One more try to extend renewable tax credits so wind, solar growth doesn't lose power

(Photo of wind turbines from Flickr and photographer Nick Atkins.)

Washington Report 2: A new effort to assure continuation of renewable energy tax credits got the green light yesterday from the House Ways and Means Committee. The proposal backs off on paying for the $16.9 billion in credits by rolling back breaks for oil and gas, instead paying for them with totally unrelated tax changes for offshore and multinational companies. The Senate had objected to a tax hit on Big Oil but the House wanted to pay as you go. So it seems this may satisfy both, which would salvage the incentives that keep renewable energy viable. The three times since 1999 that wind credits were allowed to expire, installations dropped 70%, according to the American Wind Energy Assn. The new bill extends wind production tax credits till the end of 2009, biomass and geothermal credits for 3 years, and the solar energy incentive 6 years, also doubling the solar credit cap to $4,000. The bill also provides incentives for cellulosic biofuel and renewable diesel, installation of E85 pumps, and buying plug-in cars, as well as allowing $1.4 billion for coal and gasification projects that store carbon. (Source: E&E Daily)

"Threatened' polar bears will get no protection from global warming or oil drilling

(Photo of polar bear from Flickr and photographer Ironmanixs/Richard I Jzermans.)

Washington Report 3: Two Congressmen have introduced a “Polar Bear Seas Protection Act” and Earthjustice says it will pursue its three lawsuits in the wake of an Interior Department decision to list polar bears as “threatened” rather than “endangered “ Wednesday under the Endangered Species Act. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne made it clear the designation did not mean the government needs to do anything to reduce global warming, which he acknowledged was responsible for the bears’ melting habitat, or stop oil and gas exploration in the area where they dwell. In fact, Interior held up making the designation for several months while it sold $2.66 billion in oil and gas leases in the Chuckchi Sea, including in prime bear habitat. So essentially the government will do nothing to protect the polar bears. The bill introduced by Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) asks for oil spill and cleanup standards, designation of critical habitat and a study of the impact of oil and gas drilling. If melting Arctic ice continues as predicted, two-thirds of polar bears will be gone by 2050, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Sources: E&E Daily, PlanetArk, The Daily Green.)

Grand Canyon eyed for uranium mining – is nothing sacred as nuclear energy demand explodes?

(Photo of Grand Canyon from Flickr and photographer Cobalt123.)

News Update 1: A British company, VANE Minerals, wants to mine uranium ore in the Kaibab National Forest at the south and north rims of the Grand Canyon. Another thousand requests may be pending near the canyon as the demand for uranium rises with the re-emergence of nuclear power as a carbon-free alternative to coal. The Grand Canyon reportedly holds huge uranium reserves. Environmental groups and local tribal leaders are objecting that toxicity and the risk of radioactivity endanger animals and drinking water in the area. The problem is national forests don't have the same rights national parks do to prevent mining. The Sierra Club and others are fighting in court to stop the mining and in April got a temporary restraining order. Arches and Canyonland national parks are also targets. (Sources: The Australian and the LA Times.)

Survey reveals most Republicans don’t believe in global warming or human cause

News Update 2: The percentage of Republicans believing the global temperature is rising has dropped significantly since January 2007 – to 49% from 62%, according to a new Pew survey out last week. That compares with 84% of Democrats and 75% of Independents. And just 25% of Republicans surveyed said warming was caused by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, while 58% of Dems and 50% of Independents said it was. Age and education were found to make a difference, with more than half of those younger than 30 believing humans are the cause and just 37% of those over 64 believing it. While a college education seems to correlate with belief in human causes, among the GOP higher education led to more skepticism. Could it be their political and corporate leaders are leading them astray? Looks like we still have an awful lot of public education to do. (Sources: ClimateWire, Pew Center for People and the Press.)
Take action: Tell the media to talk more about global warming during election campaign. Sign the League of Conservation Voters petition.

All-electric car sells for $109,000; Governator and Clooney both plan to be in driver’s seat

(Photo of George Clooney from Flickr and photographer Martin de Witte.)

News Update 3: Tesla motors opened its first store in LA last week, to sell its sleek two-seat luxury Roadster. Despite the $109,000 price tag, orders are pouring in for the 600 electric cars planned this year and there’s now a 15-month wait. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) and actors George Clooney and Kelsey Grammer are among the first to buy. The car, which operates on a lithium-ion battery and can go 200 miles on a charge, has sleek lines like a Porsche. More Tesla stores are expected next year in New York and Chicago. Watch a video of the car’s unveiling or learn more about it at the Tesla Web site. (Source: thestate.com and teslamotors.com.)

Climate Counts site ranks companies’ commitment to curbing global warming emissions

(Photo of Google logo from Flickr and photographer Douglas Porter.)

News Update 4: Nonprofit Climate Counts has released its second annual ranking of 56 consumer companies’ commitment to going green. Criteria are measurement of emissions, plans to reduce them, and disclosure. Google, with its target of becoming carbon neutral, moved up 38 points to 55. Most companies showed some improvement, but the average is still just 40 out of a possible 100. See the scorecard at climatecounts.org to check out the companies whose products and services you use. (Sources: Greenwire, New York Times, Climatecounts.org)

Climate change leaders now say global warming is happening faster than expected

(Photo of German coal-fired plant from Flickr and photographer Bruno D. Rodriguez.)

Weekly Angst: At the end of 2006 and early part of 2007, a series of reports finished the job started by Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and woke the slumbering world to the urgent need to stop global warming or suffer severe consequences. After the Stern and IPCC reports, the debate ended for most, but progress has been slow as governments and fossil-fuel businesses balked at change. Now the same people who told us we needed to take action in the first place are raising the decibels as they warn it’s even worse than they thought. Here is what they and others are saying, little more than a year later.

