Pardon my enthusiasm, but I love my new Prius
About a month ago we took the plunge. I have to give my husband, John, the credit. After months of on-and-off talk about getting a new car, he went online and found a dealer nearby who’d just gotten a shipment of 6 or 8 new Priuses. Two days later we went over, test drove one of the 3 that were left, turned in our Volvo and drove away in our brand new Prius.

It’s so cool. I love the little power button you press to turn it on (like on a computer or DVD player) and the tiny gearshift on the dashboard to put it in drive or reverse. And the key that isn’t a key. The car is totally quiet when you turn it on, and very roomy and comfortable, with a hatchback for easy stowing of groceries. But best of all is the display that shows the mileage you’re getting. It makes me turn down the air conditioning and keep the speed below 60 to see if I can eke out another 0.1 mpg.

We’ve found we can make the 60-mile round trip to see the grandkids in the suburbs at a rate of between 54-59 mpg, and that includes doing some errands and car-pooling around town while we’re there. In Chicago, though, it’s not getting great mileage – in the 30s or 40s for a series of very short trips. But we’ve only filled the gas tank twice since we got it, and we’ve gone nearly 1,200 miles (and have half a tank left). Even people who don’t think about the environment are impressed with how little gas it requires.

I don’t see a lot of Priuses around Chicago, though a friend visiting from California said they’re very popular there. I read that driving a Prius makes a statement. And I do feel there’s no need to have bumper stickers. The car is one big bumper sticker: Fight Global Warming.

Prius, the only car built from the ground up as a hybrid, was introduced in 1997 and has had 10 years of customer feedback to make improvements. It also gets the best gas mileage. Prius passed 1 million in sales in June and is the overwhelming leader in the class. Sales in the U.S. were up almost 94% the first 6 months of 2007, almost as much as all of 2006.

Toyota will add a less expensive Prius ($20,000) to its lineup for 2008 (current price is about $25,000). And it’s thinking about creating a Prius brand, with several different models.

I’m disappointed in Toyota, though. It lobbied with the Big 3 automakers against corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in Congress. I have to think the company, which is expected to pass up General Motors soon as the world’s largest automaker, is worried it will lose its advantage if American companies are forced to start producing more efficient models.

Mileage on new cars not so good
All vehicles are going to see their mileage rating drop in 2008. Turns out the mpg the EPA slapped on all new cars has been bogus, and now the agency is adjusting numbers downward to account for the way real people drive – considering such things as air conditioning, sudden stops, a heavy foot on the gas and traveling at speeds above 50 mph.

The Toyoto Camry hybrid, for example, had been listed at 39 highway and 38 city. Under the new system it’s down to a more realistic 34 and 33 respectively. The Ford Escape hybrid is reduced from 37 combined to 32. A couple of non-hybrid examples: Honda Pilot 4WD and Volvo XC70 4WD were both at 19 combined. Now they’re at 17. You can check out other models at http://www.fueleconomy.gov. (click Find and Compare Cars) to see what kind of mileage you can expect from a hybrid or a regular car of your choice under the new, more realistic, system.

Looking to the future: hybrids, plug-ins and fuel cells
Despite auto companies’ resistance to changes imposed by government, most are planning to offer some new, more efficient models in the short run and experimenting with very different vehicles for the future. Last year, for the first time since 2002, cars outsold SUVs and pickup trucks, as consumers became more conscious of the high cost and environmental hazards of guzzling gas. Automakers prefer SUVs and trucks because they make a bigger profit on them. Nonetheless, they are facing up to change. Here are some recent announcements:

* General Motors will sell a hybrid GMC Yukon SUV later this year, with an estimated combined 20 mph. GM also plans to make hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe, Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu.
* Porsche it will have a hybrid in about 3 years.
* Chrysler, which has lagged, is introducing hybrid engines in its Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen, which currently get 13 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway. The hybrid versions should get 18.2 and 22.5, respectively, the company says.
* Honda plans to create a new hybrid-only model to have the same cache as Prius. The company dropped its Accord and Insight hybrids, for lack of consumer interest. It gets good sales on its Civic hybrid, though.
* Nissan, which is running behind other Japanese makers, plans to launch a line of low-emissions cars.

Plug-ins
Hybrid electric-gasoline cars with bigger batteries that are recharged at night are in the testing phase, slowed down by the difficulty of coming up with a reliable lithium-ion battery for greater range.

* General Motors’ Volt plug-in should be ready by 2010, but rollout depends on developing a better battery. GM says Volt has a range of 40 miles without using gas.
* Toyota is road-testing a modified Prius plug-in that gets 73 mpg, but with the battery it’s using it has only a 7-mile range in its pure electric mode.
* Ford is road-testing plug-ins based on Escape and hopes they’ll be ready to sell in 5-10 years.

Widespread use of plug-ins could cut U.S. GHG emissions the equivalent of removing one-third of vehicles from the road, according to new research from the Electric Power Research Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council. Their middle scenario shows a reduction of 3-4 million barrels of oil per day but an increase of 7-8% in electricity use. Plug-ins could be introduced by 2010, and have full penetration by 2050, according to the study. NRDC said improved battery technology and cleaner electric plants are needed. Carbon capture and sequestration are needed for the full environmental benefit.

Electric cars
*India’s Reva Electric Cars is ready to mass-produce its zero-emission 2-door hatchback. The hope is to sell 3,000 this year and 30,000 next. It’s been test-marketed in India and Europe.
* Zap Electric Vehicle Co. plans to sell mini-cars (a cross between a compact car and a golf cart) to universities, local governments and companies that deliver. This 3-wheeler has a range of 25 miles. They’re working on a Zap X, with a range of 350 miles.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cells, etc.
* Ford is close to introducing hydrogen technology. In 3-5 years it
could have a zero-emission car. Problems for hydrogen include infrastructure and storage.
* GM has 2 prototype hydrogen-powered Sequel SUV fuel-cell vehicles, which set a world record of 300 miles in New York. The company said it will announce by year’s end if this car is feasible. Meanwhile it will test a Chevy Equinox SUV with fuel cells on 100 consumers later this year.
* Honda has a fuel-cell model it will test on the streets of Japan and the U.S. next year. The range is 270 miles, but like other prototypes it’s extremely expensive -- $1.5 million.
* Smart Cars will introduce its tiny 2-door Smartfortwo in the U.S. next year. It gets 40 mpg, but has an unproved safety record on roads where it’s up against many SUVs.
* China unveiled prototype hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars at the Shanghai Auto Show in April.

Stay tuned for new developments. And meanwhile, if you rent a car, ask for a hybrid, or at least a highly fuel-efficient car, to drive up demand. Or try I-GO Car Sharing in Chicago at http://www.igocars.com or ZipCar at http://www.zipcar.com in 10 cities around the country. Both specialize in environmentally friendly rentals by the day or for extended times.
(Sources: Greenwire, PlanetArk.com, Associated Press, Chicago Sun-Times, Sierra magazine)


News briefs

1. Asia-Pacific draft asks for voluntary, not binding GHG goals
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries will be asked in September to support “aspirational goals” of reducing GHG intensity 25% by 2030, according to a draft obtained last week by the Sydney Morning Herald. “Intensity” is related to growth of the economy and may not mean real reductions. The 21 APEC countries, which include the U.S. and Russia, are expected to announce the agreement at the end of their meeting in Sydney Sept. 7-9. The goals are regional and there won’t be targets for individual countries, according to the draft. It sets up a network to share technology, promotes investment in renewable sources, and advocates preservation of forests as carbon sinks. Environmentalists said this won’t do. GHG goals must be real, firm and legally binding. (Sources: PlanetArk.com, E&E News PM)

2. Antarctic melting faster than predicted by UN climate panel
With both Antarctic and Greenland ice thawing faster than expected, sea levels could rise 3 feet or more by the end of the century, some climate experts say. Chris Rapley, outgoing head of the British Antarctic Survey, told Reuters, “The realistic view is nearer 1 meter (3 feet) than the 40 cm” (15.75 inches) predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In a worst-case scenario, seas could rise 2 meters (6 feet) by 2100, but that is extremely unlikely, he said. Rapley was at a climate seminar in Ny Alesund, Norway, on an Arctic island where glaciers are in fast retreat. (Source: Reuters)

3. Economic reward needed to keep tropical forests intact
Countries that have kept all or most of their tropical forests need to be able to sell carbon credits based on keeping those forests, a recent study says. While carbon-trading systems give credit for planting new trees, they do nothing for those who avoid cutting them down. Yet, deforestation contributes around 20% of the carbon emissions that cause Global Warming. As the international community debates carbon trading for a successor agreement when Kyoto expires in 2012, preserving forests must be rewarded, the study says. Countries with most of their tropical forests intact are Panama, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, Belize, Gabon, Guyana, Suriname, Bhutan, Zambia and French Guiana. (Source: Reuters)

4. PG&E to buy solar -- it's amazing, it's the mirrors
Pacific Gas & Electric will purchase 550 megawatts of solar energy from a plant under construction in the Mojave Desert. The energy will be created by mirrors that cover 9 square miles. They will focus sunlight on a fluid-filled pipe, heating it up to 750 degrees to produce steam. The plant is expected to be operational by 2011 or 2012. (Source: Greenwire)


Congressional round-up

Who got energy industry donations this year? Hillary, for one
In the first half of 2007, electric utilities, oil companies, automakers and mining interests contributed nearly $4 million to lawmakers on key House and Senate committees dealing with climate change, according to Federal Election Commission records. Members of the House Energy Committee got a total of $1.5 million, while those on the Senate Environment Committee totaled $1.4 million and Senate Energy Committee members got $896,415 total. Those who favored industry or did not have a strong position on Global Warming legislation got the most, while environmental advocates like Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) got the least: $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) only got $250. On the House Energy Committee, Rick Boucher (D-Va.), chair of the subcommittee on energy and air quality, led with $123,422. Boucher represents a coal-mining district. Next was Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) with $84,850. Third was Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) with $81,000, mostly from power companies. On the Senate committees on Environment and Energy, top money went to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), $647,297; followed by James (“Global Warming is a hoax”) Inhofe (R-Okla.), $233,800; Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), $185,859; Max Baucus (D-Mont.), $174,655; Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), $143,550; and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), $135,839; all of whom are up for re-election in 2008. (Source: Greenwire)


