Rising seas on Delaware coast lead to study

(Photo of Delaware coast with two WWII towers from Flickr and photographer m wms)

News Update 1: Sea levels along 25 miles of Delaware coastline are rising at the rate of about 1 foot per century. Thermal expansion from global warming, along with erosion, settling and sediment blockage by man-made structures, have caused problems for some time. A historic lighthouse at Cape Henlopen fell into the sea in 1926 and two WWII towers are surrounded by water during heavy storms or extremely high tides. After a storm and flooding in May, state environmental officials are concerned about what the future holds as far as storm frequency and intensity, wetlands loss, rainfall, flooding, erosion and changes in groundwater aquifers. So they are working with NOAA over the next two years to map the land under the sea with a new technology called LiDAR, which uses digital photography to identify and find solutions to impending problems. (Sources: delawareonline, Greenwire)

Pacific islands could be engulfed by global warming

(Photo of Tuvalu from Flickr and photographer Jay)

News Update 2: Pacific island states, meeting at a forum, said the region should negotiate for international assistance for damage already done by climate change. Rising seas levels and severe cyclones already are causing people along the coast to relocate in 4 of the states – Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Cantaret Islands in Papua New Guinea. In Kiribati, two uninhabited islands disappeared under the sea in 1999. “The evidence is quite clear that climate change is already wreaking havoc here,” said Pacific Island Forum Chair Toke Talagi, who is also premier of Niue, where the forum was held. The islands will ask the UN Security Council next week to address climate change as a threat to international peace and security. The international organization Avaaz is collecting signatures on a petition to support their request. (Sources: ClimateWire, Independent Online), Aavaz)

Lake Tahoe ecosystem undergoes climate change

(Photo of Lake Tahoe from Flickr and photographer Jeroen Elfferich)

News Update 3: Another body of water, Lake Tahoe in Nevada, is showing the effects of climate change. The water isn’t rising, but the area has seen a temperature increase of 4 degrees since 1910 and algae in the lake is growing 5 times as fast as in 1959. Summer nights are warmer, freezing days are fewer and there is less snow, according to the annual Tahoe State of the Lake report, by researchers from the University of California at Davis. The average surface temperature of the frigid lake has risen from 41.7 to 42.6 degrees since 1970. The region is cited by some as a barometer of how climate change is transforming whole ecosystems. (Source: ClimateWire)

Sarah Palin's views on Big Oil and the environment are a threat to all earthlings

(Couldn't resist this cartoon-photo on Flickr from earthpro/harold)

Weekly Angst: EarthlingAngst is back early from vacation because her angst level has gone way up over the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the GOP vice presidential candidate. Just when we were beginning to think things would have to get better for global warming with the next administration – whoever won – comes a candidate whose views on the environment are worse than George Bush’s.

Sarah Palin:
• Is skeptical that global warming is the result of human activities.
• Questions the science behind predictions of Arctic ice melt.
• Fought designation of the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and now has filed suit against the Interior Department to de-list it.
• Favors drilling in ANWR and has tried to persuade Sen. McCain to take the same position, inviting him to visit the area.
• Favors off-shore drilling.
• Opposed a state initiative to stop metal mining pollution of streams where salmon spawn – the measure failed last week.
• Approves of shooting wolves and bears from airplanes.
• Opposes a federal windfall profit tax on oil, though she taxes them at the state level.

Alaska loves oil
Palin “embodies a distinctly Alaskan perspective” on oil and gas, which provides 85-90% of the state’s budget, according The Daily Green, a Hearst Web site.

Environmental groups were quick to pan the choice of Palin as McCain’s running mate. She’s a candidate who repeats Big Oil’s talking points, said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club.

She would continue the destructive Bush policies and is to the right of Bush on the polar bear, said the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

With her support for drilling, she would continue the failed policies of Bush-Cheney and their Big Oil friends, League of Conservation Voters president Gene Karpinski said.

EarthlingAngst shudders at the thought that she could be a heartbeat away from a president in his 70s, or even have a strong influence on him. And her main support base is the extreme right social conservatives. (Her other views, in case you missed them, include overturning Roe v. Wade and teaching creationism in school alongside evolution.)

Biden’s environmental record
Is Democrat V.P. candidate Joe Biden better? Yes.

He has a lifetime environmental score of 83% with the League of Conservation Voters. According to LCV, he has been a leader on global warming issues, chairing Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on the national security implications of climate change and co-authoring a resolution telling President Bush to negotiate seriously on the international level for a post-Kyoto agreement. He has sponsored bills to decrease reliance on foreign oil and to increase fuel economy in cars. He’s against drilling in ANWR and voted to reduce oil usage 40% by 2025.

(Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, thedailygreen.com, League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Sierra Club.)

Kids shortchanged when subject is climate change

(Photo of book one teacher used to try to understand the complex issue of climate change from Flickr and photographer runswithscissors/Ken)

Weekly Angst: One of the state legislatures just passed a law adding climate change to the scientific topics that must be taught in public schools. Then the governor of the state, (drum roll, please) Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed it. What was THAT about?

The Governator said he opposed attempts to mandate “specific details or events into areas of instruction, ” but state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the bill’s sponsor, denied that the bill “specified exactly how climate change would be taught and would simply have added to 7 others topics the state already requires – issues of such overwhelming importance as "integrated pest management."

Cynthia Thomashow, president of the Center for Environmental Education at Maine’s Unity College, told ClimateWire she suspects adding global warming and the human causes of it is tough for some politicians to swallow. “It means we have to change.”

Thomashow estimates 20-30% of elementary school students in America learn about climate change in any comprehensive way, and maybe 40% of high school students.

There’s not much help from text books. Three top companies, McGraw-Hill, Pearson Prentice Hall and Houghton Mifflin, cover it only in a vague, passing way. And with no emphasis on testing for lessons learned it gets little attention unless teachers or department chairs take the lead.

John Whitsett, president of the National Science Teachers Assn., notes that textbook companies are in business to sell books and “some parts of the country aren’t interested in teaching climate change.”

It was Whitsett’s organization that in 2006 refused to help distribute 50,000 free copies of “An Inconvenient Truth” to schools. He himself told ClimateWire, “We should be teaching the fundamentals of climate, not necessarily this topic.”

The state of California buys about 12% of the nation’s textbook. A change in policy from them could have made a difference in what textbook companies do. But California wasn’t ready to make the leap, so what chance is there with states that won’t teach evolution?

Maybe all is not lost. Textbooks do tend to be out-of-date. It could get 5 degrees hotter before they get it right. But I’m not sure kids pay all that much attention to books now anyway. They’re into movies, TV, videogames and iPods. So we need other tools to teach them what we’re doing to their world and what life will be like when they’re grown up. “An Inconvenient Truth” would have been a good start.