Nicholas Stern, former World Bank chief economist, whose ground-breaking 2006 report was the basis for policy in the UK and EU, now admits he was overly optimistic about the ability to cut GHG emissions and absorb some of the CO2. Stern now says he "badly underestimated the degree of damages and risks of climate change … Emissions are growing much faster than we'd thought, the absorptive capacity of the planet is less than we'd thought, the risks of greenhouse gases are potentially bigger than more cautious estimates, and the speed of climate change seems to be faster." He now says the developed world must cut emissions by 90% to meet a world-wide 50% reduction by 2050.(Source: Business Green)

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assumptions were too optimistic about cutting CO2, a new study in the journal Nature says. The IPCC report, which won the panel the Nobel Peace Prize and is the basis for international negotiations, assumed that even without changes in government policy, new technology would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions this century. But with huge growth in Asia, based mainly on fossil fuels, the world is going in the wrong direction, say scientists from the University of Colorado, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and McGill University in Canada. We need enormous advances in technology to meet our goals, but also policies that motivate innovation, the researchers say. (E&E News PM, EurekAlert)

James Hansen of NASA, one of the lead scientists to sound the alarm about about global warming, has dramatically reduced the amount of CO2 he thinks the atmosphere can tolerate and still keep the planet similar to the one on which civilization developed. Recent research has led Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, to the conclusion that CO2 in the atmosphere must be brought down to 350 parts per million (from the current 385) to avoid a tipping point that would cause melting ice sheets and rapidly rising seas. The only way to do that, he says, is to phase out the use of coal by 2030 (unless it can be captured and sequestered). He calls for a moratorium on new coal-fired plants, as well as improved agriculture and forestry to reduce carbon 50 ppm by the end of the century. This assumes that we’re nearing the end of oil reserves and no more drilling will occur on public lands or in pristine areas. It also assumes little extraction of unconventional fossil fuels like tar sands. Hansen says bringing down CO2 levels to 350 would also solve the problem of acidity in oceans and destruction of coral reefs. He warned there must be global cooperation and it needs to start in the next few years. (Source: Environmental News Network.)

The UN Environment Programme warns in a new report, by 338 experts, that the future of humanity is at risk and may be pushed beyond the point of no return. The balance between consumers and resources is seriously out of whack, says Achim Steiner, executive director of the programme. The planet is increasingly stressed by climate change, which is “accelerating at a pace that goes beyond the scenarios and models we’ve been using.” Some regions may soon reach a point of environmental devastation from which they won’t be able to recover, he said, noting the increasing droughts in Africa and melting ice in the Himalayas that will leave China and India short of water. (Source: NaturalNews.)

Next week: Some suggested solutions

Looks like Lieberman-Warner global warming bill is running out of gas

Washington Report: Sponsors of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act are having trouble lining up the necessary 60 votes to avoid a Senate filibuster. Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) conceded last week she didn’t know if they could get to 60, but this bill showed progress and they still plan to have a debate in early June. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) admitted the votes aren’t there at this point. Several Senators are holding back, looking for more benefits for their states, while others oppose the bill for fear it will hurt the economy. Co-sponsor John Warner (R-Va.) is looking for a way the president could slow the cuts in emissions if the technology needed was not available, and also for a safety valve if the economy was under stress due to the high price of gasoline. Sen Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said he plans to put a revised bill out there for others to comment on and tell him how to “improve.” Don’t hold your breath for a global warming bill to pass this year. With the make-up of this Senate, it’s just not going to happen. As they say in baseball, “Maybe next year.” Meanwhile greenhouse gas emissions keep climbing and the years to do something tick away. (Source: E&E Daily)

Still waiting for Chicago’s Climate Action Plan to fight global warming

(Photo of new blue carts in some neighborhoods from Flickr and photographer Zenia/ee.)

News Update: The long-awaited Chicago Climate Action Plan is still inactive. Expected last fall, it was to have been unveiled in April, Suzanne Malec-McKenna, city director of the environment, told environmental leaders in March. I figured Earth Day would be appropriate. But Earth Day has come and gone, and so has April, and here we are still waiting. Maybe the city is reeling over its (Cook County’s) recent designation as the third most carbon-emitting county in the nation. Or from the flunking grade it got last week from the American Lung Association for ozone and short-term particle pollution. The city’s “green” label is becoming a bit frayed. This would be a good time to release an ambitious master plan to deal with greenhouse gases. To Chicago’s credit, it has finally admitted it’s 13-year-old blue bag recycling program (where newspapers, plastics, glass and cans were packaged together and thrown in the garbage) is a failure and will fast-track expansion of its new cart program despite budget woes.

Is Big Oil turning back from wind and solar to focus on oil and gas despite carbon emissions?

(Photo of Shell station in Britain from Flickr and photographer Lee Jordan.)

News Update: Shell Oil pulled out of plans to build a large off-shore wind farm in the UK last week, sparking concern about the viability of the project, which could have powered a quarter of London’s homes. The company said it was selling its one-third share in 341-turbine London Array wind farm, casting doubts about the viability of the 1-gigawatt project. Another partner said it was weighing its options. The cost of the project had skyrocketed from $2 billion to about $5 billion, largely because of the high demand for wind turbines. Britian was counting on the project to help it meet its target of 20% renewable energy by 2020. Shell said it would continue to invest in onshore wind in the U.S., but a story in The Guardian questioned whether two oil giants, Shell and BP, were turning away from renewables to focus more on oil and gas, after ExxonMobil made the biggest profit this year while avoiding renewable investment. BP is cooling on solar, The Guardian said, and putting money into tar sands, after earlier refusing to do so because of the greenhouse gases emitted. Meanwhile, descendents of John D. Rockefeller, who started Standard Oil, forerunner of Exxon, pushed the company to begin investing in renewables, citing the dangers of climate change. Leading the charge was Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) (Sources: The Financial Times and The Guardian.)

Etc.: Arctic melt forecast, ocean ‘deserts,’ and ozone hole’s impact on climate change

(Image if the Arctic summer ice melt from Flickr and Image Editor.)

Arctic ice will shrink to a record level this year because it is thinner and younger than ever, according to a climate researcher at the University of Colorado. Last year saw a record melt as well. Over the past 10 years ice in the Arctic has shrunk about 10% as temperatures warmed. Arctic ice acts as an air conditioner for the rest of the world as air currents pass over it. See Reuters.