Xtreme weather watch

* Hurricane Dean was a Category 5 storm when it hit the Yucatan Tuesday. It was the most powerful Atlantic storm to hit land since 1988, with winds of more than 165 mph that tore off roofs, flooded streets and downed trees and power lines. The storm diminished in strength as it moved across Mexico. (NY Times)

* Firefighters gave up trying to quell fires in three national forests in Idaho last week, as the governor declared a state of emergency. Officials expect the fires to burn until snow hits the mountains, which could be awhile. In California, the third-largest wildfire in modern state history swept through Los Padres National Forest. “The fuel conditions are extreme,” a U.S. Fire Service official told Associated Press. (AP, NY Times)

* Flooding caused 5 Midwest governors to declare states of emergency last week, in Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. The National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wis., said August was already the wettest month in the city’s history, with 12.22 inches of rain. Rainfall shattered records in parts of Minnesota as well. In northern Ohio some downtown areas were under water, and in the Chicago area fierce storms knocked out power for 600,000 and 36,000 trees were reported down. (NY Times, Chicago Sun-Times)

* 180 miners were trapped in flooded coalmines in China’s Shandong province, after a river broke through a levy last weekend. According to Xinhua news agency, 584 miners escaped from one mine, but efforts to rescue 172 others were blocked by continued flooding. Several days later, officials said there was no hope of a rescue. In another mine nearby, 9 miners were trapped. China has had severe rains and flooding for weeks. (Reuters, NYTimes)


Do something

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Global Warming film, “The 11th Hour” opened this week in many cities around the country. To see where it’s playing, go to
http://www.11thhouraction.com. You can also invite friends or post comments. The earlier you see the film the better, as that will help get it into more theaters.

Tell your senators and rep to support the strongest Global Warming bills introduced in Washington, the Sanders-Boxer bill (S309) and Waxman bill (H1590). Send the message that you don’t want a watered-down compromise just because industry lobbyists are pushing for it. Learn more about the two bills, find out who the co-sponsors are, and take action on the Physicians for Social Responsibility Web site, http://www.psr.org. Click Take Action and go to the Global Pollution Reduction Act (S309) and the Safe Climate Act (HR1590) to send your message.

Go to a Save Mass Transit rally in Chicago, at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 28. Join Mayor Daley, other elected officials and environmentalists in protesting the Governor’s budget, which cuts CTA money, meaning service cuts and higher fares. We need more mass transit in this world, not less.

News extra

1. Bush sees new technology as solution to Global Warming
New technology, paid for by rapid economic growth, is the way to reduce greenhouse gases, the Bush administration said in advance of its summit next month with other major polluting countries. The administration opposes mandatory caps on emissions, saying they would stifle growth. In China following a trip to the Asia Pacific summit in Australia, Bush environment advisor James Connaughton said he sees a consensus growing around the U.S. view. Without a growing economy, you don’t have resources to pay for new technology, he said. It took the U.S. less than 30 years, Connaughton said, “to implement strong environmental policies. China can do it in less than 30 years.” We have strong environmental policies? Could have fooled me. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

2. Conservative talk shows, bloggers exploit minor NASA error
Talk show host Rush Limbaugh and the conservative blogosphere jumped all over a Canadian blogger's discovery that NASA made an error figuring average U.S. temperatures for the past 6 years. As a result of the catch, and some adjustments by NASA, the "dust bowl year" of 1934 has now displaced 1998 as the hottest in the U.S., by a hair, and 4 of the 10 hottest years are in the ‘30s, reducing the number in the past decade to 3. Some skeptics are pointing to this error as proof Global Warming isn't a problem. But even the blogger, skeptic Stephen McIntyre, calls it a “micro-change,” according to the Toronto Star, and “not necessarily material to climate policy.” The impact of the adjustment on global temperature records is insignificant, only one one-thousandth of a degree. Worldwide, 1998 and 2005 tie for the hottest year. Let's not forget this is a global problem, not just a U.S. one. (Sources: Washington Post, Toronto Star, Greenwire, Bloomberg, theregister.co.uk and wired science.)

3. Arctic sea ice hits record low with a month of melting to go
With another month of melt season still ahead, artic sea ice, as observed by satellite, showed record shrinkage last week. "Today is a historic day," Mark Serreze, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said Friday. He called the record melting “very strong evidence we are starting to see the effect of greenhouse warming.” Sea ice was especially low in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska and in East Siberia. Fast-melting summer sea ice in the Arctic could affect rain patterns and temperatures across the U.S, according to University of Colorado researcher Sheldon Drobot, as well as open the Northwest Passage by 2020 or 2025 to shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific. (Sources: AP, Greenwire)

4. Rainforest destruction rate in Amazon drops by a third
The rate of deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest dropped to an estimated 3,707 sq. mi. during the past 12 months, down from 5,417 sq. mi. the year before. The all-time high, in 2004, was 10,590 sq. mi. Brazilian Environment minister Marina Silva called the reduction “a great achievement for Brazilian society.” Officials attributed the drop to better policing of illegal logging, economic development projects that preserve forests, and improved land-ownership certification. But environmentalists are concerned that a rise in grain prices could spur a new surge in clearing trees for farmland. (Sources: PlanetArk.com, Greenwire)

5. NYC and 4 other cities get grants to ease traffic congestion
New York City has won a $354.5 million U.S. Dept. of Transportation grant to implement its congestion-pricing plan. Seattle, Miami, Minneapolis and San Francisco also got DOT grants to fight traffic congestion. NYC’s award is the largest and is contingent on winning state legislature approval. The money will be used to implement a plan to charge cars and trucks entering Manhattan south of 86th Street. A similar charge in London has cut traffic and CO2 emissions. The NYC grant also will fund new bus facilities, improved traffic signals and increased ferry service. The other cities have plans to create toll systems that will vary with the number of people in the car and the time of day they travel. (Sources: E&E News PM)

6. States back California plea for EPA waiver on auto emissions
The National Conference of State Legislators voted 40-8 to urge the EPA to “act immediately” to approve California’s request for a waiver to start cutting tailpipe emissions. California has been waiting a year and a half for an answer and 12 other states that adopted California’s standards are watching to see what happens. The EPA has said it will give an answer at the end of the year. The states also agreed that federal law should not pre-empt states’ GHG mitigation laws. Voting no on the waiver were: Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. (Source: E&E News PM)

7. 'An Inconvenient Truth' coming to Chicago’s Grant Park
The Illinois Science Council and Chicago Department of Environment will present a free screening of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” in Grant Park’s Butler Field (on Monroe between Columbus and Lake Shore) Wednesday evening, Aug. 22, at sundown. Electricity for the film will come from biodeisel fuel and solar power. A complimentary bike valet service will be provided. Co-sponsors include the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Chicago Climate Exchange, NBC5, WTMX 101.9FM and WLIV 100.3FM. No pets allowed. (Source: Illinois Science Council)

8. Automakers plan rallies against tough CAFE standards
The Big 3 auto companies reportedly were planning rallies in Chicago and St. Louis last week, saying workers’ jobs were at stake and local plants might close if tough fuel-economy standards were implemented. They planned to have their largest models there, with owners saying why SUVs are essential to their lives. Autoworkers, who are being told their jobs are threatened, have been circulating petitions to take to local congressional offices, supporting the weak Hill-Terry fuel-economy bill. Hill-Terry calls for separate schedules for cars and light trucks (SUVs), to reach a combined standard of 32 mpg by 2022. This bill, which was withdrawn in the House, is weaker than the Senate-passed standard of 35 mpg by 2020 that treats cars and SUVs the same. (Editor’s note: I haven’t seen any coverage of this rally in Chicago, have any of you?) (Source: Greenwire)

Xtreme weather watch

* Japan hit an all-time high temperature Thursday, 106 degrees Fahrenheit in central regions. A reported 33 people died from the heat, which also bent train rails. The previous record was set in 1933.
* Unprecedented torrential rains in North Korea have left up to 300,000 people homeless, hundreds dead and missing, and an agricultural disaster for a country that already has trouble feeding its people. Railroads and roads were swept away by landslides and power substations destroyed by the massive floods. More than 6,000 Red Cross volunteers helped with evacuation and relief, as the country sought aid from the international community.
* In flooded Bangladesh, more than 53,000 were suffering from diarrhea after eating bad food and drinking impure water. A health center in the capital reported 1,100 new patients last Tuesday, the highest single-day admission in history. Low-lying Bangladesh is expected to be one of the first countries inundated when oceans rise due to Global Warming.
* The heat wave across the southern U.S. caused power and health problems last week. The Tennessee Valley Authority announced record power use the past two weeks and had to shut down a reactor in Alabama because water for cooling from the Tennessee River averaged 90 degrees over a 24-hour period. Hospitals said after 5-6 days of high heat, they were seeing many cases of dehydration.
* In dozens of U.S. cities, temperatures hit 100 degrees or more during the past week, some of them for multiple days. In the triple digits were: Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Columbia (Mo.), Columbia (S.C.), Dallas-Ft. Worth, Greenville (S.C.), Houston, Jackson, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Raleigh, Shreveport, St. Louis, Tucson, Tulsa, Waco and Wichita. (And that’s only the cities listed on the NY Times weather page!) In Tulsa, the PGA championship golf tournament last weekend was the first-ever played completely in 100-degree weather.
(Xtreme weather sources: PlanetArk.com, Greenwire, NY Times)

Is nuclear ‘renaissance’ a solution to Global Warming?
Global Warming and pressure to meet Kyoto goals have spurred the world to seek carbon-free energy sources. Some say any solution must have nuclear in the mix. So after a 20-year hiatus in most countries following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, nuclear energy seems to be back on the table.

