 megatons
• Reduce carbon intensity of electricity generation – .8 to 1.57 gigatons

Across all sectors, greater energy productivity can reduce the need for abatement investment and in many instances provide net economic gains. Energy efficiency in buildings, appliances and industrial uses could offset up to 85% of incremental electricity needs cutting most if not all of the incremental coal-fired power plants used in the baseline.

Bottom line is things need to start soon around these themes:

1. Stimulate action through strong, coordinated policies to capture GHG reductions effiently across all sectors and geographies.
2. Quickly pursue energy efficiency and positive ROI options.
3. Accelerate low-carbon energy infrastructure development.

Acting soon, we can reach these goals at an acceptable impact to lifestyle and quality of life. Delay will increase the cost greatly and is likely to lead to significantly larger impact to those least able to absorb it.

In The Carbon Productivity Challenge, McKinsey & Company focuses on two objectives — stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) and maintaining economic growth — and proposes the world has 50 years to increase the GDP per unit of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) tenfold. A task the authors equate to the productivity improvement delivered during the 100 years of the industrial revolution.

A daunting task for sure, yet the study highlights that current technology allows us to get there provided investments, significant investments, begin soon.

The McCain – Clinton Gas Tax Holiday is a farce and voters are beginning to realize this. Of course, Obama has been correctly outlining the problems all along. There are numerous problems with this approach even if the money would trickle into the hands of the consumers who most need it and therefore spend it on other items. At 18.4 cents per gallon, the family burning two gallons per day would receive a savings of $11 dollars per month or 5% of the cost of gasoline at the current $3.61 per gallon.

And of course, it is a proposal that few in Congress support and President Bush will veto. So, it’s a non-starter and perhaps in the eyes of two candidates a safe proposal aimed to win voter favor without having all the downsides. And there are several.

First of all, the tax generates revenue to pay for roads and bridge maintenance, which if anything is too small for our aging infrastructure. Of the three ways to pay for this, Clinton suggests taxing the windfall profits on Oil Companies while McCain says cut other spending. Let’s start with McCain. Congress has shown little appetite for cutting spending and the Whitehouse seems to agree that deficits matter not to voters. So, he is really offering the third option of borrowing to pay for this when we need to do the opposite.

Clinton wants to tax the Oil companies with a Windfall Profit tax which would do two things. First of all, it would diminish the expected returns on oil production and over the long term would decrease supply. It would in the short term put higher price pressure on Oil and with more demand coming during the summer driving season, it is more likely this added tax expense would be passed on to consumers.

If you want to help consumers and the retailers they visit, there are better ways to insure the money get to the right people. The stimulus package aims (many would argue aims poorly) to get $600 to those who need it most and are most likely to use it. The gas tax suspension would do no such thing.

And now here is the real catch. The realities of market economics cannot be suspended. Demand will increase to a point where it meets supply. Fiddling with the gas tax will not change this and the US Fuel Retail system has very little slack capacity. Therefore, supply is relatively inelastic and prices will move with demand. Bottom line, the gas tax will be eaten by the Gasoline Value Chain and consumers will be left with little in their pocket other than a higher debt and nothing done to solve the longer term energy issues. It’s bad policy, bad economics and it is time for us to show politicians, that pandering for votes is bad politics.

Every now and again, you meet someone and immediately know they are making a real difference for a lot of people. Robyn Johnson is such a person. For much of the last ten years, she has provided many Colorado teens with guidance, education and experiences they would likely have never seen without her hard work and determination.

She is now leaving her position as co-executive director of the Colorado Youth Program to pursue her career in counseling. But we all know that the organization is stronger and better able to continue the goal of connecting kids with their community and the environment because of her leadership.

Thank you for all that you have done, Robyn!

Here are a few excerpts from a letter I received from Robyn yesterday.

My final day at Colorado Youth Program has arrived!

I joined the Colorado Youth Program staff in 1999 as a part-time program coordinator. I had found my ideal job at an organization that combined working with underserved youth and teaching about the environment and volunteerism, all while playing in the outdoors.

While I am now leaving CYP to pursue a career in counseling, I will stay connected to the Colorado Youth Program as a volunteer and donor. The Colorado Youth Program occupies a unique space in our community, making summer camp an affordable option for all families and providing free after-school and weekend programs that teach children to understand, respect and enjoy nature.My time at the Colorado Youth Program has been beautiful. I have worked with delightful children and teens, loving parents and families, visionary community members and leaders, dedicated volunteers and staff…I have enjoyed working with each and every one of you!

]]> http://dwaynenesmith.com/blog/archives/2008/05/thank-you-robyn/feed/ 0 http://dwaynenesmith.com/blog/archives/2008/04/i-love-these-play-and-do-work-toys/ http://dwaynenesmith.com/blog/archives/2008/04/i-love-these-play-and-do-work-toys/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:37:36 +0000 dwayne http://dwaynenesmith.com/?p=105

Now you can generate energy and pump clean water by just being a kid.

Developed by Daniel Sheridan, now a British student at Coventry University, the Springwise: See-saw power for schools generates electricity while kids play on it. Brilliant!

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has set the rules for the first allowance auctions to take place on September 10, 2008 and December 17, 2008. This is the first mandatory CO2 emissions reduction program auction in the United States. Quarterly auctions will take place after these first two. These companies have won the right to work with RGGI on aspects of the program: World Energy Solutions, Inc., Perrin Quarles Associates, Inc., ICF International, and the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute.

The basic design of the auction has received some criticism. Mike Giberson at Knowledge Problem wrote about this last November and believes the issues may easily be corrected. He cites Peter Cramton’s report on behalf of North East power markets that recommends a simultaneous ascending clock auction design.

Technorati Tags: carbon credits, energy, environment, auction, RGGI

The state of Colorado is looking for managers for its newly formed Colorado Carbon Fund. This fund aims to aggregate Voluntary Emission Reduction (VER) offsets in an effort to help the state cut its GHG emissions by funding proven carbon abatement project in Colorado. This is in support of Colorado’s climate action plan which aims to reduce GHG emissions in-state 20% by 2020. Gov. Bill Ritter (D) is a big supporter of renewable energy, helping the state to become one of the leaders in wind energy generation in the US. Colorado emits over 120 million tones of CO₂e per year, of which 48 million tons comes from electricity consumption. In tandem with these goals, the State’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) mandates that 20% of that electricity will come from renewable resources by 2020. The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) aims to have the carbon fund launched by the early summer.

PlayPumps International has a goal to help 10 million people in 4,000 African villages by 2010 by installing merry-go-rounds in the villages. What’s the catch?

Each turn pumps clean drinking water into a tank increasing the health of everyone in the village.  The time and effort for water carrying, mostly done by young girls, is greatly reduced, allowing for more time in school.  Talk about your good ideas…

Why is it so hard to change, even when the evidence for doing so is overwhelming? This article from Scientific American, answers the question Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day?

It is interesting, if not surprising, that these measurements were passed down from other uses and definitions that date to the earliest points in civilization. Pardon the pun… Time and time again we’ve had the opportunity to change the system to one which would be much more comfortable, that is to use a decimal system.

And of course we could ask the same about the US sticking to our short history of the English measurement system when our British brethren were able to kick that habit quite easily.

A question I rarely ask, “Why do I live in Colorado?” is regularly answered in ways like it was today. Driving from Denver to Boulder I interrupted my cell phone caller with “There is a bald eagle in that tree right there.” – Don’t worry Mom, I wasn’t driving. -

It is these regular, yet surprising scenes of our wonderful state that reminds me, long before I forget, what brought me here in the first place.