As the ozone hole over the Antarctic closes, ice there may begin to melt faster, scientists warn. For the past 3 decades the North and South poles have been polar opposites, as ice melted in the Arctic and increased in most of the Antarctic. But as ozone-harmful gases have been curtailed and the hole begins to close, we now face the likelihood of melting at the South Pole too, according to a study published in Eos. The hole has strengthened westerly winds, which cut the Antartic off from areas to the north that were warming. Only the northernmost peninsula has been warming. (ClimateWire)

Oxygen-deprived ocean “deserts” are spreading as waters warm and circulation patterns change, according to a study published last week in Science. The increase is consistent with what climate models forecast as a result of increased greenhouse gases. As water warms it holds less oxygen and these deserts in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific are unable to support most marine life. The deserts are different from the “dead zones” in rivers, mainly caused by fertilizer run-off. See latimes.com

Energy conservation: Jimmy Carter did it, kids get it, and George W. Bush doesn’t have a clue

(Photo of President Carter from Flickr and Ping News. Uploaded by David Shapinsky.)

Weekly Angst: I remember the oil crisis back in the ‘70s. There wasn’t enough gasoline and people lined up for blocks to fill their tanks.

And I remember President Jimmy Carter, who catches a lot of flack these days for being a citizen of the world, sprang into action and asked the nation to conserve energy. He even put solar panels on the roof of the White House (Ronald Reagan reportedly took them down).

We responded to Carter’s pleas and were glad to be able to help our country, and at the same time ourselves – because who wanted to wait an hour to get a tank of gas and sometimes find the pump empty.

We responded
In short order we (my husband and I):
• Turned in our two American cars for smaller, lighter Japanese models.
• Turned down the temperature on our water heater and wrapped it in insulation.
• Taped huge sheets of plastic over our sliding glass doors and on windows for the colder months.
• Put a rolled up towel by the front door so heat didn’t escape under it.
• Turned down the thermostat and wore a sweater (if the president could do it, we could).
• Drove as little as possible and car-pooled.
• Observed the 55 mph speed limit. Nixon had lowered it during an earlier oil crisis and Carter demanded strict enforcement. His successor, Gerald Ford, continued it. (Now people in Western states are driving 80 and 90 mph.)

I remember too that when we went into the city, the lights in the office buildings were dimmed, as businesses turned out most of their lights at night. Today they’re all shining brightly -- a criminal waste of energy.

Conserving during WWII
Going back even further (much further), I recall some of the changes we made in our lives during World War II. Our family, like so many others, had a Victory Garden. We grew a lot of our own food in village plots, a concept many environmentalists are touting now as an alternative to having food sent over the world by planes and trucks spewing CO2.

Gasoline was rationed, so we couldn't spend the summer at my grandmother’s in the woods of Rhode Island because it required too much gas. Instead, for several years, we took the train and stayed at a beachfront hotel for a week.

Bush doesn’t get it
Today, we face a crisis of planetary proportions, and yet President Bush has not asked us to sacrifice – to save energy for the good of not only the nation but the planet. It may be because he’s not clear on the concept. He’s been handed everything on a silver platter – from a prep school and Ivy League education to an oil company, a baseball team, and then the presidency. The only people asked to sacrifice by this Administration are the families of the thousands of men and women being fed into the war machine. The rest of us have been asked to go out and spend money. (Maybe the “W” stands for “waste.”)

But kids get it
In stark contrast was an e-mail I got yesterday from my 10-year-old granddaughter, Sabrina. She’d gotten it from her friend Danielle, who got it from her friend Alexandra. It tells 20 Things You Can Do To Save the World. I don’t know where this list originated, but it was written by a 12-year-old named Shira, who said:

“The world is at big risk because of Global Warming and we need to do something to help – but fast we don’t have much time. The world’s average temperature is rising, important animals are becoming extinct and much more. You can make a difference. Read these 20 tips and you can change the world.
• Use compact florescent light bulbs
• Bring your own mug or thermos instead of a store’s paper cups for coffee, hot chocolate or tea
• Buy BIOTA water bottles, they are good for the environment
• Use Seventh Generation company for tissues, toilet paper, and paper towels
• Use paper goods that say “30% post consumer waste”
• Never use wrapping paper, old newspapers work just as well
• Use recycled paper
• If your water heater is more than five years old, replace it
• Use canvas/reusable bags at the grocery store or any other store that uses bags
• Take public transportation or carpool to get places
• When you are in a long line in your car, turn your car off
• Unplug plugs even when nothing is connected when you are not using it
• Plant trees
• Write on the back side of a piece of paper
• Email instead of sending a letter
• Don’t litter
• Never waste water
• Save energy
• Buy organic food
• And remember – Reduce Reuse Recycle and Respect."
It's a simple concept 10- and 12-year-olds can grasp. Why can’t you, Mr. President?

Voinovich says wait 22 years for cap-and-trade, touts alternative to global warming bill

(Photo of Capitol Building from Flickr and photographer Jonathon D. Colman.)

Washington Report: As proponents for the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act meet behind closed doors with various Senators to gauge what tweaking would be needed to get the requisite 60 votes for their cap-and-trade bill, Sen. John Voinovich (R-Ohio) has drafted a bill of his own. It drops cap-and-trade in favor of incentives for new technologies, including for “clean coal” and nuclear energy. Cap-and-trade would not be enacted until 2030, so that carbon-capture technology could be operational. (What’s another 22 years' wait?) Voinovich claims Lieberman-Warner would disastrous for the economy. Lobbyists and the White House helped him draft his bill, which should be unveiled soon – except that so far he can’t find a Democrat to co-sponsor. Meanwhile, a coalition of major coal companies and the National Mining Assn. have 14 amendments that would provide incentives for carbon capture and storage, give away more free carbon credits to polluting industry, pre-empt state and regional global warming bills, and create a “safety valve” in case carbon prices get too high. So far, they’ve found no sponsors for their amendments. I don't think any of this will go anywhere, but don't look for Voinovich to vote for Lieberman-Warner. Environmental Defense tell us 10 key senators to watch during the debate in the Senate. Senators will be home the last week in May, before the June debate, so it would be a good time to call their office or go see them and urge them to strengthen, not weaken the Lieberman-Warner bill (S 2191). (Sources: E&E Daily, Environmental Defense)

Environmental groups target 3 Senate races to elect champions to fight global warming

(Photo of Jeanne Shaheen at 2007 Step It Up rally from Flickr and Step It Up 2007.)