Worldwide, 30 plants are under construction, while 74 are planned and 182 proposed. In the U.S., where 20% of the energy now comes from nukes, the race is on to build the first reactor in decades. The Nuclear Energy Institute expects 17 new reactors to start construction here in the next 6 years.

Just days before an earthquake in Japan damaged the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the Japanese government had announced a public-private partnership to develop next-generation nuclear reactors that would produce 40% less radioactive waste.

Japan gets nearly a third of its power from nukes and needs to replace 20 aging reactors by 2030. Worldwide, there are 437 reactors that will soon need replacing.

On top of that, energy demand is expected to rise about 50% in the next 25 years. So the dilemma is three-fold.
• What to do about replacing aging nuclear plants?
• Should more nuclear be used to replace carbon-spewing coal plants?
• And how can we meet additional energy needs without increasing CO2 emissions?

Is nuclear energy worth the risk of accidents, terrorism and disposal problems because it is carbon-free?

Pro-nuclear
Some countries say it is. Those who support nuclear energy says it’s much cleaner than coal and that the new plants will be safer and more efficient.

Top on the list is France, which gets 78% of its power from nukes and has an accident-free record at its 59 plants. India – with new support from the U.S. government – plans to start a huge 10,000-megawatt plant next year. And Australia, with its large uranium reserves, will begin building reactors.

Vietnam expects to finish the first of 4 reactors in 2015. Indonesia, despite concerns about earthquakes (there was one last week), plans for the first of 4-6 plants to come online in 2016.

Europe now gets 32% of its energy from nuclear and in April the G7 threw its support behind nukes as one solution to Global Warming.

And in the wake of Iran’s quest for nuclear energy, about a dozen Middle East countries – including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – have asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to help them start nuclear programs. Some fear this could start a nuclear-arms race in the area.

Russia recently began construction on the first of at least 7 floating nuclear power plants. China, which gets only 2% of its energy from its 11 reactors, has 4 more under construction, 23 in the planning stage and 54 proposed. Finland is building plants, and the Dutch recently reversed a decision to phase out their plants.

In the U.S., where nuclear is controversial, the 2005 Energy Policy Act offered billions in tax incentives and loan guarantees to spur nuclear development. Vice President Cheney’s Energy Task Force called for 1,300-1,900 new power plants, many of them nuclear. Several states provide significant power from nukes, including Connecticut (45%) and Virginia (30%). The U.S. has 103 reactors and all will need replacing by mid-century.

Anti-nuclear
Arguments against nuclear energy include the threat of weapons proliferation and terrorist attacks, disposal of the radioactive waste, and cost – about $4 billion per plant. Safety violations and lack of evacuation plans at existing plants are a concern, as are comments from guards about their inability to defend a plant against attack. The Union of Concerned Scientists has recorded 51 cases at 41 plants where reactors had to be shut down for more than a year.

Waste storage is a critical issue. The Nevada permanent storage site at Yucca Mountain has been put on hold with Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as majority leader, and likely won’t be usable until at least 2017, if ever. Then there’s the concern about transporting all the waste.

Americans are still wary of nuclear energy. A recent poll by MIT showed 54% strongly oppose having a nuclear power plant within 25 miles of their home and a similar number think it is harmful to the environment. Only 28% believe radioactive waste can be safely stored indefinitely.

Anti-nuclear countries include Germany and Sweden, which have vowed to phase out their nuclear plants. (In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel, a physicist, disagrees with her government’s stance, calling the phase-out “disastrous” for German efforts to curb CO2.)

Belgium and Spain have decided not to build and South Korea has slowed its efforts. The state of California renewed its position against nukes this year, though a group of businesspeople there want to put the issue on the ballot.

How practical is it?
With the industry pretty much in mothballs for the 20 years since Chernobyl, a scarcity of uranium, parts and trained workers would hamper a ramp-up of nuclear power. It also takes a very long time to build one.

Some studies, including one from the Council on Foreign Relations, suggest it could take 50 years to make a dent in curtailing GHG emissions with nuclear power. The Oxford Research Group said the world would need to construct 3,000 reactors, or 1 a week for the next 60 years, to make a difference, and others have made similar estimates.

International monitoring
The Foreign Relations Council study said an international agreement is needed to ensure safe and secure practices and storage of nuclear waste.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, responsible for monitoring 900 nuclear sites in 145 countries, recently told Congress it doesn’t have enough money in its $130 million budget to adequately safeguard the world’s nuclear materials. Indiana Sens. Richard Lugar (R) and Evan Bayh (D) proposed giving IAEA another $10 million to upgrade its increasingly obsolete laboratory in Austria.

Bayh and Lugar’s bill (S. 1138) also calls for an international fuel bank that would be a reliable and secure source of nuclear fuel, and includes incentives for non-nuclear countries not to develop their own enrichment and reprocessing plants (which could be used for weapons). A similar strategy is in President Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership concept. Expect to hear a lot more about international monitoring and cooperation if nuclear energy is on the rise again, as it appears to be.

(Sources: PlanetArk.com, Greenwire, E&E Daily, Christian Science Monitor, International Herald Tribune, Los Angeles Times, E Magazine, U.S. Dept. of Energy)


News briefs

1. Natural disasters increasing rapidly all around the world
The number of natural disasters doubled between 2004-2006, from 200 a year up to 400, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Floods alone were up from 60 to 100 in that period, and so far this year 70 serious floods have been recorded. Flooding has affected 500 million people and is straining relief efforts. Above-average heatwaves have occurred on 4 continents, in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. The organization also found that global temperatures in January and April were the highest ever recorded, topping the average by 3.4 degrees F in January and 2.47 degrees in April. Other researchers studying Western Europe found the average length of a heat wave there has risen from 1.5 days to 3 days since 1880, and that the number of extremely hot days has tripled. (Source: PlanetArk, NY Times)

2. Don’t be lulled by lack of hurricane activity so far this year
It could just be the calm before the storms. With little tropical storm activity in the Atlantic so far this summer, the U.S. Climate Protection Center revised its forecast last week, predicting 9 hurricanes this season – down 1 from their prediction last May. This is still well above the average of 5.9. Forecasters said 3-5 of those storms are likely to become major hurricanes, with winds exceeding 110 mph. August-October is the peak season and the forecasters said those in hurricane-prone areas should keep up their guard. (Source: E&E PM)

3. New 10-year temperature forecast shows rise after 2009
Global temperatures will likely stabilize for the next two years, counteracted by natural causes, before temperatures rise sharply again at the end of the decade, British researchers said this week in the journal Science. Using computer models, the researchers, from the Met Office in Exeter, England, plotted out likely temperatures for the next 10 years. After 2010, each year has a 50% chance of exceeding the record hot year of 1998, they said, and after 2014 the odds of record-setting temperatures will be even greater. The two-year stall is expected as a result of cooling in the Southern Ocean and tropical Pacific Ocean over the past two years. A 10-year prediction should be more useful than the 50- or 100-year forecasts provided by most scientists and should help planners and emergency responders better prepare, the study authors said. (Sources: The Guardian, CNBC)

4. Illinois legislature OK’s RES and energy efficiency standards
At the end of July, in the midst of the flurry of activity in Washington, the Illinois General Assembly approved a Renewable Electricity Standard of 25% by 2025 and an Energy Efficiency Performance Standard calling for a 2% reduction in energy demand by 2015. The governor is expected to sign both bills. Still under consideration, as state leaders got bogged down in a budget fight, were the Illinois Clean Car Act (HB 3424), which would adopt California’s strict standards for tailpipe emissions, and the Energy Efficiency Building Act (SB 526). (Sources: Environmental Law and Policy Center, Illinois League of Conservation Voters)

5. Court halts drilling in Arctic waters to assess impact
As international interest in Arctic oil peaks, and Russia plants a flag at the North Pole, an Appeals Court has blocked Shell Oil Co. from drilling offshore from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, pending a review of whether it will endanger whales and other animals. The area is home to 10% of the remaining polar bears. A hearing is set for Aug. 14. “It would take just one spill on the icebound Beaufort Sea that borders the Refuge to create a perpetual toxic waste site that could never be cleaned up – because the oil industry has no proven method for cleaning up oil in icy water,” warned Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a letter to supporters. Shell says it has studied the impact on animals and developed a plan to respond to spills. (Sources: Bloomberg, NRDC)


Congressional round-up

*Climate bills face tough time in Conference, then likely veto
In late September and October, the climate bills recently passed by the Senate and House will have a tough go of it in the House-Senate Conference, with opponents and lobbyists continuing to hammer away on contentious points. The corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard of 35 mpg by 2020, passed by the Senate, never made it to a vote in the House because of objections from the auto industry, many Republicans and Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) The Renewable Electricity Standard, calling for utilities to produce 15% of their power from renewable sources by 2020, made it through the House but was blocked in the Senate, after fierce lobbying by the utility industry and southeastern states concerned that they don’t have access to enough renewable resources. The energy tax bill also passed in just one chamber, the House, and is fiercely opposed by the oil and gas industries and “oil patch” Democrats. Once the Conference agrees, the new bills will have to be accepted by both chambers. Finally, they will go to the president, who is likely to veto them because they don’t increase domestic oil and gas production. Nonetheless, advocates will be working hard to get strong but palatable bills through the Conference committee. (E&E Daily, Greenwire)