Several government agencies and non-profits are working on materials and curricula of their own.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration unveiled a slick new brochure this spring called “Climate Literacy: The Essentials of Climate Science.” It’s for adults too – something to educate the public about the calamity facing us. But NOAA wants to get the brochures into schools too. So far, it’s distributed just 27,000 copies – that’s less than 1% of the nation’s science teachers. So they’ve got a long way to go. Both NOAA and NASA have grant programs to encourage innovative approaches to teaching climate change.

The non-profit National Wildlife Federation is also working on a booklet and lesson plans. And of course there are plenty of resources on the Internet. One of the best appears to be climatechangeeducation.org.

It looks as if it will be up to teachers and parents to push for our children to be properly educated about this issue. Clearly we can’t leave it to the bureaucracy. Teach climate change at home but also push to get information into the schools. Some people’s children won’t get it at home.
(Special thanks to ClimateWire and reporter Lydia DePillis, the main source for this posting)

Offshore drilling battle could lead to government shutdown Oct. 1

(Photo of Capitol Building from Flickr and photographer seansie/Sean Hayford O'Leary)

Washington Report: Republicans and Democrats may be headed for a showdown in Congress that could shut down government, halting paychecks and benefits and causing layoffs. Unable to reach agreement on an energy bill, Dems may add the yearly extension of the offshore drilling moratorium to a short-term government funding bill that will be needed at the end of September, which 3 dozen GOP senators have vowed to “fight vigorously.” Offshore drilling is an issue Republicans think could work for them politically if Dems continue to oppose it. Both parties’ leaders have agreed to an Energy Summit when Congress returns Sept. 8, but details have yet to be worked out. Democrats’ answer to high gas prices is release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a requirement that oil companies drill on the 68 million acres they have under lease before bidding on new leases, and curbs on energy futures speculation. They also want repeal of oil tax breaks, a renewable energy standard of 15% by 2020 and extension of renewable tax credits. The Republicans’ fossil-fuel-heavy plan calls for repealing the offshore drilling moratorium on the east and west coasts, drilling in ANWR, oil shale extraction in the Rockies, increased incentives for nuclear energy, extension of credits for wind, solar and hydrogen, new tax breaks for coal-to-liquid, tax breaks for electric cars and speeding up permits for oil refineries. “The Gang of 10,” a bipartisan group of senators, came up with a compromise bill just before the August break, which might have a chance of breaking gridlock, so long as one side doesn’t see a political advantage in stalling. But it’s going to be hard to get agreement when the parties are so far apart, and the petroleum industry opposes it. Main provisions include:
• Drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico
• Drilling offshore from 4 Southeast states – Virginia, Georgia, North and South Carolina – if the states agree
• Repeal of billions in oil company tax breaks
• Extension of tax credits on renewable energy sources like wind and solar
• New loan guarantees for coal-to-liquid
• Speeding of permits for nuclear plants
• Billions for R&D for advanced biofuels and batteries
To read more see the Grist blog. (Souces: Greenwire, San Francisco Chronicle)

Undisturbed forests store more carbon than logging plantations to help fight global warming

(Photo of old growth eucalyptus tree from Flickr and photographer Tony from Sidney)

News Update 1: A new Australian study says natural forests, with their taller trees and larger canopies, store 60% more carbon than plantation, or industrial, forests. They also store more than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated in its 2007 report. Researchers at Australian National University found that in addition to growing larger, untouched trees grew older and stored carbon longer than trees cut down on a rotating basis. Biomass and soil store about 3 times as much carbon as that in the atmosphere, the report said, and 35% of the CO2 in the atmosphere came from past deforestation, while 18% of annual carbon emissions now are from deforestation. (Source: Reuters)

New London mayor undoes earlier steps to curb greenhouse gases, including driving charge

(Photo of London traffic congestion from Flickr and photographer gerdragon)

News Update 2: New London Mayor Boris Johnson, in office less than 100 days, has eliminated the emissions-based congestion charge for drivers and canceled contracts for a fleet of zero-carbon hydrogen powered cars, vans and motor bikes. He also is considering increased flights in and out of the city by 50% and building another airport in the Thames estuary. Angry green groups complain he has no environmental expert on the London Development Board and see his actions as harmful to the city’s goal of cutting CO2 emissions 60% by 2025. Johnson had campaigned on a promise of making London the greenest city in the world. (Sources: The Guardian, E&E News)

More people taking the train due to high gas prices; Amtrak likely to break record

(Photo of Amtrak coach cars from Flickr and photographer J.H. Gray)

News Update 3: Amtrak is on track to carry a record 28 million passengers this fiscal year, compared with 25.8 million last year. July service was up nearly 14% from last July. As high gas prices drive more people to trains, they have become overcrowded and are showing their age. Congress recently OK’d a 33% increase in Amtrak’s budget, starting in October, and will provide grants to states to expand rail service. (Source: Greenwire)

Will China become a Green Dragon when it comes to clean energy to fight climate change?

(Photo of wind power in China from Flickr and photographer drs2biz/David Schroeter)


Weekly Angst: All eyes are on China this week. That’s because of the Olympics, but there’s a far more important reason to China-watch. As the world’s fastest-growing economy it has great power for good or evil – when it comes to global warming.

China has passed up the U.S. as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, releasing 24% of the world’s total, and it’s building an average of one coal-fired power plant a week. That’s scary.

At the same time, it’s leading the world in hydropower, is a major producer of photovoltaic solar panels, and will likely soon lead in making wind turbines.

Its autos are required to have 40% greater fuel economy than ours and it has mandated 15% renewable energy by 2020 – something our own Congress failed to pass.

A report released Aug. 1 by The Climate Group, an independent nonprofit, pulls together information about “China’s Clean Revolution”:
* It leads the world in total installed capacity of renewable energy.
* It is second to Japan in solar photovoltaic production.
* It is likely to be the largest exporter of wind turbines by 2009.
* It has 60% of the world market in solar water heaters.
* It’s the third largest ethanol producer.
* It leads the world in hydroelectric power and is 5th in wind power.
* It spent $12 billion on clean energy last year, second only to Germany, which spent $14 billion (they have similar-sized economies) and more than the United States. For shame.

In 2005, China enacted fuel-economy standards for autos and new-building efficiency design codes that would cut energy use in half. In 2006, in passed a Renewable Energy Law, mandating the purchase of wind, solar and biomass for power plants, and a tax of up to 20% on SUVs.

Seizing green economic advantage
“China’s beginning to unleash a low-carbon dragon,” said Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, which advises government and businesses on how to combat climate change, and co-author of the report.

Clean-energy demand has given the Chinese economy an opportunity and they are forging ahead of us. Tens of thousands of companies are making everything from solar panels to electric bicycles to energy-efficient appliances to wind turbines. The 6 largest solar companies have a market value of $15 billion.