Washington Report: A coalition of 5 environmental groups said last week they will work together to elect 3 Senators they believe will be leaders for the environment and against global warming. The three they will support are cousin congressmen Mark Udall (D-Co) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and ex-Gov. of New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen. Working together will be the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Environment America, Clean Water Action and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. The Udalls are running for vacant seats and Shaheen is opposing incumbent John Sununu. All 3 seats have been held by Republicans, but the Democrats are leading in polls. The Udalls have a strong pedigree. Mark is the son of "Mo" Udall, who was in Congress 30 years and ran for president. Tom is the son of Stewart Udall, Mo's brother, who served as Interior Secretary under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. The 5 environmental groups collaborated to help oust former House Resources Committee Chair Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) in 2004.

Methane, a greenhouse gas, rises ‘sharply’ for the first time in a decade; CO2 is up too

(Photo of Arctic marshes and tundra from Flickr and photographer Royal Olive/G. Oliviera)

News Update: Methane in the atmosphere rose last year for the first time since 1998, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors such things. Methane is a concern because it’s 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas, though there’s much less of it in the atmosphere. The increase last year was 27 million tons. NOAA speculated that it’s probably coming from the economic boom in Asia and from wetlands uncovered by melting ice in the Arctic and also in the tropics. The main worry about methane is that thawing permafrost in the Arctic will release huge amounts of it. NOAA also announced that CO2 rose 2.4 parts per million last year, to 385 ppm. That compares with 280 until the mid-19th century. A safe level is between 350-450 ppm, depending on who you ask. In the ’60s the annual increase was 1 ppm, in the ‘80s 1.5 ppm, and since 2000 about 2 ppm each year. So last year’s jump may show it’s going to another level. CO2, we know, comes primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. For more, and a chart of recent annual CO2 growth, see Science Daily.)

Wind farm developers eyeing Lake Michigan

(Photo of wind farm way offshore in Britain. You can hardly see it from shore. Photo from Flickr and photographer dpicker/David P)

News Update 2: Three wind developers are considering building hundreds of wind turbines in Lake Michigan. One would like to put up 390 turbines 18 miles off Milwaukee, where the water is relatively shallow. The U.S. has no offshore or water-based wind turbines to date, though they have been proposed for Nantucket Sound and Lake Erie. In Europe, Denmark and the U.K. have offshore turbines. I saw the ones off Denmark while cruising the Baltic Sea a few years back and thought they looked quite graceful. Talks are at the preliminary stage in Wisconsin, where state agencies have been studying the feasibility of turbines in both Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. (Sources: Greenwire and jsonline.com.)

Moose, wolves feeling the heat at Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior

(Photo of young moose at Isle Royale from Flickr and photographer Templarion/Paul Huber.)

News Update 3: In other Great Lakes news, scientists at Michigan Technological University are concerned global warming is causing stress on moose and wolves at Isle Royale National Park. The moose have been there more than a century, after several swam to the island from the mainland in 1900. The wolves followed later, crossing a rare ice bridge around mid-century. The wolves feed on the moose, but the moose have been thinner of late and both populations seem to be down. (Sources: Greenwire and mlive.com.)

Photo Gallery: Things that won't be there anymore -- if we don't act quickly on global warming

Weekly angst: My husband has a video, "Things That Aren't There Anymore," about places he remembers from his youth in Pittsburgh -- like an ice cream shop, an amusement park and a shopping arcade. The grandkids -- Bryan, Evan and Sabrina -- laugh at the title and the concept. But they won't be laughing if they end up showing their own grandkids video of all the natural things from their youth that won't be there anymore, thanks to global warming and our unwillingness to stop it. Here are some of the things they may find only in captivity at a zoo, dead and stuffed in a museum or on a video -- if we don't get serious about greenhouse gases.


Snows of Kilimanjaro
(Photo from Flickr and photographer Tambako The Jaguar.)


King penguins
(Photo from Flickr and photographer nao-cha.)



Miniature Key deer in Florida Keys
(Photo from Flickr and photographer key lime pie/anna wiz.)


Glaciers at Glacier National Park
(Photo from Flickr and photographer rbeforee.)


Staghorn coral
(Photo from Flickr and photographer Stuart Hamilton.)


Australian Koala bears
(Photo from Flickr and photographer Dabe Murphy.)


Polar bears
(Photo from Flickr and photographer davipt/Bruno Rodrigues


Rare narwhal whales in the Arctic
(Photo from Flickr and photographer Chris Corwin.)


Maldive Islands, just 3 feet above sea level
(Photo from Flickr and photographer Merlin_1/Simon.)


Summer Arctic sea ice
(Photo from Flickr and photographer Tunde Pecsvari.)


Harp seals
(Photo from Flickr and photographer yeimaya/Gale.)


Walruses
(Photo from Flickr and YukonWhiteLight/Amanda Graham.)

Gas tax holiday? It’s politics versus curbing global warming and guess who will win?

(Gas pump photo from Flickr and photographer Frank Shapiro)

Washington Report 1: High gasoline prices are good for the environment, right? People drive less and buy more fuel-efficient cars. Hybrid purchases were up 38% last year while overall new auto sales slumped 3%. So high gas prices do have some impact on curbing carbon omissions. Then why are so many of those who champion cutting greenhouse gases favoring a price cut, not a tax hike, on gasoline? Ask John McCain, GOP presumptive nominee for president, who has offered a bill creating a gas-tax holiday – removal of the 18.4% federal tax during the summer. And who’s co-sponsoring his idea? None other than Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who follows McCain around like a puppy, and his partner on the global warming bill in the Senate, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.). This is a case where short-term political gain clearly outweighs long-term planetary goals. Some of the key environment-championing Dems are getting in on the act too – like Senate Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (Caif.) and Rep. Ed Markey (Mass.), who also want to bring down gas prices. The Dem proposals are different, though. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would like to resurrect legislation passed by the House but not the Senate, to penalize gasoline price-gouging and repeal oil subsidies. Some other Dem ideas floating around are temporarily stopping oil transfers to the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (Boxer and Markey), and blocking arms sales to OPEC countries until they increase the oil supply. These measures aim to calm the speculation frenzy in the oil market and thus reduce prices. Different approaches but with the same goal: to cut prices so Americans can be free to use more gas. When will we learn? (Source: E&E News PM)