*Lieberman, Warner unveil plan to cut GHG 70% by 2050
Before the recess, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) previewed a “compromise” economy-wide plan to cut Global Warming they will introduce in the fall. It requires electric utilities, heavy manufacturers, petroleum refiners and importers to limit GHG to 2005 levels by 2012, then cut them 10% by 2020 and 70% by 2050. The Senators offer a cap-and-trade system that would initially give away more than half the credits to industries most impacted by the new requirements, with another 24% to be auctioned. Revenue from the auctions would go for alternative power sources, carbon capture, new transportation technologies and adaptation to climate change. Industry would be able to meet 15% of its obligations through offsets, and U.S. trading partners would have to buy credits for carbon-intensive exports. Environment Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called it “an excellent starting point.” (Greenwire)

*Dingell takes his energy tax views on the road during break
Powerful House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) has been talking to constituents about his plan to introduce a gasoline tax of up to 50 cents and a “stiff” tax on carbon in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. He spoke at two town meetings, in Ann Arbor and Dearborn, last week. He also advocated removing the mortgage deduction on “McMansions,” homes of over 3,000 sq. ft., and increasing funds for low-income energy assistance. Dingell will play a critical role in crafting a House bill to cut GHG emissions this fall. Ford CEO Alan Mulally said this week he favors Dingell’s idea of a gasoline tax over CAFE standards. (Source: Greenwire)


Xtreme weather watch

*10 million people in India, Nepal and Bangladesh have been left homeless and are increasingly desperate as they face food shortages and disease. More than 455 have died in the annual floods, which are the worst in living memory in some areas. (PlanetArk)
*About a half-million people in Sudan have been flood victims in the past month, according to the U.N. The earlier and heavier than usual rains caused cresting rivers and flash floods. Many in Sudan lose their homes to flooding each year, but this was the worst in memory. (PlanetArk)
*Nearly 1,000 Chinese were dead or missing in disasters last month. Like other parts of Asia, China experienced intense rain and floods, while some parts of the country suffered severe drought. In July alone, a reported 464,000 homes and other buildings were destroyed, 3.8 million people were evacuated, and 7.5 million faced water shortages. (PlanetArk)
*Northern Greece was hit by heavy rains last week, resulting in flooding and power outages in the middle of an unusually hot summer. Greece has seen two heat waves this summer, with temperatures up to 115F, and has had thousands of forest fires, some suspected arson by unscrupulous developers wanting to build on wooded land. (PlanetArk)
*The first half of 2007 in Texas has been the wettest on record, with rainfall of 27.11 inches for January-July, compared with an average of 16.21, according to the National Weather Service. Serious flooding resulted. The good news? It ended a 10-year drought. (Greenwire)
*South Africa’s first substantial snowstorm in more than 25 years dumped about 10 inches in some regions in June (which is winter there). Meanwhile, Chile, having its coldest winter in 30 years, had snow in its wine region for the first time in a half-century. (CNN, PlanetArk)


Do something

Feeling frustrated by the slow progress of our government in acting against Global Warming – the fact that bills passed this session could end up being vetoed by the President? You can express your impatience and concern by joining in a one-day fast Sept. 4, the day Congress returns to Washington. Check it out at http://www.climateemergency.org.

News brief extra

1. Victory for energy bills and renewable standard, but veto likely
The House of Representatives adopted an energy package 242-172 Saturday afternoon that included a renewable electricity standard. The (Udall-Platts) RES amendment had earlier passed by a 220-190 vote. Also approved was a separate energy tax bill, 221-189, that would take billions in oil and gas subsidies and steer them toward renewable energy. The White House said President Bush would veto the measures. The energy bill had been expected to pass. The RES provision, requiring investor-owned utilities to get 15% of their power from renewable sources by 2020, and the tax bill had been less certain. Some provisions in the energy bill would improve energy efficiency of appliances, lighting and buildings; increase biofuels development and delivery; make the federal government carbon neutral; boost development and demonstration of carbon sequestration programs; and help create a "smart" electrical grid. Those wanting to know how their representative voted can find out at http://clerk.house.gov. Click on Roll Call Votes (bottom of page) and then on 110th Congress (2007). The roll call votes you want to check are 827 (Udall), 832 (energy package) and 835 (tax bill). (Sources: Greenwire, New York Times, C-Span, Sierra Club, CQ.com)

2. Bush invites major polluting countries to climate conference
President Bush has invited presidents and prime ministers of the top 15 GHG-emitting countries (after the U.S.) to meet in Washington Sept. 28-29. Bush said he hopes they will reach consensus on steps to be taken after the Kyoto accord expires in 2012. Invited are (listed in order according to amount of GHG they emit) China, the European Union, Russia, India, Japan, Germany, Brazil, Canada, the U.K., Italy, Mexico, South Korea, France and Indonesia. Also included are Australia, South Africa, Portugal, the European Commission and the U.N. While Bush said he will speak, he’s leaving the details to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The conference comes right after the Sept. 24 General Assembly climate change debate at the U.N. and prior to the formal U.N. climate change meeting Dec. 3-14 in Bali. Avaaz.org, international sister organization of Moveon.com and a partner of LiveEarth, is saying Bush envoys are putting pressure on foreign governments to avoid a climate treaty with binding emissions targets. Avazz is mobilizing a campaign to try to counteract that. Those who want to contribute can do so at http://www.avaaz.org/act/?r=donate&lang=en.

3. Smog will accelerate Global Warming, study warns
Ozone smog damages vegetation and therefore hurts its ability to act as a “carbon sink,” according to a new study in the British journal Nature. Ozone hinders photosynthesis and so causes more carbon dioxide to remain in the atmosphere, which accelerates Global Warming, the study said. The researchers found highly ozone-sensitive plants had a 23% decreased capacity to absorb CO2, compared with low- sensitivity plants at 14%. Climate models have not taken ozone into account, the authors said, and it could add 0.5-1.25 degrees Celsius (0.9-2.25 F) to predictions of temperature change. In pre-industrial times ozone averaged 17 parts per billion. Today it is double that and expected to rise to 54 ppb by the end of the century. (Sources: E&E Daily, Nature, ELPC, PhysOrg.com)

4. New coal-fired plants likely to increase emissions 34%
At a time when we’re looking to cut greenhouse gas emissions, a new wave of coal-fired plants being planned and built across the country could increase them 34% by 2030, says an Environmental Integrity Project study released in July. A tally of the dirtiest plants in the U.S. shows Texas in the lead with 5; followed by Ind. and Pa. with 4 each; and Ala., Ga., N.C. and Ohio (3 each). Coal-fired plants usually release about a ton of CO2 for every megawatt-hour. Some plants in N.D. and Texas release more because they use low-grade lignite coal plentiful in those states. The best way to cap emissions in the short run is to reduce demand for electricity, the study said. Power plants account for about 40% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere here. (Source: E&E News PM)

5. Warming, coastal erosion threaten Alaskan oil wells
Warming temperatures and erosion along the coast of the National Petroleum Reserve could send oils wells into the sea, warns the U.S. Geological Survey. Erosion of parts of the coast has doubled in the past half century, as permafrost thaws and salt water intrudes into coastal fresh-water lakes. The Bureau of Land Management says 30 coastal oil wells in Alaska must be plugged before the erosion gets much worse. (Source: Greenwire)

6. Shell and TXU announce plans for largest wind farm yet
Royal Dutch Shell’s wind division and a subsidiary of TXU have agreed to cooperate on a 3,000-megawatt wind project in the Texas panhandle. They say it would be the largest in the world and would supply the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The project would capture wind in off-peak hours, compress and store it, and then use it to run natural gas turbines. This technology would make intermittent wind much more reliable, the two companies said. Total wind capacity in the U.S. is now less than 12,000 MW. Worldwide it is about 75,000, up 26% in the past year, according to the Worldwatch Institute. Germany, Spain and the U.S. generate about 60% of the wind power today, but rapid growth is expected in Canada, France, Portugal, Australia and Brazil. (Sources: Greenwire, PlanetArk.com)

7. Japanese try out hybrid train on short mountain run
The East Japan Railway Co. has begun service of its first commercial hybrid train to a mountain resort. The train has a diesel engine, which it uses going uphill, and lithium ion batteries to charge the electric motors under each car. The hybrid reduces emissions 60% but costs twice as much as a standard train. Amtrak and Deutsche Bahn AG are also investing in hybrid train technology. Meanwhile, Japan has admitted it’s not on track to meet its Kyoto goal of reducing GHG 6% (below 1990 levels) by 2012. (Source: Greenwire)

8. Parisiens take to the streets on 10,000 loaner bicycles
Residents and visitors to Paris seem to have taken to a new bike program blanketing the city. More than 600,000 users have signed up to pick up the “velibs” at 750 locations throughout the city, and take them where they want to go – be it work, pleasure or shopping. There are 10,000 of the gray-green bikes, a number that is expected to double by the end of the year, according to City Hall. The pickup points will increase as well, to more than 1,400. A few kinks need to be worked out – like the tendency to pick up bikes at high points in the city, such as Montmartre, and ride them downhill, then leave them and take the metro home. C’est la vie. (Source: PlanetArk.com)


Xtreme weather watch

• New Zealand reader Andrea Needham writes they’ve had 10 tornados this year in her area on the north island – “very, very unusual” – and massive flooding where it hasn’t flooded before.
• Montana has been engulfed by dozens of fires in a wildfire season that began earlier than usual. One, north of Helena, burned 37,000 acres. Another, 26 miles north of Whitefish, had burned 14,000 acres by Saturday. Montana was abnormally hot in July, with more than a week of 100-plus temperatures. (AP)
• Almost half of Bangladesh was submerged last week, driving snakes to share higher ground with fleeing residents. Flooding is an annual event in the low-lying nation, but this year is worse than usual, with rainfall totaling 29 inches in July, double the average. Also affected by torrential rains are Nepal and India, where Bihar state had the worst floods in 30 years. (New York Times, PlanetArk)
• South Africa has suffered both wildfires in the east, which drove thousands from their homes in Swaziland, and flooding in Capetown, where 38,000 were affected. (PlanetArk)
Got something to add? E-mail me at EarthlingAngst@aol.com.