One city, Rizhao, has set out to become a carbon-neutral showcase and is half-way there, according to a recent story on ClimateWire. Highrise buildings will collect solar power during the 260 days of sunshine in the oceanside city, which plans to close down cement, paper and steel businesses that use coal. Rizhao shares this goal with a small number of other cities: Arendal, Norway; Vancouver, Canada; and Vaxjo, Sweden.

Coal still main energy source
All is not blue skies though. Fossil fuels provide most of the power, and if trends continue, 70% of China’s new electric power by 2030 will come from coal, the Climate Group report said. So by that year China will be adding an estimated 4 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, more than the European Union’s total now.

But China realizes it can’t sustain the kind of dirty industrial development the West had and must look for a better, cleaner way. Motivation comes from the enormous air-pollution problem and shortage of natural resources in a country trying to lift its population (one-fifth of the world) out of poverty.

China depends heavily on imports, and the high cost of fuel has made renewable energy far more attractive, The Climate Group’s China director, Changhua Wu, told the BBC.

“In China we are concerned about the speed of growth of emissions. It’s really scary,” Wu said. The government wants to stabilize emissions by 2020, mainly through efficiency, renewable energy and electric cars, she said, but more policy incentives are needed.

As a growing world power, and leading emitter of greenhouse gases, China will be one of the most important countries in seeking an international solution to climate change. But China has taken the position that the developing world, which was responsible for the overwhelming majority of greenhouse gases until recently, must show its sincerity and ability to cut its own GHG before expecting new economies to do likewise.

“If they are not able to do it with the technology available to them, then is it reasonable to expect China and India to do it?” asked Wu.
(Sources: The Climate Group, BBC News, ClimateWire, Reuters)

Ice chunk the size of Texas melts in Arctic's Northwest Passage; heat floods Canadian park

(Photo of hikers in Auyuittuq National Park from Flickr and photographer Peter Morgan

News Update 1: Strong southerly winds have melted a piece of Arctic ice in the Beaufort Sea the size of Texas, making it likely the Northwest Passage will be navigable for the second summer in a row. While end-of-summer ice melt is not expected to surpass last year’s record, it is likely to be a close second and Beaufort is open further north than ever before, one-third of the way from Alaska to the North Pole. The melting of the large chunk of ice is a sure sign of global warming, said Mark Serreze, of the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Elsewhere in the Arctic, record high temperatures forced closure of most of Auyuittuq National Park on Canada's Baffin Island. Melting permafrost, erosion and flooding led to evacuation by helicopter of 21 park visitors. Temperatures reached into the 80s for two weeks. The July average is usually 57. (Sources: Greenwire, Anchorage Daily News,PlanetArk )

Soot’s contribution to climate change bigger than reported last year by IPCC

(Photo of coal plant emissions from Flickr and and photographer hAdamsky)

News Update 3: A new study from Texas A&M suggest that soot, once it reaches the atmosphere, combines with other chemicals, especially sulfuric acid from power plants, and then inhibits the formation of clouds. It also helps form a brown haze that acts as insulation and keeps temperatures warm at night. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, said the interference with cloud formation could mean as much as 20% less rain in Houston, Texas. This study follows one in March, from California and Iowa scientists, that said soot could be the second only to CO2 as a contributor to global warming and adds 4 times as much as reported last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Sources: Greenwire, Houston Chronicle

VC investment in clean tech soars in down quarter

(Photo of photovoltaic solar panels from Flickr and and photographer Dale 331)

News Update 3: Venture capital investment in clean tech jumped 41% this quarter to a record $961.7 million, in a period when VC generally slumped 8%, according to Ernst & Young. The investment amount was a record for the clean-tech sector. Solar photovoltaics and other energy-generating companies took more than half the money, with efficiency coming in second with 20%. Smart energy meters were popular as an example of investment with a quick payback. Two major solar deals occurred during the quarter, April-June. SunEdison in Maryland got $131 million and eSolar in California $130 million. (Source: Greenwire)

Unregulated ships spew greenhouse gases into atmosphere and untreated waste into ocean

(Photo of Chinese freighter from Flickr and photographer fusionpanda/David Grant)

Weekly Angst: When I was on an idyllic cruise in French Polynesia eight years ago, I was astounded at how clear the water was. I’d never seen anything like it. Imagine my dismay to learn our ship was dumping all kinds of waste in the water, befouling this pristine sea. Cruise ships continue to use the ocean as a dumping ground and that’s a huge problem addressed by Friends of the Earth in its latest magazine (see summary below).

But there’s another problem – one I wasn’t aware of in 2000 when I marveled at the clear waters off Bora Bora and Moorea.

Ships help cause global warming.

Shipping worldwide released 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide last year, according to the International Maritime Organization. That’s equivalent to the CO2 given off by 205 million cars (more than all the cars in the U.S.).

Shipping emits 3% of all CO2 emissions. If it were a country, it would rank No. 6, between Japan and Germany.

With world trade expanding, shipping has grown about 5% a year for the past 3 decades and is likely to continue to do so, according to a new report by Oceana , an international advocacy group. Ships carry 90% of all trade, with more than 90,000 vessels plying the seas, the report says.

Ships don’t just release carbon dioxide, they also spew black carbon (soot), nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide, all of which add to climate change. The emissions are especially damaging to the fast-warming Arctic, and problems will likely accelerate as the Northwest Passage opens up to more shipping. Soot, for example, absorbs sunlight and can speed the melting of snow and ice.

No regulations
With virtually no regulation, ships are using the cheapest and dirtiest kind of fuel and doing little to become more efficient. Some quick and easy fixes could help the situation, says the Oceana report.

Switching from the worst fuel available, residual oil, to marine diesel or marine gas oil, could reduce CO2 and nitrogen oxides about 5%, particulate matter 63% and nitrous oxide 91%, the report says. Better fuel would also allow for placement of emission controls that would further reduce GHG.

Just slowing down could make a big difference. Ships burn fuel based on speed rather than weight, so cutting back 10% on speed would save 23% in fuel emissions, the report says.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have financial incentives for reducing speeds within 20 nautical miles of the ports and are getting 80% compliance. With 100% compliance they figure they could cut particulates (including black carbon) in half and reduce nitrogen oxides 37%.

Ships also could cut off their diesel engines when in port and hook up to power lines on shore to furnish electricity.

The industry also could work on more efficient designs for both the vessels and their engines, the report says.

And there is now some experimentation with adding sails or kites to capture wind power on the high seas. That could provide a carbon-free energy boost.

Oceana calls for the EPA to regulate ship emissions within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and the International Maritime Organization to regulate worldwide shipping, because of the substantial impact ships have on climate change.

A coalition of states, environmental groups, government agencies and New York City has served notice to the EPA that it plans to sue the agency for failure to regulate greenhouse gas emissions coming from ships and airplanes. The action follows petitions last October and December that were ignored.