Union of Concerned Scientists survey finds political interference with EPA scientists

(Photo of EPA building from Flickr and photographer Rocky A)

Washington Report 2: Are we surprised? No, but it's still outrageous. Nearly 900 EPA scientists (2/3 of those surveyed) said political appointees interfered with their work, in a Union of Concerned Scientists survey released Wednesday. 225 said they were directed to "inappropriately exclude or alter" technical information from an EPA scientific document. The EPA “is an agency in crisis,” said Francesca Grifo, director of the UCS scientific integrity program. House Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the report “suggests a pattern of ignoring and manipulating science” and plans to raise questions about it with the agency at a hearing about possible White House interference in ground-level ozone regulations. (Source: E&E News PM)

North Atlantic absorbing only half the CO2 it did in the ‘90s, spurring global warming fears

(Photo of Atlantic Ocean from Flickr and Desi Zavatta Musolino)

News Update: The North Atlantic Ocean, one of the world’s major carbon sinks, is absorbing less carbon dioxide, a project funded by the European Union revealed last week. Three years of research show the ocean is sopping up only half as much CO2 as it did in the last decade. The amount fluctuates, however, so it’s hard to be sure to what extent the trend will continue. Oceans normally soak up about one-quarter of the carbon emissions released into the air, so a sharp decline would accelerate GHG in the atmosphere and global warming. Scientists speculate whether the cause is carbon over-saturation or shifting weather patterns. Whatever the cause, they said we can solve the problem by reducing GHG emissions 75%. “We must act now,” said project leader Christoph Heinze. (Source: PlanetArk.)

Governors to push Congress, new president for quick, aggressive action to cut CO2 emissions

News Update: Eighteen states signed a pledge Friday to pressure the federal government to quickly adopted limits on greenhouse gases. “Washington is asleep at the wheel and we can’t wait for them,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) told a climate conference at Yale that included 3 other governors, 2 premiers of Canadian provinces, and representatives from Europe, Mexico, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In addition to Schwarzenegger, Govs. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.), and representatives from 14 other states signed the pledge. The 18 states hold more than half the population of the United States. They include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico,New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. Sebelius said the federal government should build on regional cap-and-trade agreements already in process. The Western Climate Initiative, with 7 states and 2 provinces, has a goal of cutting 15% (from 2005 levels) by 2020. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with 9 states in the East, is ready to officially launch its carbon-trading plan next year. And Illinois and several other Midwestern states recently reached agreement to cut emissions. The group expects to get more signatures (28 states either have or are close to plans to cut emissions) and counteract President Bush’s pressure to go slow, as Congress deliberates a cap-and-trade bill in June. (Sources:
Mercurynews.com , Reuters)

Cook County (Chicago) is No. 3 CO2 emitter and Chicago is No. 9 'greenest' city in U.S. -- Huh?

(Photo of Chicago from Flickr and photographer Giant Ginkgo)

Weekly Angst: How can Chicago/Cook County be one of the top carbon polluters in the country and at the same time Chicago be one of the “greenest” cities? That’s what two recent studies say.

The Vulcan Project, out of Purdue, released last week the names of the Top 20 carbon polluting counties, based on 3 years of research. The data are a bit old but Vulcan says it will soon update the findings.

Top 10 carbon emitters, in millions of tons in 2002
1. Harris County (Houston) 18.6
2. Los Angeles County (LA) 18.6
3. Cook (Chicago) 13.2
4. Cuyahoga (Cleveland) 11.1
5. Wayne (Detroit) 8.3
6. San Juan, N.M. 8.2
7. Santa Clare (San Jose) 8.0
8. Jefferson, Ala. (Birmingham) 8.0
9. Wilcox, Ala. (Camden) 7.6
10. E. Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) 7.3

Suffolk County in metro New York City is 19th.

Houston is tops largely because of its oil and natural gas plants, and LA ranks high because of its freeways, the study says. The authors note blame cannot necessarily be attributed to the source because, for instance, New Mexico provides so much electricity to Southern California and Nevada. (Chicago, BTW, is home to the filthy Fisk and Crawford coal-fired plants that send their electricity out of state.)

The Vulcan Project, the work of researchers at Purdue, Colorado State and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, is funded by NOAA and the Department of Energy. It will now be able to track progress in cutting carbon emissions in the U.S. and is starting work in Canada and Mexico in order to cover all North America.

To see a really cool YouTube video of where emissions come from, go to the Vulcan home page and scroll down. You can also read about #11-20.


The other study – Top 50 greenest cities
Popular Science released a list in February naming the 50 greenest cities, based on electricity, transportation, green buildings, recycling and views of residents. Their data came from the U.S. Census Bureau and National Geographic Society’s Green Guide.

Top 10 green cities
1. Portland, Ore.
2. San Francisco
3. Boston
4. Oakland, Calif.
5. Eugene, Ore.
6. Cambridge, Mass.
7. Berkeley, Calif.
8. Seattle
9. Chicago
10.Austin
Interesting, how many are university towns.

To see the other 40 and read how each city scored on a point system, go to the PopSci Web site.

So, what about Chicago?
Chicago won high points for its ample green space – 12,000 acres of parks and waterfront. It also got attention for being among the first cities to try cogeneration, a system that produces electricity and heat together so the heat doesn’t escape. It’s considered twice as efficient as separating the two. The Museum of Science and Industry uses the system, as do several other buildings. Chicago also got high marks for public transit. And a number of buildings have the highest, platinum energy efficiency rating from the U.S. Green Buildings Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

Clearly, the cities in each list were chosen on different criteria and cover different areas (city versus county). Which may explain how Chicago can be such a global warming dichotomy. Chicago has its out-dated Fisk and Crawford power plants spewing C02 and God knows what else, while a major portion of the city's power comes from nuclear. Its blue-bag recycling program is pure trash, and efforts to expand a new and much better cart system have been slowed by budget woes. But there are lots of parks, and the buses (though old) and EL pretty well cover the city, reducing the number of cars. Also there’s been a push to get buildings certified LEED.