It’s not just ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’*
I was in London last week, and the newspapers were full of the flooding in the countryside. England has had flooding before. Much of it is built in a flood plain. But this was the most intense rainfall in a 24-hour period, the wettest May-June-July since records began in 1766, and the most severe summer flooding since the early 19th century.

Those in the affected areas were suffering – 350,000 without water, 50,000 homes and businesses damaged, whole towns cut off, thousands without power, diary farms that couldn’t get water for their cows, and uninsured crops that were destroyed. Losses were estimated at $10 billion in American dollars. There was panic buying at grocery stores, the prospect of rising food prices, and public health worries like rats and E.coli. And the rain just kept coming.

It was caused, in large part, by a stalled jet stream too far south, which at the same time delivered a vicious heat wave with hundreds of deaths and fires in Eastern and Southern Europe. Surface temperatures in the North Atlantic are above normal, probably a result of exceptionally warm weather in Europe last winter and spring.

Extreme weather now common
All over the world this summer, there’ve been floods, monsoons and droughts. Floods in China, in Texas, in Kansas. Droughts in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. Monsoons in India and Bangladesh. Heat waves in Montana and much of the U.S. West. Drought in Australia. The list goes on. And much of it is unprecedented.

It’s not unusual to have occasional extreme weather events. They happen all the time. And they’re isolated, so much of the world doesn’t care. But we’re getting more and more, and that’s exactly what has been predicted by climate scientists. As the Earth heats up, more water vapor in the air means more severe rainfall in some places, and very little rain in others. England and the higher latitudes will get the rain, lower latitudes like Africa the droughts.

Lady Young, head of Britain’s Environment Agency, declared last week, “Climate change is coming home to roost.” New Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the country must act now to protect itself from the impact of Global Warming, which will make flooding a regular event.

The need to prepare
As with Katrina in New Orleans, England wasn’t ready for this disaster. Despite 25 reports since the last flooding chaos in 2000, the government was woefully unprepared. Recommendations that the Environment Agency take overall control of such problems never happened. Only a portion of the money allocated for defenses and infrastructure had been spent. And despite the advance warning this time, trucks carrying metal defenses to install along the riverbanks waited too long and got blocked by flash floods. Water supplies to those who needed it were totally inadequate.

The papers were full of what needs to be done to prepare for the next time, for surely there will be a next time (this was the second flood this summer). More must be spent on drainage, clearing out pipes and ditches, protecting electricity substations and water plants, setting aside areas for retention, and building homes higher up and more able to withstand water.

Ultimately, a major concern is London itself, untouched this time but vulnerable. London itself is built in a flood plain. In 1982 it built the extraordinary and costly Thames Barrier, which rises up to block surges from the North Sea, but that must be raised higher in the next 20 years, for South England is slowly sinking and the water at high tide is now 2 feet higher than it was a century ago.

Climate scientists forecast that by the end of the century, storms like those that swept England this summer will be far more frequent there and at other high latitudes. And much of the rain will fall in torrential downpours, bringing a month’s worth of rain in a single day.

Predictions for 2080
Forecasts for 2080 show winter rainfall in London up 30%, with the Thames rising an average of 20 inches. Parched ground, caused by hotter summers, will be less able to absorb the water, increasing the risk of flash flooding.

Flood walls alone won’t solve the problem – they only push it downstream. In Japan, structures are built on raised ground, with parklands, tennis courts and sports fields to hold floodwaters. In the Netherlands, homes are on stilts and some float on the water, with farmland bought up to set aside for flood retention. In the Florida Keys houses are on stilts. In the Mediterranean, stone, concrete and tile floors make for easier cleanup, or the ground floor is used for cars, with housing above.

This is not just England’s problem – it just happened to strike there last week. The series of unfortunate events this summer will likely continue and get worse throughout the world, as the climate warms and the seas rise. What are we going to do about it? Get caught unawares, like in New Orleans. Or plan ahead for disasters like flooding and drought?

Or get serious about stopping greenhouse gas emissions.

(Sources: The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, CNN, International Herald Tribune)
*Title borrowed from Lemony Snicket


Congressional round-up
Updated 9 p.m. CST Aug. 1.

*The House will consider a 786-page energy package (H.R. 3221) Friday and Saturday. It includes bills from 11 committees and covers many topics, including energy efficiency, R&D, public transportation, renewables infrastructure, a smart electricity grid and carbon sequestration. A separate energy tax bill gives incentives to renewables and alternative energy by cutting oil and gas subsidies.

*The Markey-Platts and Hill-Terry dueling corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) amendments were both withdrawn from consideration late Wednesday. Instead, advocates for a strong CAFE bill will work in Conference with the Senate-passed bill. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) had made changes to his amendment in the hope of winning more votes, exempting large pickup trucks, extending the date to 2019 from 2018 for a 35 mpg standard, and structuring the bill like the Senate-passed version. Markey-Platts was up against the auto-industry-backed Hill-Terry bill, supported by House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.)

*A Renewable Energy Standard amendment will now be the focus of environmental advocates on the Hill. In order to gain more support, chief sponsors Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) reduced the percentage of renewables to 15% from the original 20% and added new sponsors. This amendment is critical because the Senate did not pass a renewable standard bill. If Udall-Platts passes the House, it will go to Conference and have a chance to end up on the President's desk. Last chance to call your rep on behalf of Udall-Platts et al. Capitol switchboard is (202)225-3121.
(Sources: Greenwire, Sierra Club and others)


News briefs

1. Tibet heating up faster than any place on the planet
Tibet, with its high altitude and glaciers, is the most sensitive place on earth to Global Warming and is heating up at a rate of 0.3 degrees Celsius (0.54 F) every decade, according to the Xinhua news agency. Chinese scientists have long warned that melting glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau could dry up major Chinese rivers and cause droughts, desertification and sandstorms. The average temperature in China is rising at a much slower rate, 0.4 degrees C every 100 years, and the worldwide average is .074 C per century. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

2. Lake Superior’s high temps, lower levels puzzle scientists
One buoy reads 75 degrees for the surface temperature of Lake Superior, the deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes, which holds 20% of the world’s fresh surface water. The average temperature has risen 4.5 degrees F since 1979, compared with a 2.7-degree increase in the air. And water levels are the lowest in 80 years, down more than a foot in the past year. What’s going on? Well, precipitation is way down since the 1970s, and 6 inches below normal this year, and the winter ice cap has shrunk due to mild winters. The expectation was for the area to get more rain and snow. Instead, it’s gotten less, which is affecting fishing, shipping and vegetation. Scientists are busy trying to figure out what to expect next, so we can be more prepared. (Source: AP, AOL)

3. California plans biggest, best solar farm so far in U.S.
Cleantech America LLC has announced plans for an 80-megawatt solar farm near Fresco, Calif., that will be able to power 21,000 homes. Likely to cover 240 acres, the plant will be 17 times the size of the largest existing one in the U.S., which is near Tucson, the company said. According to CEO Bill Barnes, Community Choice Solar Farm will be big enough to drive down the price of solar, and will help change the industry. While the company still needs to buy the land and contract for solar panels, it is confident the project will be finished by 2011. Cleantech is partnering with the California Construction Authority, which will help ease the way. (Source: PlanetArk)

4. Germany and Spain claim world’s largest solar plant
Solar Millenium Group in Germany and ACS of Spain have begun the second phase of what they say will be the world’s largest solar plant, near Madrid. Covering 480 acres, the plant will go online in 2009 and will serve 200,000 people, the two companies announced. Each phase will produce 650 megawatts. Solar Millenium said it plans a third plant in partnership with Portuguese Energy Group. Spain is the largest producer of renewable energy, according to Greenwire. (Source: Greenwire)


Do something

Tell the auto companies to get serious about better fuel efficiency and not to rely on corn ethanol. Send a message at http://www.coopamerica.org/takeaction/fordandgm/index.cfm.

News brief extra

1. Warming could trigger hurricanes in the Mediterranean
Historically, hurricanes have formed the North Atlantic or North Pacific (where they’re called typhoons) and followed pretty much the same paths. But now, as the climate warms, some storms are starting up in new places and that could be a threat to the Mediterranean, a group of European scientists is saying. In 2005, Hurricane Vince formed near the Madiera Islands and was the first ever to make landfall in Spain. A year earlier, Catarina had formed in the South Pacific and hit Southern Brazil, which was unusual. An increase of 5.4 degrees F could threaten the Mediterranean in this century, according to scientists in Spain and Germany. Combined with rising sea levels, hurricanes could put highly populated coastal areas at serious risk, the scientists, from the University of Castilla-LaMancha and Max Planck Institute, said in a paper published recently in the American Geophysical Union Journal. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

2. Northeast faces extreme temperature change, few lobsters
Under a business-as-usual scenario, the Northeast U.S. could have average temperatures 8-12 degrees F higher in winter and 6-14 higher in summer by the end of the century, according to a study released last week by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Boston, New York and Atlantic City would see severe flooding. Coastlines would erode and the fishing industry would be decimated. Already the once-profitable lobster catch off Long Island has taken a serious hit and could be all but finished by century’s end. UCS points to some efforts, such as the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, as holding some promise for avoiding the most serious repercussions, if strong action is taken soon. To read the report, go to http.www.climatechoices.org/ne/. Click under Highlights, on New Report on Climate Impacts. There also are individual states reports to download. (Source: Greenwire)

3. Small melting glaciers will add most to sea-level rise this century
The hundreds of thousands of small glaciers all over the world will likely account for 60% of sea-level rise this century as they melt from Global Warming. These smaller melting glaciers will likely add 4-10 inches to sea level, researchers said in the journal Science Express last week. Combined with continuing melt from the ice sheets of Greenland (projected to contribute 28%) and Antarctica (12%), plus the expansion of warming water, they could raise seas about a foot and pose a serious danger to the 100 million people who live less than 3.3 feet above sea level. Glaciers of Alaska, Russian, Canada and Scandinavia are of most concern, because of the way they move, the study said. They are thinner and slide more rapidly into the sea. Greenland and Antarctica, of course, are viewed as the biggest long-range threat to rising seas because of their tremendous volume. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