Earthjustice will represent the coalition in the lawsuit against the EPA. Coalition members include Oceana, Friends of the Earth, the Center for Biodiversity, the states of Connecticut and New Jersey, the California Air Resources Board, the California Southern Coast Air Quality Management District and the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection.

Other cruise ship problems
In addition to emitting heat-trapping gases, the world’s cruise ships are using the oceans as dumping grounds. As long as they are 3 miles offshore they can and do dump raw sewage directly in the water. When you flush on a ship, that’s where it goes. Within 3 miles they are supposed to use a rudimentary treatment device, but there is little monitoring. They also dump wastewater from sinks, showers, galleys and laundries; oily bilge water; and hazard waste from dry-cleaning and photo processing as well as batteries, paints and fluorescent lights.

How much waste do cruise ships discharge? According to Friends of the Earth, a large ship in one week generates approximately:
• 210,000 gallons of blackwater (human waste)
• 1 million gallons of graywater (showers, galleys, etc.)
• 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water
• More than 130 gallons of hazardous waste.

If that outrages you and you want to take action to help get this dumping under control, call your reps in Washington and tell them to support the Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2008 (more likely to pass in 2009), spearheaded by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.)

Somehow, it’s easier to get exorcised over the dumping – something we can see – than greenhouse gases, which we can’t see. But they’re both a problem for our planet, our oceans, and ultimately ourselves.
(Sources: Greenwire, E&E News PM, Oceana, Friends of the Earth)

'Gang of 10' Senate proposal gets Obama backing

(Photo of offshore drilling from Flickr and photographer absolutwade/Beau Wade)

Washington Report 1: The Senate “Gang of 10” drew support from Barack Obama Friday for a bipartisan compromise energy package that would relax restrictions on some offshore drilling, while repealing some tax breaks on the oil industry and funding renewable energy and conservation. Obama had previously opposed more offshore drilling but said he favored some of the other provisions in the bill and compromise was needed to get anything passed. The proposal, led by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) was the result of many meetings to craft a bill that would satisfy voters upset over high gas prices and reduce dependence of foreign oil. It will likely come to the floor after the August break. It would:
• Reduce the no-drilling area in the eastern Gulf of Mexico to 50 miles off the Florida coast from 150 miles offshore (both Florida senators strongly objected).
• Allow drilling offshore from four Southeastern states -- Virginia, Georgia, North and South Carolina -- if the states agree, and share some revenue with the states.
• Repeal tax breaks worth $30 billion for oil companies, which made record profits this quarter (see below).
• Extend renewable energy tax credits, due to expire this year, until 2012, to encourage development of wind, solar and other renewable sources.
• Give incentives to coal-to-liquid plants that can capture and store carbon.
• Fund R&D on advanced batteries and help automakers retool.
• Develop and demonstrate next-generation biofuels.
• Give tax credits for highly efficient cars and those that use non-petroleum fuels. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) gave the proposal luke-warm praise as a starting point for some agreement on energy. The American Petroleum Institute opposed the repeal of some oil tax credits (calling it "tax increases), saying it would discourage domestic drilling. (Source: Greenwire)

Oil companies earn record quarterly profits

(Photo of pump prices in May from Flickr and and futureatlas.com)

Washington Report 2: While drivers were paying high prices at the gas pump over the past few months, oil companies were raking in profits. The major oil companies all announced record 2nd-quarter profits in the past week:
• Exxon Mobil: $11,680,000,000
• Shell: $11,600,000,000
• BP: $9,460,000,000
• Chevron: $5,980,000,000
• ConocoPhillips: $5,439,000,000
And that’s just for 3 months. All those zeros kind of take you aback, don’t they? (Source: Greenwire)

LCV adds Stevens to ‘Dirty Dozen’ list to defeat

(Photo of Sen. Ted Stevens (left) after committee hearing from Flickr and U.S. Army photographer Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill)

Washington Report 3: The League of Conservation Voters has added indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to its list of targets for defeat in the coming election. Stevens has an LCV lifetime voting record of 14% on bills to protect the environment and has consistently voted for billions in breaks for oil companies, LCV said. Others on the list:
• Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who has the worst voting record on the environment among Dems running for re-election.
• Rep. Stevan Pearce (R-N.M.), a congressman running for an open senate seat against Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.). Pearce’s lifetime percentage on the environment is 1%, compared with Udall’s 96%.
• Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), minority leader of the Senate who has been a roadblock to clean energy and global warming legislation.
• Former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.), who left the House to work for an oil company and is now challenging Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) for an open senate seat.
• Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), former chair of the Environment Committee, who has said global warming is a “hoax.”
• Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.), one of the biggest opponents to progress on global warming and clean energy.
The final 5 in the dozen are yet to be named . LCV helped oust two of its targets in 2006, former Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and former House Natural Resources Chair Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) (Sources: Greenwire, LCV)

Ice thins, big section breaks off Arctic shelf

(Image of thinning ice in Arctic from Flickr and NASA/pingnews)

News Update 1: A 7-square-mile section of the Ward Hunt Shelf, the largest remaining ice shelf in the Arctic, broke off last week. The ice shelf is now just 11% of its previous size. “Once you unleash this process by cracking the ice shelf in multiple spots, of course you’re going to see this continuing,” said Derek Mueller, an expert on the ice shelf who found the first crack in 2002. The shelf began getting thinner in the ‘50s and by the ‘90s had cut its thickness by half. The Arctic coastline also decreased substantially in the past century, from about 3,500 square miles to about 400 square miles. The largest ice break was in 2005. Scientists attribute much of the problem to warming temperatures and summer ice is on track to disappear completely. “They’re breaking away so rapidly that there’s no hope of regeneration,” Mueller told the Toronto Globe and Mail this week. (Sources: Greenwire, AP, The Daily Green, Toronto Globe and Mail.

Levee weakness, rising seas could put Washington under water if major storm hits

(Photo of Jefferson Memorial from Flickr and photographer ktylerconk/Kathleen Conklin)

News Update 2: I recently read a futuristic novel about global warming, in which a rising Potomac River caused a Katrina-like flood to inundate Washington, D.C. So I was struck when I saw this story on The Daily Green this week: Officials are saying a 70-year-old levee system in the capital is at risk of failing in a major storm. If the levee system fails, downtown Washington could be under 10 feet of water, officials said. Built on reclaimed swamp, national monuments, museums and office buildings are at increasing risk as global warming increases sea levels, development causes more storm run-off and heavier rains threaten. Three of the levees, inconspicuous because they’re covered by grassy berms, are deficient, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, and the District of Columbia has committed $2.5 million to repair them. On several occasions sandbags have been put out on the National Mall to protect monuments and in 2006 heavy rain damaged several downtown buildings and closed the Justice Department. (Sources: The Daily Green, Associated Press)

Texas utilities to put up $2 billion to expand electric power grid to carry wind energy

(Photo of high-tension power lines from Flickr and Meridian Productions Inc.)