Chicago, which prides itself on being a “green city,” is about to release its long-overdue Climate Action Plan. We’ll know a lot more about the true state of affairs when we see it.

(Sources: The Daily Green, Reuters, Vulcan Project, Popsci.com)

Rapid climate change likely to erase Ireland’s green and may even threaten potatoes

(Scenic photo of Ireland near the Atlantic coast from Flickr and photographer Pierrette Wiseman)


Ireland’s signature emerald landscape may fade to brown in the next few decades because of global warming, according to a new report by Irish scientists. Since 1980 the temperature in Ireland has increased 3 times faster than the world average. The scientists predict wetter winters and drier summers, which will drastically change the look and feel of the country, the Irish American Climate Project said. About 60% of Ireland is grassland and that will turn dry in summer and fall. The change in climate could even affect the country’s staple, the potato, which needs a steady amount of rain throughout the year. And cattle won’t be able to get by grazing only on grass. Meanwhile, the Irish State Utility has vowed to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2020. (PlanetArk and ClimateWire)

A global warming art exhibit, "Melting Ice / A Hot Topic," opens today at the Field Museum in Chicago. The globe-trotting exhibit, co-sponsored by the UN Environment Programme, is making Chicago its only U.S. stop. Read about it.

What planet is he on? Bush comes up with too little, too late in his plan for greenhouse gases

(Photo of President Bush from Flickr and talkradionews.)


Washington Round-up: President Bush today called for stopping the growth of greenhouse gases by the year 2025 and halting such growth in the power sector within 10-15 years.

As expected, his announcement set the goal way too late, “dangerously late,” as Senate Energy Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) put it.

Scientists say the world needs to cut GHG 15-20% by 2020 to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said if CO2 peaks in 2015 the earth’s temperature will rise 4.3 degrees above pre-industrial times. Bush would allow the growth to continue 10 years beyond that.

By comparison, the European Union has vowed to cut carbon emissions 20% (below 1990 levels) by 2020.

And the Lieberman-Warner global warming bill in the Senate asks for a 19% cut by 2020.

The Bush announcement shows he’s even more out of touch on this than we thought he was. His position is laughable. He also offered no specifics on how to reach the goal, other than new technologies and market solutions.

The president took the occasion to signal his intent to oppose the Lieberman-Warner bill. (Sources: Reuters, E&ENewsPM, ABCNews)

Tax credit extensions for wind, solar and efficiency pass Senate but await uncertain future

Although the Senate voted 88-8 last week to add $6 billion in tax credit extensions for renewable energy and efficiency to a housing bill, the future of the plan is still in question. The House passed a larger bill in February that was paid for by the repeal of oil subsidies, but it narrowly failed in the Senate. The bill passed last week did not include offsetting revenue and House leaders object to that. Because of the uncertain outcome, Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.)his writing his own energy tax-credit bill, which he plans to unveil next week. The tax credits are due to expire the end of the year. (Source: Greenwire)

Add Australian koala bears to the list of animals threatened by global warming

(Photo of koala bear in Australia from Flickr and photographer Dey Alexander)

News Update: Koala bears, who totally depend on eucalyptus leaves for their diet, may become yet another victim of climate change, according to a professor at Australian National University. The leaves could become inedible, he said, as they absorb more CO2, which boosts tannins and makes the leaves leathery. At a minimum, they will be less nutritious. “Life will become extremely difficult” for these animals, professor Bill Foley warned. Increased CO2 also reduces nitrogen and other nutrients in the leaves, according to another researcher, Ivan Lawler, at James Cook University. And the poor little fellows already sleep 20 hours a day because of their low-protein diet. Some wallaby and possum species also have a diet heavy in eucalyptus. (PlanetArk and New Zealand Herald )

Coal demand from abroad sparks U.S. and UK exports, despite impact on global warming

(Photo of coal loader in West Virginia from Flickr and photographer OZinOH)

News Update: Growing demand from the Third World, and the subsequent rise in prices, has turned coal into a major export for the U.S. for the first time in years and has sparked a revival in Britain, where shuttered mines are reopening. (Carbon emissions be damned. There’s money to be made!) The export boom here is helping the coal business grow at a time when environmentally wary communities have delayed or stopped more than 50 new coal-fired plants in the U.S. Environmentalists criticize both countries. “Any rise in coal use around the world is bad news for the environment,” said Alice McKeown of the Sierra Club. Both countries insist that “clean coal” must be part of the mix to meet the energy demand of the future, but so far no system is operating on a commercial scale that can clean up or capture and store the carbon emissions that cause global warming. (For more, see the New York Times. and PlanetArk)

Etc.: Warming oceans, wind power, rental cars and other recent global warming news

(Photo of ocean from Flickr and Ibrahim Adeeb)

Warming in one-third of the nation’s oceans is 2-4 times greater than projected in last year’s IPCC report. Climate change, overfishing and pollution are endangering marine animals and fisheries, according to the UN. (PlanetArk)

Global wind power is up 27% from last year. Germany still leads, with 25% of the total, but the U.S. came in second, showing a 5,244 MW increase. Experts attribute the jump in U.S. wind power to federal tax credits and renewable electricity standards in half the states, which require a percent of electricity to be generated from renewable sources. Iowa leads among the states, with 5.5% of its power coming from wind. (Greenwire)

Enterprise Rent-A-Car opened 4 “green” branches in Atlanta because of consumer demand, with 60% of the cars being hybrids, the company said. The nation’s largest rental car agency will have 4,000 hybrids out of a total fleet of 1.1 million. Hertz says it will soon have 3,500 hybrids; Avis 2,500. (Greenwire)

Clean technology investment slumped the first quarter of this year for North America, Europe and Israel. Total investment of $1.25 billion was up 42% over the same quarter last year, but down for the second quarter in a row. The peak was $1.74 billion last summer. (Greenwire)

Southeast Asia worries about dry conditions and forest fires causing heavy haze

(Photo of Indonesia-caused haze in Malaysia from Flickr and photographer KeWynn Lee)