4. Sweet. Dow Chemical to use sugar ethanol to make plastic
The Dow Chemical Co. announced Thursday it has reached agreement with Brazilian biofuels company Crystalsev to turn sugarcane ethanol into polyethylene, the most widely used plastic in the world. A plant will be built in Brazil – not near the rainforest – with a capacity to produce about 350,000 metric tons a year. Dow sees it as cost- effective as well as a curb on greenhouse gases, since plastic is commonly natural gas- or petroleum-based. The plant is expected to be up and running by 2011. (Source: Greenwire)

5. Renewables bill gathers steam in House as sponsors sign on
With support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, advocates for a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in the House are optimistic about passing a bill before the Aug. 2 break. The bill (H.R. 969), which would be offered as an amendment by Reps. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.), would require utilities to get 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Opponents include representatives from coal states and Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.), who wanted to put off “controversial” legislation till fall. But with 135 co-sponsors last week, according to Udall’s office, advocates were hoping to pass the bill in the House to get it into Conference. An RES bill was blocked in the Senate and never came to a vote. Environmental groups urge those concerned about Global Warming to call their representative in support of Udall-Platts, to try to swing more votes. The Congressional Switchboard number is (202)225-3121. (Source: E&E Daily)

6. Fuel economy gets muddied in House, with several bills
Over the objections of auto-industry ally John Dingell (D-Mich), Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) developed an amendment to mandate a corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) of 35 mpg by 2018, slightly stronger than the Senate-passed bill. In response, the auto industry threw its support behind a bill by Reps. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.), which set separate standards for cars and light trucks, with a slow ramp-up and an overall average of 32 mpg by 2022. Hill-Terry (H.R. 2927) contains many escape hatches and pre-empts any stronger tailpipe laws states have passed or might want to pass. Auto dealers were out in force on Capitol Hill last week lobbying for that bill and signing up co-sponsors. Then, at week’s end, a third bill, from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and others, was thrown into the mix, calling for 35 mpg for cars and 27.5 for light trucks by 2022. Environmental groups strongly support Markey-Platts (H.R. 1506) and dislike the other bills, which they say are a step backward. They’re asking supporters to call their reps. (Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists)

7. NYC ‘congestion pricing’ plan revived after missing deadline
N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to charge fees for cars driving into the most heavily traveled part of Manhattan was left on the drawing board last week, when the state legislature failed to approve it before adjourning. But three days later a deal was stuck with state leaders to keep the proposal alive. It allows New York City to stay in the running for a pilot program that could bring $500 million in federal transit funds to the city. In the deal, a state commission will review the proposal and has committed to curbing traffic and pollution – if not by congestion pricing than by some other means. In Bloomberg’s plan, the fees collected – $8 for cars and $12 for trucks – would pay for other transportation projects to cut traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions as NYC grows in population. According to the Associated Press, the commission will be weighted toward those who approve the congestion pricing plan. (Source: E&E New PM, AP)

8. Computers must clean up act to save wasted energy
The EPA last week unveiled new Energy Star requirements for computer makers that could cut energy use by 60%. Personal computers use about 2% of the nation’s energy and are notoriously inefficient, wasting nearly half their power. The stricter regulations, which will apply to laptops, desktops, work stations and small servers, require power supplies to be 80% efficient and new computers to go to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity. The announcement follows a deal Google and Intel announced in June with 25 universities, companies and environmental groups to set new computer efficiency goals. Their “Climate Savers Computing Initiative” requires 90% efficiency for power supplies. Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft and the EPA all signed onto the Initiative, which Google says could cut 54 million tons of greenhouse gases and save $5.5 billion in energy costs. (Source: Greenwire)

Arctic melt sparks territorial disputes over oil, gas
So you think the Bush Administration, Russia and Canada aren’t focused enough on Global Warming? Think again. They’re definitely interested in the fast-melting Arctic – and salivating at the thought that 25% of the world’s oil and gas reserves may be there under the ice. The region also is rich in minerals like gold, diamonds and maybe uranium.

The three countries are scrambling to advance their interests as retreating ice – melting at twice the rate predicted – promises to change the geopolitical equation as it open up the area to oil and gas exploration and to shipping. As one U.S. Navy officer said, “This is the greatest unexplored bastion on the Earth.” The Arctic is losing more than 7% of its summer ice each decade, and the temperature there has risen 5 degrees in the past 30 years.

In recent weeks, all three countries have asserted their authority over parts of the area:
• In late June, Russian geologists returned from 45 days of Arctic exploration and proclaimed their right to an underwater ridge the size of France, Germany and Italy combined.
• Last week, the Canadian Prime Minister said Canada is converting 6 to 8 military ships to icebreakers to patrol and protect sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, which at this rate may be open to shipping year-round by 2050.
• Also last week, U.S. scientists, the Navy and Coast Guard held a 3-day meeting to map American strategy for the Arctic.

Who owns what
The U.N. Law of the Sea Convention gives the 5 Arctic countries surrounding the North Pole – Canada, the U.S., Russia, Norway and Denmark (through its territory, Greenland) an economic zone of 200 nautical miles off their coastline. This can be extended if a country proves the structure of the continental shelf has similar geology to their territory, which is Russia’s claim for the massive Lomonosov Ridge, which it estimates holds more than 1,000 metric tons of oil and gas. The Law of the Sea treaty also governs environmental regulations in common waters.

Under the convention, no one owns the North Pole itself.

Disputes over sovereignty
There have been, and continue to be, disagreements among countries over who is entitled to what, and that is heating up as the value become more apparent. The United States is at a slight disadvantage because it never ratified the Law of the Sea Convention, due to opposition from a handful of GOP lawmakers.

For the neophyte this all can be a bit confusing, because the disputes involve three seas, all starting with “B” – Barents, Bering and Beaufort.

• All the countries have disagreed with Canada over its claim to the Northwest Passage, parts of which border on the other 4. The passage will become increasingly important as the ice melts, for it can cut about 3,000 miles off a trip from England to Japan.
• Norway and Russia have had disputes about rights in the Barents Sea, which separates them, though they are now working on a natural gas project there together.
• The U.S. and Canada disagree about resources in the Beaufort Sea.
• Canada and Denmark both claim tiny Hans Island off Greenland, and each lands there periodically to plant its national flag.
• Denmark has tried to claim the North Pole as an extension of Greenland, and Stalin once proclaimed it was part of the Soviet Union, but the U.N. says it is international.
• Russia and the U.S. worked out an agreement dividing the Bering Sea, between Siberia and Alaska, but the Russian Parliament refused to ratify it, believing they were losing territory.

Renewed interest
But most of these disputes have been fairly dormant. Only recently have the countries surrounding the North Pole realized its enormous value in a warming world. In 2001, Russia submitted a claim to the U.N. for the Lomonosov Ridge that was rejected. Now, however, Russian scientists may have the data to back up their claim, though some say Canada could make a similar argument. Russia also is newly re-asserting its right to the Northwest Passage, because parts are within its coastal borders.

In response, Canada announced last week it will patrol the Passage to prevent trespass in its Northern Territories. And the U.S. Navy said it will increase its presence there.

Conditions remain harsh for drilling – with darkness and extreme winter storms that prevent the use of floating platforms – but as oil and gas become harder to find elsewhere, the intensity of the rivalry for this territory has the potential to become explosive.

The U.N. sees itself as the arbiter among disputing parties in the Arctic, but some say there needs to be a solid, long-term agreement among the countries, as there is with the North Sea. And environmentalists are rightfully concerned about the ecological damage that can be done. Already, fisheries are moving north because of the warming. A crush of commerce and drilling could further damage the area if someone isn’t setting the rules and monitoring them.

"If there is to be an international regime in the Arctic, it's time to think about that," Mead Treadwell, head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, said last week.
(Sources: E&E News PM, Greenwire, BBC, Guardian UK)


Congressional round-up

*Majority Leader wants fuel-economy in final energy bill
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) pledged last week that corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) would be in any energy bill that goes to the president. While the Senate passed a bill requiring 35 mpg by 2020, House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) has said he wants to delay CAFE in the House until fall. But Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is poised to introduce a floor amendment similar to the Senate bill, calling for 35 mpg by 2018. Dingell, an auto company ally, said he prefers the weaker Hill-Terry bill that would increase mpg more slowly and pre-empt state tailpipe emissions laws. Hoyer suggested he might wait and iron all this out in conference. A Union of Concerned Scientists analysis said the Markey bill would save consumers $61 billion, boost jobs by 241,000 and cut oil use by 1.6 million barrels a day by 2020. (Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM)

* Bingaman, Specter offer cap-and-trade bill in Senate
Senate Energy Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) announced a bill last week they said would satisfy both environmentalists and economic interests. S.B. 1766 would launch a cap-and-trade system in 2012 modeled on the EPA one that curtailed acid rain. It would cut greenhouse gases from power plants and other energy-intensive industry to 2006 levels by 2020 and to 1990 levels by 2030. Co-sponsors are Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), and the two Republic senators from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens. The latter said they signed on because the bill would help Alaska adapt to climate change already taking place. Several large utilities and labor organizations back the plan. Some environmental groups objected to a “safety valve” to hold down the price of carbon credits, as did House Environment Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), to whose committee the bill was referred. Already working cap-and-trade for that committee are Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.). Bingaman, who’s been working 3 years on his bill, said he hoped his provisions would be included in the Lieberman-Warner package. (Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM)

* Dingell to float steep carbon tax, expecting it won’t fly
House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) said on CSPAN he will propose a big tax on gasoline and burning of other fossil fuels to show the public doesn’t want to pay the price to reduce Global Warming. "I sincerely doubt that the American people are willing to pay what this is really going to cost them," he said. Most Democrats think the idea of a carbon tax is politically untenable, though economists say it would be the simplest way to curb GHG emissions. In 1993, President Clinton tried a BTU tax on energy, which passed the House but failed in the Senate. Many think it contributed to the change in leadership the next year in the House. Dingell has also proposed a cap-and-trade system, which many in both parties favor. (Sources: New York Times, Greenwire)

* Electric utility trade group contributes to Dingell coffers
The Edison Electric Institute held a fund-raiser last week for Rep. Dingell, 81, who is the longest serving congressman and is expected to run for re-election in 2008. Since 1989, he has raised close to $1 million from electric utility PACs and individuals, according to E&E News PM. As chairman of the powerful House Energy Committee, he is a key player in any Global Warming legislation. (Source:
E&E News PM)


Do something

Time is running out for the House to pass strong Global Warming legislation before the August break. Support the Markey-Platts fuel economy bill (HB 1506) and the Udall-Platts renewable energy bill (HB 969) by going to http://www.ucsaction.org and clicking on “Take Action Now.” Or, better yet, call your representative through the Congressional Switchboard at (202)224-3121. Markey-Platts is similar to the CAFE bill passed by the Senate and Udall-Platts calls for power plants to produce 20 of their fuel from renewables by 2020. The Union of Concerned Scientists and Sierra Club both support these bills. Udall is a Democrat from N.M., Platts a Republican from Pa.