News Update 3: A group of electric utilities in Texas will invest $2 billion in 1,000 miles of much-needed high voltage power lines, according to regulatory filings. The consortium will put up about 40% of what regulators recently authorized to carry new wind power in the state. The utilities are owned by large investors like Goldman Sachs Capital and Berkshire Hathaway. Expansion of the antiquated power grid is essential to making use of renewable energy in this country. (Source: Reuters)

Draining wetlands could double greenhouse gases

(Photo of Bolsa Chica wetlands restoration in California from Flickr and and photographer Mollivan Jon)


Weekly Angst: Add wetlands to the list if things that can cause global warming. Swamps and marshes are great carbon sinks, storing about 20% of the carbon and methane on the Earth’s land surface.

But as wetlands dry up from climate change, or are drained for development or agriculture, those greenhouse gases have the potential to do as much damage as industrial emissions. This was a topic of discussion and concern for 700 experts from 28 countries who met at last week’s 8th International Wetlands Conference in Brazil.

Wetlands hold some 770 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases, equal to what's now in the atmosphere. And emissions from wetland have the potential to negate all other steps to stop global warming if we don’t act to preserve these places so essential to the planet’s health.

Bad image
Wetlands get little respect. They have long been seen as useless and yucky, interfering with development, farming and other civilized things. So about 60% of wetlands across the world have been destroyed in the last century. Europe drained 90% of its wetlands for farming, the U.S. has drained more than half of its, and the California coastal region destroyed about 95%.

We know wetlands serve as a habitat for wildlife. We also know that in coastal areas they can buffer against hurricanes. We learned that when Katrina devastated New Orleans. If only the wetlands had been left in place, the impact of the storm wouldn’t have been as great.

Wetlands serve as natural “horizontal levees,” that can prevent flooding by storing floodwater. The recent floods in the Midwest reminded scientists that the Mississippi River once could store 60 days of floodwater in its wetlands, where now it can only store 12 days’ worth.

Wetlands – which include marshes, swamps, river deltas, peat bogs, mangroves and river flood plains – produce 25% of the world’s food, purify water and recharge aquifers.

Some thawing of the Arctic wetlands permafrost is probably inevitable at this point, so efforts to stop draining wetlands in more temperate and tropical climates is essential – not to mention restoration.

Restoration
Some restoration projects are under way – in the Everglades and on the Louisiana coast, with each one costing upwards of $5 billion. But it’s much cheaper to preserve the existing wetlands than have to rebuild them, scientists remind us.

In Southern California, the recently restored Bolsa Chica wetlands are now bursting with birds and fish. The project cost $147 million and culminated 40 years of struggle between environmentalists and developers. Part of the problem was a duck blind constructed by hunters. Now the wetlands connect to the Pacific Ocean basin, as they should.

(Sources: ClimateWire, Greenwire, Reuters )

Oil profit announcements next week may give Dems edge in spat over offshore drilling

(Photo of ConocoPhillips gas station from Flickr and photographer Alec Ananian)

Washington Report 1: Three major oil companies will announce their earnings next week, possibly giving Democrats an advantage in the political fight over energy. Dems today failed 50-43 to pass a bill calling for more regulation of commodity traders, blaming high gas prices on speculators. Republicans, on the other hand, are calling for more domestic exploration, especially offshore and in shale. Dems say the oil companies should drill in the 68 million acres they already have under lease rather than offshore, and tried unsuccessfully to pass a bill to that effect. One big oil company, ConocoPhillips, announced its second-quarter earnings last week, revealing a $5.4 billion profit, up 13% from the same period last year. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) criticized the oil companies for using too much of their record profits for stock buy-backs and not enough for drilling. ConocoPhillips used $2.5 billion to buy back stocks. Exxon, Chevron and BP will all announce their earnings next week. Dem leaders are expecting record profits from all, at a time when people are hurting because of the price of gas. They think that will give them an election-campaign advantage, while Republicans think they have a winning message with their call for more offshore drilling. If you want to take action in opposition to offshore drilling, go to the Sierra Club Web site and write an effective letter to the editor. (Sources: Greenwire, E&E Daily)

Senate may try again next week to extend renewable energy tax credits

(Photo of solar panels on Florida beach house from Flickr and photographer John Tracy)

Washington Report 2: Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is likely to try one more time next week to get renewable energy tax incentives extended beyond December. In an effort to win a few more GOP votes, he has added some sweeteners to the tax package (which contains more than renewable credits). Additions include money for the highway trust fund, disaster relief and mental health parity, and an alternative minimum tax fix. Extending the credits for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and efficiency are not at issue. Rather there is disagreement about how to pay for them. Congress leaves soon for its August break and Dem leaders would like to see the credits extended before then, to provide stability for clean energy businesses. (Source: E&E Daily)

House cafeteria cutting greenhouse gases – and making $$ at it

(Photo of salad from Flickr and photographer roboppy/Robyn Lee)

Washington Report 3: House members and staff are eating green and making green, and the Senate likely will soon follow suit. In December, Restaurant Associates took over House restaurants and food services and made them more environmentally friendly. Among other things, they:
• abolished Styrofoam
• used local produce in salad bars
• switched to organic coffee
• started composting much of the waste.
And it’s profitable. The greener cafeterias are expected to bring in $1 million annually. Why? Because more people are staying on The Hill to eat their meals, now that they are healthier and better. The Senate, which has had taxpayer-subsidized food services running at a loss ($1.3 million last year), is expected to sign a contract with Restaurant Services this week. Building on its success, the company also started a farmer’s market in the Cannon House Office Building, selling government types fresh fruits and vegetables from farms within 150 miles, (Source: E&E Daily)

New York City rolls out hybrid taxi cabs; Chicago does what???

(Photo of hybrid taxi in New York at night from Flickr and and photographer Tim Shey)

News Update 1: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last week that his city will roll out 300 new hybrid taxis every month. There already are 1,300 hybrids on the street and each one saves its driver $6,500 a year in fuel, the mayor said. No word yet on a Chicago alderman’s plan to convert his city’s taxi fleet to hybrids, but the Chicago Police Department announced the purchase of 165 new SUV squad cars. The Chevy Tahoes will get 14 mpg, a fleet spokeswoman said, the same as the Crown Victorias that make up most of the fleet. The new (former FBI man) police chief apparently wants SUVs. So why not the Ford Escape? It’s an SUV hybrid that gets about 30 mpg. This is supposed to be Chicago, the Green City, right? So where are the bicycle rentals? Where are the hybrid taxis? And what has become on the vaunted Chicago Climate Action Plan due out last winter? (Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Greenwire,
Reuters)

Smart cars now all the rage 'cause they're cute

(Photo of Smart car from Flickr and photographer caribb)