Xtreme Weather Watch: Each year since 1997, heavy smog has been created by arid conditions resulting in peat and forest fires in Indonesia. That smog, or haze, has spread across the region, especially to Malaysia and Singapore, causing respiratory illness and costing tourist dollars. Environment ministers from the area have warned that as La Niña subsides the second half of this year, the smog is likely to return. (PlanetArk)

Flooding in Brazil, hailstorm in China

Xtreme Weather Watch: Unusually strong rains in Brazil have resulted in flooding that killed at least 34 and left close to 200,000 homeless. Livestock and crops were destroyed. Officials fear an onset of dengue fever as floods retreat leaving pools of water where mosquitoes will breed. (PlanetArk)

A freak half-hour hailstorm in Central China, with 60 mph wind gusts, has killed 5, injured at least 66, and destroyed more than 4,600 homes in central China. (PlanetArk)

Will Lieberman-Warner global warming bill pass the Senate? Should it pass the Senate?

(Photo of Capitol Building from Flickr and photographer Eamonn O'Brien-Strain)

Weekly Angst: A “compromise” global warming bill (S. 2191) will head to the Senate floor for debate the first week in June. It has a fine line to tred between those who want to make it weaker and those who think it must be stronger.

Sponsors Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) are working hard to get more converts, so it can pass the 60-vote test to avoid a filibuster. Environment Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is working with them, even though she proposed a stronger bill herself. But Boxer vows to pull the bill from the floor if it is weakened further.

Lieberman said last week he has 45 firm votes and 15 leaning heavily toward approval. That means he needs every single one of those votes, and he suggested there would need to be changes to win them. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lieberman’s Republican buddy whom he’s supporting for president, is a “leaning” vote because he wants more money for nuclear energy in the bill.

Cap-and-trade system
Lieberman-Warner (America’s Climate Security Act) is a cap-and-trade bill. That means a cap will be placed on overall greenhouse gas emissions and will steadily be lowered each year. Companies that do not cut emissions that much must buy credits from those that exceed their goal.

The bill calls for:
*A 4% reduction of GHG emissions in 2012, steadily increasing to 70% (from 2005 levels) by 2050. (Boxer would like to see that amended to 80%)
*An auction for 26.5% of the credits in 2012, rising to 79.5% by 2031. The rest of the credits would be given away free. (Boxer wants more credits paid for.)
*Distribution of auction income for jobs, deploying advanced technology, helping low- and middle-income people with increased energy costs, and mitigating negative impacts of climate change abroad.

The bill covers electric utilities, transportation, most manufacturing and natural gas, the sources of 87% of GHG. That means the actual total reduction will be 66% by 2050.


Efforts to weaken the bill
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who famously called global warming a “hoax,” says he will propose 40 amendments and lead a filibuster against the bill if he can. Inhofe has support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth.

The National Mining Association wants more money to research carbon capture and storage.

Some want the bill to pre-empt action by the states that want to do more. Boxer, from a state that is already doing more, said she will pull the bill before she lets that happen.

Others are asking for a “safety valve” if carbon prices get too high, or for more money for nuclear energy.

A coalition of energy companies and other businesses are on a 17-state blitz to undermine the bill, citing loss of jobs and higher energy prices.

Environmental groups
Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace oppose the bill as not going far enough. The National Wildlife Federation supports it. The Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense and World Wildlife Fund appeared with Boxer at a news conference last week, but some of them are saying the bill must be strengthened.

The dilemma for many environmentalists (in and out of Congress) is whether it’s better for the Senate to pass something, even if it’s just a first step.

The bill, of course, has two more hurdles. Passage of a similar bill in the House, which Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) says needs more deliberation and likely won’t get through the House until the end of 2008. Then there’s a likely veto from George Bush, who never has bought into the cap-and-trade idea.

An optimistic Lieberman gives his bill a 50-50 chance of becoming law, but says a new president in 2009 will increase those chances to 90%.

So some are saying why not just wait, and get a stronger bill. Others say let’s take the first step.

Frankly, I’m torn. I'd like to see 80% by 2050 and 100% auctioned credits, but we’re so far overdue in taking action I hate to put it off another year. And doing so could affect international negotiations for a climate treaty. We have been the largest cause of global warming up to now, so most of the stuff up there is ours. Maybe passing a bill, even if it doesn’t do it all, is a show of good faith and something to build on.

What do you think?

(Sources: E&E Daily, Greenwire, Boston.com, E&E PM, and America’s Climate Security Act. )
For a one-page description of the act go to Lieberman’s Web site.

'An Inconvenient Truth' update with Al Gore

(Photo of Al Gore giving his original talk in "An Inconvenient Truth" from Flickr and photographer Juampe Lopez.)

Watch a 20-minute video of Al Gore’s most recent and updated slide show and talk on global warming at The Daily Green, a Hearst Web site.

Newest effort to extend renewable tax credits is quick fix tied to housing bill in Senate

Congressional Round-up: The Senate is expected to approve any day an amendment to the housing bill that would extend tax credits for renewable energy and efficiency. The $6 billion amendment by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) is an effort to provide short-term extensions for the credits that will expire this year. The amendment provides:
• a 1-year extension of the renewable power production credit
• an 8-year extension of the solar energy investment tax credit
• 1- and 2-year extensions on credits for building efficiency and some energy-efficient appliances.
Because of opposition in the Senate to paying for the credits by repealing benefits on oil and gas, this amendment shows no balancing source of revenue. That could cause problems in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said she wants to adhere to a pay-as-you-go rule. The House in February passed a much larger bill that included oil tax credit repeal, but it was narrowly rejected by the Senate and the White House threatened to veto it. A veto could be a problem here as well, because President Bush has problems with the housing bill to which it would be attached. In case this doesn’t work out, Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is busy preparing yet another alternative energy tax package. Renewable energy companies have been lobbying hard, fearful that the tax breaks fueling their boom will go away. Renewables need all the help they can get to make a dent in the nation's dependency on carbon-emitting fossil fuels.(E&E News PM)

German official says U.S. at competitive disadvantage in renewable energy race

(Photo of German wind farm from Flickr and photographer Dirk Ingo Franke).