Take the pledge. If you haven’t done so already, join the millions all over the world who have signed the LiveEarth pledge. Go to http:algore.com/pledge.

If you live in the Chicago area or plan to visit, make sure to see the Cool Globes outdoor art exhibit along the lakefront from Navy Pier to the Field Museum. Each is by a different artist and suggests a way you can help fight Global Warming. To pay a virtual visit, go to http://www.coolglobes.com/globes_gallery2.htm. It’s something other cities may want to do. For more info, see http://www.coolglobes.com.


News briefs

1. Efficiency alone could cap U.S. GHG at current levels by 2020
If the United States were to become as energy efficient as Western Europe and Japan, efficiency alone could put GHG emissions at 2006 levels in 2020, says a new study by the McKinsey Global Institute. Americans emit twice as much CO2 as residents of Western Europe and Japan, with most of the waste in homes and transportation, the study says. Driving in the U.S. requires 37% more fuel than in Europe because of bigger autos and less efficient engines. Also, homes are bigger, with less insulation, inefficient lighting, and larger, less efficient appliances. Using existing technologies, the U.S. could cut residential energy use 30% by 2020, the study says. Industry could do more, as well, with heat recovery and motor-driven pumps and compressors. The study advocates policy changes and increased public awareness. (Source: Greenwire)

2. N.J. and Florida, take strong stand against Global Warming
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) last week signed the strictest greenhouse gas bill in the nation, requiring a cut of 16% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. The law also called for better public transit and more shipping of goods by train. The largest utility, Public Service Enterprise Group, supported the law, but some warned it could be hard to enforce because N.J. has few renewable energy sources. In Florida, the state’s new governor, Charlie Crist (R) issued an executive order reducing CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2025 and then cutting them 80% by 2050. He also mandated adoption of California’s auto standards. Starting with the 2009 models, cars would have to cut emissions 25% and SUVs 18%. In addition, Crist ordered that utilities must cut GHG 20% (from 1990 levels) by 2050 and produce 20% of their energy from renewables. The Florida governor apparently can take these steps without legislation because they strengthen previous regulations. (Sources: Greenwire, PlanetArk.com)

3. Britons flying less, taking the train more on local trips
Train travel from Manchester to London was up 18% so far this year, while domestic air travel at the Manchester Airport fell almost 9%. Fear of terrorism and tight security that slows down boarding are two reasons for the shift, authorities say. A failed airline plot in April made Britons jittery. And now there’s been a second attempt at Glasgow Airport. Also, people are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of air travel, which emits somewhere between 4 and 10 times the CO2 of trains. And if that concern wasn’t enough, now they feel it in their pocketbook. New Prime Minister Gordon Brown, then finance minister, doubled the airline tax in February to cut GHG emissions. As more take the train, they’re seeing improvements. Trains are sleeker and faster and some provide WiFi. A potential north-south high-speed link could persuade even more to take the train, as is the case in other European countries. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

News brief extra


1. Temperatures soar into triple digits; fires break out in West
Phoenix was 115; Baker, Calif., topped 125; and Las Vegas hit 116 on
Thursday, overheating transformers and causing utility pole fires. Parts of Northeast Oregon reached 107 degrees, and Boise, Idaho, hit 105 Friday. Billings and Great Falls, Mont., at 104, were among several Montana cities reaching record highs. As a heat wave stalled over the West, authorities warned people to avoid outdoor activity except in early morning hours. And meteorologist Brandon Smith told the Associated Press at week’s end, “For as far out as we can see, there’s no relief.” By Saturday wildfires burned in Utah, California, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. Longer and more severe heat waves, as well as more wildfires, are forecast as Global Warming continues. (Source: AP, AOL News)

2. Automakers will back weakened fuel-economy bill in House
The Alliance of Auto Manufacturers said last week it would drum up support for a corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) bill setting a standard of 32 mpg by 2022. The bill, unveiled by Reps. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.), would have separate standards for cars and light trucks, but the overall fleet sold in the United States would have to achieve at least 32 mpg. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she still favors the Senate version, requiring 35 mpg by 2020, and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has prepared a bill similar to that passed by the Senate. It is unclear whether CAFE will come to a vote before the August recess or wait until fall. House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) wants to leave “controversial” matters such as CAFE for fall. (Source: E&E News PM)

3. Mt. Everest base camp changed by Global Warming
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first to climb to Mt. Everest’s summit a half-century ago, would not recognize the site today, their sons, Peter Hillary and Jamling Norgay, said recently. Base camp, which was at an elevation of 5,320 meters then, is sinking each year because of melting ice and is now just 5,280 meters high, they said. The glacier where they made camp in 1953 has retreated 3 miles in the past 2 decades. All glaciers in the Himalayas are endangered, scientists say, and as they melt they form lakes that are at risk of breaking through their banks and flooding the areas below. Peter Hillary said he has seen glacial lakes burst their banks. “It’s like an atomic bomb has gone off. There is rubble everywhere. The floods of the past are nothing compared to the size we’re threatened with,” he said. (Sources: PlanetArk.com, Agence France-Presse)

4. Peat bogs, heavy in carbon, could be next ‘black gold’
Peat bogs, those dense swamps full of rotted trees, roots and leaves, are emitting 8% of worldwide CO2 as they are drained or burned to make way for agriculture and timber. And Indonesia, with 60% of the world’s threatened tropical peat bogs, stands to make an estimated $39 billion from selling credits if peat is added to the carbon-trading scheme under discussion for the post-Kyoto era. With 50 million acres of the stuff, Indonesia would be the prime beneficiary, as other countries and companies having trouble reducing GHG seek to buy credits from those who have reduced or prevented emissions. Like deforestation, peat and was excluded from the first Kyoto accord, but could be included in carbon trading as early as next year, according to Wetlands International. Worldwide, peat stores more carbon than all other vegetation combined. Thailand and Malaysia also have peat. (Sources: Reuters, Greenwire)

5. Heavy industry could be 25% more efficient, IEA says
Heavy industry, which uses nearly half the world’s energy and emits 36% of the CO2, could be much more efficient, the International Energy Agency said in a new study. Improvements such as upgrading engines, recycling materials, and combining heat and power could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as a third, it said. Manufacture of chemicals, petrochemicals, cement, paper, iron and steel, and other metals and minerals account for most of the emissions. Manufacturers need to do more, IEA said. Some of the developing countries have the most efficient plants – such as aluminum smelting in Africa and cement manufacturing in Brazil, the study said. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

6. Swiss will tax carbon in effort to meet its Kyoto goals
After failing to meet its 2006 Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Switzerland will levy a tax on imported fossil fuels beginning Jan. 1, 2008, as an “incentive” to conserve energy. The country cut its emissions 4.5% by 2006 instead of the goal of 6% (from 1990 levels). If it fails to reach its targets in the future, the carbon tax will increase in 2009 and 2010. Businesses can get an exemption if they agree to cut their own emissions, a step more than 600 companies have taken. Switzerland has good reason to worry about Global Warming. Its temperatures have increased twice as fast as the world average since the 1970s. Scientists say this may be because of its high latitude and distance from major oceans. Northern Sweden and Russia have experienced a similar phenomenon. (Source: E&E News PM, Greenwire)

7. Transportation Department lobbies against California waiver
The Department of Transportation interfered in the EPA’s decision on whether California can to regulate tailpipe GHG emissions. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), calling it “inappropriate, if not illegal,” released 71 memos and e-mails showing DOT contacted lawmakers from states with auto plants urging them to file comments of opposition with the EPA. The documents show DOT employees, working from a script, told governors and Congressmen that letting California set its own restrictions would lead to a “patchwork of regulations” damaging to the auto industry. One week after the calls, 7 Michigan reps submitted comments objecting to the waiver. California has sought EPA’s OK for two years, so it could start enforcing a law cutting GHG 25% from cars and 18% from SUVs. Another 11 states have followed its lead and are watching to see if EPA gives California the waiver. (Source: AP)

8. Tree-planting plan born in Kenya tops 1 billion in pledges
The U.N. has pledges surpassing its goal in the Billion Tree Campaign, started by a Nobel Peace Prize winner in Kenya. And 32.9 million of those trees have already been planted, according to the campaign’s Web site, www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign, which shows a running total. The campaign is the idea of Wangari Mathaai, who launched it last November, saying there’s too much talk and not enough action. “Tell the world to go dig holes and plant seedlings,” she said. Pledges have come from countries, companies and individuals. Ethiopia said it would plant 60 million trees in celebration of its millennium. Forest cover in the Horn of Africa was 4% in 2000, down from 35% in the early 20th century. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

Cool Cities is another way you can get involved
Do you live in a Cool City? I don’t mean are the nightspots fun. I mean has your city (or village) signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement? More than 500 have and you can find out if yours is among them by going to www.coolcities.us.