News Update 2: The hottest car in auto dealers’ show rooms is the new Smart fortwo micro car , made by DaimlerChrysler. Because it gets good gas mileage (33 in the city, 41 on the highway), it’s a green statement. Its real easy to park too. But the biggest appeal seems to be its “cuteness.” Since Smart went on sale in the U.S. in January, more than 11,000 have been sold, with 30,000 more on order. Smart has been a hit in Europe for years. Some buyers are concerned about the safety of their 8.8-foot car, so are keeping the SUV on hand too. But Smart reportedly passed crash testing. Maybe the name has something to do with the appeal too. (Sources: The Washington Post, Smartusa.com)

Texas OKs transmission lines to take wind power to cities …

(Photo of transmission lines in Texas from Flickr and photographer S.J. Alexander)

News Update 3: The Texas Pubic Utility Commission last week OKd a plan to attract $5 billion in investment for new power lines to move 18,500 megawatts of electricity from windy West Texas to the state’s largest cities. The electricity carried would more than double the nation’s current wind power capability. Texas leads the nation in wind, with 5,000MW now, expected to grow to 9,000MW by year’s end. Customers could see a $4/month increase in their bills over the next several years, according to the consumer group Public Citizen. The increase in transmission lines addresses perhaps the biggest roadblock to wind power here. For more on that see the June 28 post on EarthlingAngst. (Source: PlanetArk, Greenwire, Huffington Post)

… as oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens plans largest wind farm ever

(Photo of Texas wind farm from Flickr and and photographer fieldsbh)

News Update 4: Texas mogul T. Boone Pickens is expecting a windfall. As you no doubt have seen, he plans to construct the world’s largest wind farm, in the Texas Panhandle, and make a(nother) fortune while cutting U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Pickens’ much publicized Pickens Plan is to put up 2,700 wind turbines over the next 4 years and generate enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes. The 80-year-old Pickens has convinced neighboring ranchers to put the turbines on their land for $10,000-$20,000 each. He, himself, isn’t going to have any – saying they’re ugly – but he’s worth $3 billion and doesn’t need the money. The Texas conservative hopes to pressure Congress to do more about clean energy. Oil peaked in Texas in 1973, so now he’s on to something new. He says it’s ridiculous for the U.S. to import 70% of its oil at a cost of $700 billion a year. His plan is to use wind and solar for power, and then shift natural gas to replace gasoline for fuel. No doubt he’ll make some money at that end too. While environmentalists love his big push for wind, most don’t like the natural gas bit, since it’s only about 30% lower in carbon than gasoline. (Sources: The Guardian, Huffington Post, pickensplan.com)

Deforestation: inevitable as population surges?

(Photo of deforestation in Brazil from Flickr and photographer [cas]/Sotto)

Weekly Angst: World population growth, up from 6 billion to 9 billion (that’s 50%) in the first half of this century will likely lead to cutting down forests to provide more food, fuel and timber, two new reports say. The Rights and Resources Initiative, a global coalition of environmental and conservation NGOs (non-governmental organizations) expects land the size of 12 Germanys will to be cleared between now and 2030.

“Arguably we are on the verge of the last great global land grab,” said Andy White, co-author of one of the reports, called “Seeing People Through the Trees.” And this is going to cause conflict, as well as global warming.

Governments still own most of the forests, said the second report, “From Exclusion to Ownership,” but have been unable to prevent industrial incursions. In Brazil, soy and sugar cane for biofuels are likely to take another 247 million acres from the Amazon rainforest by 2020.

There are several problems intersecting here.

Population growth and economics
First is the rapid and relentless growth of population on the Earth. In 1950 the population stood at just 2.5 billion. By 2000 it was 6 billion, more than double. This week it is 6.7 billion and by 2050, the UN estimates, the number will reach close to 9 billion (8.9B if you want to be exact).

So not only are developing countries trying to lift their people out of poverty with their own industrial revolutions, but there are increasingly more people to lift. More food, more fuel, more plastics, more cars and more electricity will be needed. (China, by the way, points out that without its one-child policy its population would be far bigger than it is.)

Then there’s the difficulty of maintaining forest in its natural state when money is to be made from clearing it to plant crops, grow cattle and sell timber. Most of the forest likely to be cleared is in developing countries, the reports said.

The Amazon rainforest
The Amazon rainforest is a case in point. The largest in the world, it is often called “the lungs of the world” because it consumes CO2 and produces 20% of the Earth’s oxygen. It contains 1/10 of the carbon dioxide stored in land ecosystems on the planet.

After 3 years of declining deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon (due to enforcement and the low price of soybeans), the tide turned last summer, and an estimated 1,096 square miles were lost in May alone.

Brazil is No. 4 in emission of greenhouse gases, not because of fossil fuel plants, but mainly (70%) because of deforestation.

Brazilian officials, under world scrutiny, say outsiders, including NGOs, are grabbing their land, stealing medicinal plants, spying and logging illegally. They say they fear the outside world is after their considerable resources.

Other forests at risk
The Amazon isn’t the only place forest is disappearing. Parts of Asia are losing more than 10,000 square miles of forest every year.

And Canada is logging its boreal forests (mainly evergreens) at such a rate that, combined with permafrost melt, it could produce a “carbon bomb,” according to Greenpeace. A report by the University of Toronto, “Turning up the Heat,” said a 1993 study showed Canada’s large swath of boreal forests stored 186 billion metric tons of carbon (27 times what the world emits from fossil fuels in a year), two-thirds of it stored in the soil. When trees are destroyed, not only is carbon released from them, but also from the soil that is exposed.

The province of Ontario last week promised to preserve 55 million acres, or at least half, of its pristine boreal forests from future development, keeping it as an undisturbed ecosystem and carbon sink. What about the other half? Chainsaw massacre?

More research, more regulation
The interaction between forests and climate change is complex. Droughts can damage forests and so can wildfires and pests brought on by warmer temperatures. The Amazon is threatened by increasingly frequent droughts. A Smithsonian research study going on now on an island in the Panama Canal suggests that as temperatures rise, trees slow their growth and absorb less CO2. There also is the issue that trees, as they get old, reach a point where they don’t take in as much carbon.