News Update: We’ve gotten ourselves into quite a bind. Reluctant to embrace alternatives to fossil fuels, the U.S. now lags far behind Europe in renewable energy technology. The German deputy environment minister said this competitive disadvantage makes America less likely to welcome international agreements to fight global warming. Last year the European Union produced 10% of its electricity from renewable sources, double the percentage in the United States. Germany, a world leader in use of renewables, got a record 18% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2007. We may find ourselves falling further behind instead of grabbing a piece of the alternative energy business. Time to wake up. For starters, extend renewable tax credits to encourage investment. Then we can pass that RES (renewable electricity standard) the Senate squelched by 1 vote last year. (PlanetArk)

Martha’s Vineyard alternative to Nantucket’s long-delayed controversial Cape Wind farm

(Photo of Martha's Vineyard from Flickr and photographer Federico Chi.)

News Update: Blue H, a subsidiary of a Dutch company, wants to put an offshore wind farm in deep water 23 miles from Martha’s Vineyard. The floating turbines would be out of sight from land, which makes the plan much more palatable than the controversial Cape Wind project, just 5 miles from shore in Nantucket Sound. Either plan could supply about 75% of the electricity used by Cape Cod, Nantucket and the Vineyard. The main problem with the new plan is the technology of floating turbines in 167 feet of water is untested and could be many years in the future. Cape Wind has already bounced around for years from one government entity to another because some summer residents, including Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) are fighting it, but it could get final federal approval this year. The new proposal is for 120 turbines to produce 328 megawatts, similar in scope to Cape Wind. (For more and a map, see Boston.com)

Excessive snow this winter will lead to more flooding in Midwest and Northeast -- NOAA

(Photo of recent flooding in St. Louis from Flickr and Dave Thompson)

Xtreme Weather: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting more of the deadly flooding we’ve seen in recent weeks in the Midwest. This winter has seen an unusual amount of snow, and as that snow melts, flooding is likely in the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri river basins. Some relief will come to the parched Southeast. Atlanta’s reservoir, Lake Lanier, now 12-14 feet below normal, will be replenished this summer, as will Lake Okeechobee in Florida, the National Weather Service said. The long-term drought in the Southwest won’t be affected, however. (ClimateWire)

Despite cold start, 2008 could be one of warmest years ever, because of global warming

(Photo of skier in Norway from Flickr and photographer Marika)

Xtreme Weather: The deniers are giddily blogging up a storm about the cold, snowy winter, believing it proves global warming is a hoax. But word from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (which supplies data to the UN) is that this year could be one of the 10 warmest on record. Once La Niña, the cooling of the Pacific, gets behind us, temperatures could turn nice and toasty, like they did in 1998 and 2005, two of the hottest years. They too started off cold. There was plenty of snow this winter, making skiers happy, but burying China with the worst winter storms in a century and dropping rare snowflakes on Florida, Iraq and Greece. Despite deep snow, Norway had its third warmest winter, and Finland the warmest on record. Predictions before the year began were for the year to be similar to last year, because La Niña would counteract some of the warming trend. But don’t be surprise if we have a hot summer. (Reuters)

Worldwide, the UN predicts a 2008 cooler than 2007. See
the Daily Green .

Low Carbon Diet book can help individuals join in fight against global warming

Weekly Angst: You know how hard it is to lose 5 or 10 pounds. How would you like to lose 2 1/2 tons? That’s the minimum amount we American energy hogs can lose in 30 days, with help from the Low Carbon Diet Book, to start doing our part to stop global warming.

The average American household is responsible for releasing 55,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air each year. Germans emit only half that amount (27000 lbs.) and Swedes just half that amount (13,000 lbs.), according to the book, written by David Gershon and published by the Empowerment Institute. In many U.S. communities, 85% of carbon emissions come from residences, so together we really can make a difference.

In fact, it’s going to be essential for Americans to cut their personal energy use, so why not start now? It can be contagious.

Support group
This diet offers support, like Weight Watchers, where 6-8 or more dieters can lose together and be accountable to one another.

It’s pretty easy. The workbook tells you how many pounds of CO2 you can lose for each of many actions. Then you can choose and check off what you’ve lost.

One ton (2,000 lbs.) can be lost, for example, by:
* replacing 4 light bulbs with CFLs (condensed fluorescents) – 600 lbs.
* washing your clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot – 600 lbs.
* reducing use of your dishwasher by 1 time a week by loading it up more – 175 lbs.
* turning your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer – 500 lbs.
* installing one low-flow shower head – 250 lbs.

Of course if you are reading this blog you may already be doing all these things. The book has many other actions you can take, like timing your showers to keep them under 5 minutes, unplugging electronics when they’re not in use, and eating one less meal of meat a week .

Giant steps
And if you’ve already been really good about taking all the easy steps, you can try some of these larger ones:
• Call your electric company and say you want to buy only green power. Many of them can accommodate you.
• Get an energy audit from your utility company to see where you can save and set up a 3-year plan to invest in energy-efficient appliances, new windows and improved insulation. (If your refrigerator is 10 years old, you can save 500 lbs. a year by getting a new one.)

Spread the word
Or you can get your workplace, your community or club or organization to join the cause. The Empowerment Institute says it has helped more than 250,000 people reduce their carbon footprint by 25%.

The Institute trains Low Carbon Diet leaders to facilitate small groups, or eco-teams, which meet in “cafes” 4 times over 4-6 weeks. You can sign up for the next free online training session on May 1, at 9 p.m. EST, and then start leading your own groups.

In Chicago, the Nuclear Energy Information Service is training leaders to run small groups, with a goal of 250,000 households by Dec. 31. The next training meeting they’ve scheduled is this Tuesday, April 8, at 3411 W. Diversey, #19, from 6:30-9 p.m. RSVP to neis@neis.org. I know leaders who are planning cafes in the Hyde Park and Rogers Park neighborhoods, and there are probably others in Chicago, as elsewhere around the country.

To buy the book and learn more about how you can participate, go to the Empowerment Institute Web site. Wherever you are, you can be part of the solution.


One household tip from The Daily Green is to avoid buying plastic shower curtains or liners – for a number of environmental and health reasons.