By signing on, these cities commit to having their local government meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol goal of 7% cut in greenhouse gases by 2012 (as compared with 1990 levels); to urge the state and feds to meet or beat Kyoto; and to press Congress to pass GHG reduction legislation and establish a national emissions trading system. The program was started by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in 2005, when Kyoto took effect without U.S. participation. Frustrated by federal inaction, many local leaders decided to act on their own.

The crux of Cool Cities is what the city governments can do locally. They focus on:
• Cleaner vehicles
• Energy efficiency
• Renewable energy.

Cleaner vehicles solutions
1. Green fleets – hybrids and other fuel-efficient autos.
2. Hybrid incentives – free parking, lower registration fees and taxes
3. Clean buses – buses that run on compressed natural Gas (CNG) that emits 25% less GHG or that have hybrid electric/diesel engines.

Best practices include:
* Houston – Converted a substantial portion of its city fleet to hybrids. An estimated 80% of new purchases could be hybrid by 2010.
* Charlotte, N.C. – Bought 2 dozen hybrids by the end of 2006
* Washington, D.C. – Over 4 years the Washington Metro Transit Authority replaced 414 diesel buses with CHG.

Energy efficiency solutions:
1. Making new buildings energy efficient – by changing municipal codes and/or adopting Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
2. Retrofitting old buildings – modernizing lighting, heating and cooling in public buildings like schools, police and fire stations, and city offices.
3. Street lighting and traffic signals – changing to super-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
4. Combined heat and electric power (CHP) in a single power plant to recover heat that is normally wasted and funnel it to nearby buildings.

Best practices include:
*Salt Lake City – Plans to convert all 1,630 traffic signals to LED. Replaced conventional bulbs with condensed fluorescent lights (CFLs) in city and county office buildings.
*Scottsdale, Ariz. – Requires all new city buildings to meet the LEED Gold Standard.
*Twin Falls, Idaho – Honeywell fronted the money to improving heating, air conditioning and lighting in schools.
*St. Paul, Minn. – Uses combined heating and power in winter in more than 80% of the downtown and adjacent areas, including the State Capitol. The plant is powered by biomass.

Renewable energy solutions
1. Renewable Energy Standards – require a certain percent of renewable power by a certain date.
2. Solar or wind – fund and/or construct wind turbines or put solar panels on public and private buildings, often in partnership.

Best practices include:
*Ft. Collins, Colo. – Plans to have 15% renewables by 2017 and reduce per capita energy consumption 10% by 2012. Expects to reduce total emissions by 472,000 metric tons. 2% rate increase.
*Columbia, Mo. – By wide margin, voters approved 15% by 2022.
*Waverly, Iowa – First municipal utility to install its own wind turbines on land leased from farmers. Goal is 10% wind.

For more details, you can go to www.coolcities.us and download the Cool Cities Guide pdf.


Do something

OK, here’s how you can make a difference. Many cities and villages have not yet signed on. The Sierra Club runs workshops for concerned citizens, one of which was June 9 in Chicago. People came from cities in Illinois and Wisconsin to learn how to organize to make their cities cool. Here’s what they were told:
1. Get a few like-minded people together and decide you are committed to doing this.
2. Forge a coalition of progressive groups, religious institutions, businesses, sympathetic government people and local organizations. Your city council/village board is much more likely to pay attention if you represent a broad spectrum. (You may need to make presentations about Global Warming to persuade some of these groups to join you.)
3. Research what has being done already.
4. Understand your city government.
5. Complete your game plan.
6. Go to the mayor and city council (or president and village board) and ask them to sign on. Make it easy for them by taking the appropriate form. (Again, you may need to make a presentation to educate them.)
7. After they sign, make it public, probably at a news conference with the mayor or villager president.
8. Hold their feet to the fire.
9. Move the mayor or president from talk to action.
10. Help move the campaign forward.

The Sierra Club, which oversees Cool Cities, can be very helpful in providing organizing materials and giving advice. E-mail or call colleen.sarna@sierraclub.org in Chicago (312-236-0059), Brendan.bell@sierraclub.org in Washington, D.C. (202-547-1141), jill.miller@sierraclub.org in St. Louis (314-645-2032) or Glen.brand@sierraclub.org in Portland, Maine (207-761-5616). They can also point you to other resources.

Even if your mayor has already signed the agreement, many of them are moving slowly and need to be pushed. Find out what stage they are at and how you can get involved to make things happen.

Chicago, for example, though one of the first to sign on, is still at the research and planning stage. It has a grant from the Clinton Foundation to assess where greenhouse gases are coming from and what actions would be most effective. The city expects to show a draft plan to environmental groups like Sierra Club this summer to get feedback and then announce a plan in November. Some steps Chicago has already been taken: It bought 20 hybrid buses and more than 50 Ford Escape hybrids and 30 Priuses for the municipal fleet, put more than 20 solar installations on top of museums, schools and other buildings, and passed an energy-efficiency standard derived from LEED, so new construction and renovation needs LEED certification. The city has been praised for its green roofs, but long criticized for it blue-bag recycling program, which is now changing, but slowly. It was recently reported that city government uses 22% more electricity than it did in 1998-2001. The city says climate control systems are being installed. An earlier plan to buy wind energy fell through, as did a plan to buy wind credits this month. So there is still much to do.

Though it's hard, working at the local level can often be most effective. So get involved.
Good luck!


Congressional round-up

*In what may be a pivotal moment for a U.S. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) pledged this week to draft a bill this fall to establish an economy-wide cap-and-trade system to reduce GHG, with limited negative effect on the economy. While they gave no target, an aide said they would meet the goal endorsed by the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which is 60-80% by mid-century. The announcement was applauded by Senate Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who said her committee would take up the bill before the end of the year. Two environmental groups also praised the action. “This is huge,” said a spokesman for Environmental Defense. And the Natural Resources Defense Council called it a “great development.”

* In the House, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), chair of the Energy Committee, said his panel would work on economy-wide curbs on GHG of 60-80% in the fall and would look at both cap-and-trade and carbon taxes, as well as the role of coal and nuclear energy, auto fuel efficiency, expansion of alternative fuels, carbon sequestration and coal-to-liquid. Meanwhile, the committee is marking up a bill for debate after July 4, which will cover less controversial issues – the “low-hanging fruit.” Dingell has been criticized by his fellow Democrats for his failure to bring up corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) legislation this summer, especially after it was passed in the Senate. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said that despite Dingell’s desire to put it off, he would offer a CAFE amendment to the energy package on the floor in an effort to capitalize on the measure passed by the Senate.

* The southern utility lobby apparently made the difference in the failure of a 15% renewable energy mandate to come to a vote in the Senate. According to Greenwire, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Valley Power Providers Assn., Southern Company and Duke Energy convinced enough Senators that it would undermine the stability of the electricity market in the South, which doesn’t have much wind or solar capacity. The measure fell 3 votes short of the 60 required to bring it to a vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he plans to revive the measure.
(Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM, Greenwire)


News briefs

1. ‘Perfect drought’ conditions now in Southern California
Scarce water and population growth have converged in Southern California to create conditions for extreme drought. It’s rained just 3.2 inches in the year ending June 30, which would make it the driest 12 months on record since 1877. And experts are predicting no more rain until September. “I call it the Incendiary Summer of 2007,” said Bill Patzert, a climatologist with NASA in Pasadena. The Sierra Nevada, which usually supplies half the area’s water, has the lowest snowpack in 2 decades and the volume of water is down to 20% of its usual flow. At the same time, Southern California’s population has grown 2-4 times faster than the national average in the past half-century, putting much more pressure on scarce water resources. Because of Global Warming, high temperatures and a lack of rain may become the norm in the area, experts say, and that will require much better water management. Potable water shouldn’t be used on golf courses, the head of the water board said. And they need to stop storm drains from channeling rainwater into the sea. "We spend $1 billion to import water and $500,000 to throw local [rain] water into the ocean," said Melanie Winter of the River Project in LA. (Source: The Guardian UK)

2. Heat wave drives temps up to 115 F in Southeast Europe
A heat wave in Southeastern Europe the early part of last week drove temperatures as high as 115 degrees. Greece will see its hottest June ever. By Wednesday, 5 had died from the heat in Greece and least 30 in Romania. In Greece air conditioning pushed energy use to an all-time high. In Western Turkey the mercury hit 111. Forest fires broke out in several of Turkey’s Mediterranean resorts and brush fires started in Southern Italy. Severe heat is expected to last throughout the summer, though temperatures will ease somewhat soon, forecasters said. Bulgaria’s wheat crop is predicted to be down 30% this year from the drought and heat, while in Greece cereal crops and hydropower have been hurt. Meanwhile, England was seeing torrential rain and flooding. The Wimbledon tennis matches were postponed by rain Monday. Extreme weather is an expected byproduct of Global Warming. Is this a preview of what’s to come? (Source: PlanetArk.com)

3. Report: Europe must think about moving ports, coastal cities
The European Commission, which is light years ahead of us in recognizing the threats posed by Global Warming, is urging in a new report that Europe look at such extreme measures as relocating ports and cities on the coast and in flood plains, to protect them from climate change. The report foresees increasing disasters threatening Europe’s social and economic fabric and security. It says EU countries must protecting their power stations, transportation systems and agriculture from the flooding, droughts, landslides and wildfires that will result from Global Warming. "What is tricky about this is that we are going to have to spend billions preparing and adapting, and that is going to compete for money to stop climate change getting worse," said Tom Burke, a visiting professor at Imperial and University Colleges in London. (Source: Greenwire)