Clearly there needs to be more research, and a worldwide agreement to save or replace the forests we have – and not lose more. World officials meeting in Bali last December agreed credits should be given for saving rainforest, a step in the right direction. The details need to be worked out between now and 2012, when a post-Kyoto agreement would begin. And likely the wealthy nations are going to have to pony up.
(Sources: Thomson Reuters, PlanetArk, Greenwire, ClimateWire, State of the Planet 2006-2007, U.S. Census Bureau)

EPA regulation of GHG would harm Bush legacy, Cheney, oil interests thought: report

Washington Report 1: President Bush dumped an EPA plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, refiners and autos at the urging of White House insiders, who feared it would hurt the president's legacy, a former EPA official told a congressional committee this week. The administration's efforts to respond to the Supreme Court's April 2007 decision, calling on EPA to regulate heat-trapping emissions, were outlined by Jason Burnett, a former adviser to Administrator Stephen Johnson, who spoke to the House Select Committee on Energy and Global Warming. Committee Chair Ed Markey (D-Mass.) concluded, in a report that combines Burnett's closed-door testimony with documents obtained by subpoena, that the president backed down after hearing arguments from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, the Office of Management and Budget, the Transportation Department, Exxon Mobil Corp. and others in the oil industry. (Source: E&E Daily)

Dems’ Drill Bill in House comes up dry as parties spar over lifting offshore drilling ban

(Photo of Texas oil rig from Flickr and photographer Lizzie Vengeance/Lizzie Phillips )

Washington Report: House Democrats tried Thursday to pass a bill that urges oil companies to speed up exploration where they have current leases. Despite support from 26 Republicans, the bill failed to get the two-thirds vote it needed under expedited rules – 11 oil patch Dems voted against it. This bill was the Dem response to GOP efforts in both chambers to relax the ban on offshore drilling and paint Democrats as blocking oil exploration here, hence keeping gas prices high. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has introduced a bill, supported by several dozens fellow Republicans, to let states decide whether to lease in federal waters and then get a cut of the take. But it looks like they won’t be able to muster the votes in either house to end the ban on offshore drilling. A vote of the Congress is needed to end the ban, despite President Bush’s announcement. (Source: E&E News PM)

Hawaii’s gov signs slew of renewable energy bills

(Photo of Hawaiian beach from Flickr and and photographer Michael Bina)

News Update 1: Blue Hawaii is now Green Hawaii. Gov. Linda Lingle (R) has signed a number of bills aimed at increasing renewable energy and reducing dependence on foreign oil. The state has a goal of 20% renewables by 2020 and 70% by 2030. The new laws:
• Mandate that all new homes have solar water heaters.
• Plan for $1.5 million in revenue bonds to be invested in 3 alternative energy facilities, 1 solar, 1 tidal and 1 hydrogen.
• Give rebates for photovoltaic systems.
• Make it easier for solar energy facilities and biofuels producers to lease land.
Support is bi-partisan. Some of the bills were introduced by the governor, the rest by legislators on both sides of the aisle. Hawaii has a lot to lose (literally) if the seas rise due to melting of Greenland and Antarctica. (Source: ClimateWire)

Super potent greenhouse gas used in flat screen TVs poses global warming threat

(Photo of flat screen TVs at Wal-Mart from Flickr and and photographer Adam G)

News Update 2: A chemical used in making flat screen TVs is 17,000 times as potent a greenhouse gas as CO2. Researchers at the University of California-Irvine are seeking to measure the synthetic chemical, NF3, in the atmosphere, because of its huge potential impact on global warming. The chemical, nitrogen trifluoride, is used in the manufacture of computers and flat screen TVs, despite the knowledge that it could add significantly to global warming. Industry leaders say only about 2% escapes into the atmosphere, but scientists have not yet verified that. NF3 lasts in the atmosphere 550 years, compared with 100 years for CO2 and 12 years for methane. It has not yet been registered as a greenhouse gas and was not included in the Kyoto treaty. The research at Cal-Irvine may well lead to its inclusion in future climate change treaties. This points up the risk that new chemicals can undo much of the good done to curb emissions and they need to be regulated. (Source: Greenwire)

India’s climate plan includes renewable energy, efficiency, but no emissions target

(Photo of solar energy in rural India from Flickr and and the barefoot photographers of Tilinia)

News Update 3: India, whose economy is growing 8-9% a year, has unveiled its National Action Plan to deal with global warming. It will focus on renewable energy, efficiency and research on green technology. More specifically, the plan covers solar energy, water conservation and energy efficiency, as well as sustainable agriculture, the Himalayan ecosystem and habitat. But it does not set a target for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. India says it has a right to lift its people out of poverty, as industrial nations did while they poured GHG into the atmosphere -- and that it has low per-capita carbon emissions, at 1.2 tons, compared with the United States’ 20.6 tons (2004 data). India’s power is 60% generated by coal, with plans for new plants in the next 5 years that will generate 70,000 more megawatts. Emissions have been growing about 2-3% a year, though the country is responsible for only 4% of the world’s GHG. (Source: Thomson Reuters)

With gas prices high, California picks route for high-speed train from LA to San Francisco

(Photo showing alternate plans for high-speed rail from Flickr and photographer lazy Tom/ Marcel Marchon)

News Update 4: A high-speed train line that has languished on the drawing boards for years has gotten a push from the rising price of gasoline, which is about $5 a gallon in California. In a unanimous vote, the state’s High Speed Rail Authority has selected a route for the 700-mile, 2½-hour trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Next comes a place on the November ballot for voters to OK a $40 billion bond issue and a state law to assure that’s legal. There is some environmental opposition to the route, Pacheco Pass (blue in picture) which goes through some undeveloped land. The California Air Resources Board said a high-speed train line would cut greenhouse gases by 1 million metric tons a year. (Source: ClimateWire, Greenwire, Environmental Law & Policy Center)

Trash talk: Zero waste would end landfills, incinerators and help curb GHG emissions

(Photo of trash in landfill from Flickr and photographer Zen/Zen Sutherland)

Weekly Angst: When you first started recycling, maybe 2 decades ago, little did you know one of the benefits would be to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that threaten catastrophic climate change. Now you have an additional reason to reduce, reuse, recycle -- and compost.

We are drowning in trash and, despite recycling, it’s adding at least 7% to emissions that cause global warming. Incinerators and landfills both emit GHG. And worse than that, every item that is destroyed needs to be replaced – which means more emissions from extraction, processing, manufacturing and transportation.

The Sierra Club’s new report Stop Trashing the Climate recommends phasing out all municipal waste incinerators and building no new incinerators or landfills.

The report sets a goal of zero waste by 2040, which could be accomplished by reducing consumption, recycling most products, re-using paper, plastic, glass and many other materials, and composting food and lawn scraps. Zero waste would reduce greenhouse gas emissions the same as if 20% of our coal-fired power plants were closed down. Under the Urban Environmental Accords, 103 mayors worldwide have agreed to send no waste to incinerators or landfills by 2040. More than 2 dozen American cities or states have a zero waste goal.

Too much consumption
The term “consumer” – if you’ve thought about it – is related to “consume” which means “use up.” And that’s exactly what we consumers are doing. Using up the world’s natural resources at a record pace.

The United States, with just 5% of the world’s population, is using up 30% of the world’s resources, producing 30% of the waste and emitting 22% of the planet’s greenhouse gases.

Think about what would happen if the rest of the world caught up with us on consumption. We’d need several planets to supply everyone. What we’re going to have to do is scale back so our consumption isn’t so far out of line with everyone else’s.

Manufacturers will have to take responsibility for producing less waste, especially the products and packaging that make up more than 72% of our trash.

Reuse, recycle and compost
Americans destroy nearly 170 million tons of paper, metals, plastics food scraps, etc., a years, and we have the ability to reuse, recycle or compost 90% of what we waste. Composting avoids significant methane emissions and increases carbon storage in soil to improve plant growth.

The damage landfills do
In addition to destruction of goods and using up of natural resources, landfills are the largest anthropogenic (human-caused) source of methane, which is 75% more potent a heat-trapping gas than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Although some landfills capture methane to use for power, only 20% is captured, and non-recycled organic materials should instead be composted or anaerobically digested, the report said.

The damage incinerators do
Incinerators emit more carbon dioxide per megawatt hour than coal, gas or oil power plants. They produce CO2 and nitrous oxide, which is 300 times more potent than CO2. Many require fossil fuels to operate.

Other recommendations
• Implement federal, state and municipal zero waste targets.
• Levy a per-ton surcharge for taking waste to incinerators or landfills, as many European countries do.
• End “renewable energy” subsidies for landfills and incinerators.
• Charge by volume and weight for trash collection.
• Regulate paper packaging and junk mail and significantly increase paper recycling.

Toronto’s solution
The city of Toronto removes about 1/3 of its garbage before it can get to a landfill. It goes to a plant where microscopic bugs digest garbage and turn it into compost. The Toronto plant has a system that can separate out plastic bags, batteries, bones and other non-biodegradable objects in a huge tank that spins to break the bags and let them float to the top, then separates out hard and heavy objects, which do go to a landfill.

What remains is methane and compost. The latter is given free to residents to enrich soil or taken to city parks and gardens.

The plant, which processes 50,000 tons of organic waste (double what was originally expected) handles trash from a half-million single-family homes, with another half-million apartments expected online soon. There are plans to build another composting plant by 2010, which will capture and use the methane for power, and then to expand and retrofit the current plant by 2012.

Toronto’s goal is to divert 75% of its waste from landfills by 2010. The city also has a significant recycling program.

One of the features that helps its popularity is the ability of the bugs to gobble up the odors usually emitted by such a program.

Many European cities have organic composting plants, but in North America Toronto is the only one doing it on this scale. Other cities starting more slowly are San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Oakland and Alameda County, Calif.

These cities have shown what can be done. Now we just need the will to do it.

(Sources: Sierra Club’s “Stop Trashing The Planet,” Greenwire.)

Two polls: High gas prices spark shift in opinions on more domestic oil exploration

(Photo of offshore drilling in Galveston from Flickr and photographer absolutwade/Beau Wade)
News Update 1: Two new polls are discouraging. They show growing numbers of voters favoring oil exploration in the U.S. and offshore. In Florida, specifically, a Rasmussen polls shows 59% of voters favoring offshore drilling. Breaking it out by party, 83% of Republicans, 38% of Dems and 54% of Independent are OK with offshore drilling in Florida, a substantial change since 2004. The same poll showed John McCain, who favors offshore drilling, leading Barack Obama, who doesn’t, 48-41. In a Pew Research national poll, 47% of the population wants to expand domestic drilling and open new power plants, compared with just 35% 5 months ago. There was a 10-point drop in those seeing conservation as the most important step on energy. Liberals’ favorables for oil exploration doubled from 22% to 45%. Half the people survey agreed with drilling in ANWR. The price at the pump trumps all. (Source: Greenwire)

Florida sees surge of solar plants, passing up other states as FP&L unveils plans for 3 sites

(Photo of solar panels at Cape Kennedy from Flickr and photographer Marcin Wichary)

News Update 2: The Sunshine State is beginning to take advantage of its best-known natural resource. Florida Power and Light has unveiled plans for 110 megawatts of solar energy in the state, enough to power 35,000 homes, which will help Florida pass up Arizona, Nevada and other states in producing solar energy. The utility wants 3 installations, one to produce 10MW at a photovoltaic plant at Kennedy Space Center, another 25 MW in DeSoto County, and a third to make 75MW from solar thermal in Martin County. Regulators still have to approve the plans but FPL expects the plants to be up and running next year. FPL also operates the world’s largest solar thermal field, in California’s Mojave Desert. FPL’s CEO told Reuters the price of solar is coming down and is more competitive with conventional power pants. FPL also produces wind and has a wind goal of 8,000-10,000MW by 2012. The state of Florida has set a target for public utilities to produce 20% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. FPL may sell some of its new solar power to other utilities to help them meet their goals. Others are doing their part as well. The Orlando Utilities Commission is installing solar photovoltaic panels on the Orange County Convention Center, which will produce 1,500MW hours of power a year. Many credit new Republican Gov. Charlie Crist with spurring renewable activity in the state by setting goals. (Sources: Reuters PlanetArk, Greenwire)

Feds backs down on 2-year moratorium on new solar plants for public land

News Update 3: The Bureau of Land Management reversed itself Wednesday on its plan to block any solar installations on public land while it assessed the environmental impact, apparently bowing to public pressure. New projects would have been blocked for 2 years while the study took place. This is the same Bureau of Land Management that has allowed drilling for oil and gas in thousands of spots and wants to permit uranium mining by the Grand Canyon. There are, of course, environmental concerns, especially with large projects. Impact on wildlife, water use and land reclamation after the life of the installation need to be considered. But many environmental groups agreed with the fledgling solar industry that there is a strong need to move forward more quickly on solar energy, a clean alternative to coal. There are no solar installations on federal land to date, but 125 applications are awaiting action. Much of the 119 million acres of federally managed land in the West is ideal for solar – flat, sunny desert. There are 9 utility-scale solar plants operational on private land that can produce 425 megawatts of power. At the opening of a plant in Nevada this week Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid had vowed to overturn the moratorium. AP/Newsday, New York Times, Greenwire)

Mayors pledge to increase energy efficiency, avoid tar sands to meet climate change challenge

(Photo of Indiana refinery processing tar sands oil from Flickr and The Rainforest Network)

News Update 4: The U.S. Conference of Mayors has attacked global warming by endorsing an increase in energy efficiency, seeking guidelines to avoid high-emission unconventional fuels and phasing out plastic water bottles. At its meeting in Miami in late June, the conference:
• Unanimously supported a 30% increase in energy efficiency in new residential buildings and called for a dramatic improvement in the national model energy building code that guides state and local governments. Code officials will meet in September to finalize the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the first update since 2006.
• Challenged high-carbon fuels from tar sands, liquid coal and oil shale, asking for guidelines and purchasing standards to help mayors understand lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from fuels. These unconventional and synthetic fuels can emit 2-5 times the greenhouse gases during extraction and production.
• Agreed to phase out bottled water in favor of the public water supply. It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil each year to manufacture the bottles, most of which end up in landfills. (Sources: Sierra Club Cool Cities, portofentry.com)