Barack Obama on Renewable Energy
| First Hybrid Solar and Gas Power Plant Under Construction The sunshine state is in the spotlight for a groundbreaking solar plant that will add solar thermal collectors to an existing gas fired power plant. The result will save 2.75 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over 30 years, while providing reliable power.Natural gas power plants are criticized for generating power from a costly fuel source. Solar power is criticized for generating electricity only when the sun shines (although solar energy storage is solving this problem). Could this hybrid power plant be a marriage made in heaven? |
| Press Release: Environmental Defense Fund Provides Roadmap on Greening Corporate Fleets (Sparks, MD – December 8, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund has released a five-step framework to help companies minimize the environmental impact of their corporate fleets while protecting the bottom line. The new report, “Greening Fleets: A roadmap to lower costs and cleaner corporate fleets,” highlights the work of EDF and PHH Arval in developing the industry-leading approach to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without increasing costs. A PDF is available at www.edf.org/greenfleet.The best practices discussed in the report were developed in conjunction with PHH Arval, which has partnered with EDF to help corporate fleets reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. While most companies are interested in operating in a more environmentally-friendly way, they are also concerned about associated costs. The EDF report highlights results achieved by several companies using the PHH GreenFleet program. On average, these clients have reduced GHG emissions by 14% while reducing operating costs by 4%."For over three years we’ve been helping leading companies identify the most efficient methods for achieving their fleet environmental goals,” said EDF project manager Jason Mathers. “Managing greenhouse gases make good business sense, so we are eager to make this report widely available to companies that are watching the bottom line while working to ‘green’ their operations.”Karen Healey, director of PHH Arval’s environmental initiatives, added, “We’re proud of our success with EDF. By highlighting best practices in greening fleets, this report can help all fleets achieve their environmental and business goals.”EDF will be hosting a conference call on Wednesday January 14, 2009 from 1 to 2pm EST to review these best practices and answer questions from fleet managers. For more information or to RSVP for the call, email greenfleet@edf.org. ### |
| Power from Trees Currently a team of MIT researchers are using platinum electrodes and ficus plants to discover the truth of feeble electric currents from trees. They have come up with an answer. They state that the pH difference between the soil and the living tree is the cause of creating electric currents. Now scientists are debating [.] |
| Barack Obama on Renewable Energy Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th President of the USA and with his election, Solar Integrated Technologies rose by 30% yesterday after increases of 22% by Renewable Energy Corporation and 16% by the wind turbine maker Vestas. Barack Obama promised to spend $150 billion over the next 10 years developing alternative [.] |
| Low Carbon, Clean Energy, Growth, Jobs & Geothermal There’s been much high end academic research and political debate about the relative costs and benefits of transitioning to low carbon societies and renewable energy sources in countries with industrially developed and developing economies alike. There’s likely to be a lot more going forward, particularly as United Nations Conference of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol members continue their quest to hammer out a successor to the Kyoto Protocol by next December when they meet in Copenhagen, and as the Obama administration and the US Congress set their agenda for the first year of a new presidency. |
| Obama’s Environmental Agenda: Will it Help or Hurt the Manufacturing Sector? Well I guess it was just a matter of time before the opposition to a new, potentially progressive environmental policy began to spread across the media like roach trails on a dirty counter top.It’s no secret that President-elect Obama is likely to push for a massive increase in renewable energyinvestment, and a drastic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Not surprisingly, the latter isn’t sitting well with the folks that are responsible for a big chunk of those emissions. |
| Press Release: CARB Economic Models Limited in Ability to Capture AB 32 Economic Benefits (Sacramento, CA - December 5, 2008)— A new study released today concludes that state-of-the-science economic models, including those used for CARB’s economic analyses of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), are not capable of simulating the fundamental changes in California’s economy that AB 32 measures are likely to cause. While critics of ARB claim that costs might be underestimated, this new study shows that many benefits also are not represented by models and more modeling isn’t as useful as consideration of lessons from prior policies and economics literature. The study is timely because the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will vote on the Proposed Scoping Plan to implement the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) on December 11, less than a week away.
The study, Understanding the Challenges of Modeling AB 32 Policy, was conducted by Richard J. McCann, the Aspen Environmental Group and M.Cubed, and commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which cosponsored AB 32 (see full report and executive summary for policymakers).
In the new study, Dr. McCann reveals that current techniques in economic modeling can predict the general impact of a policy option, but are limited in their ability to compare different policy alternatives and predict technology innovation. Consequently, the report recommends that CARB’s policy choices are better informed by focusing on lessons and principles from other market-based programs, notably cap-and-trade, a significant policy choice in the Proposed Scoping Plan.
“Any critiques of CARB’s economic analyses of AB 32 policies should take into account that even the most sophisticated modeling tools are limited in their ability to capture behaviors and innovations that lead to beneficial outcomes,” said James Fine, Ph.D., an economist and policy scientist for EDF. “This report highlights the advantages of market-based approaches and the difficulty in modeling those advantages.”
This study identifies several advantages with cap and trade policy, such as compliance cost minimization, technological innovation, adaptability and relief of regulatory burdens on agencies.
Key findings of the study include:
“While it is possible to tinker with various assumptions and perform more modeling runs to try and estimate the statewide impacts of various policy scenarios, it is not likely to add valuable or reliable information to the discussion,” added Fine. “Instead, this report recommends policymakers consider knowledge and experience about the basic systems of incentives for innovation and flexibility for compliance cost reduction that have been proven by other market-based policies.”
“It is critical to look beyond economic analyses,” concluded Fine. “It also is important to recognize our past experiences, the economic principles and existing regulatory portfolio in California that led to the development of the measures in the Scoping Plan. Rather than continuing with an esoteric tit-for-tat debate about the quality of modeling analyses, the broader lessons and logic provide clear rationale to move forward with the directionally sound Scoping Plan. Comprehensive, intelligent and speedy action in California can help mitigate the costs of climate change, provide an economic stimulus, improve air quality and reduce our dependence on imported energy.”
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| Dell, HP Cut PC Power Consumption 2010 For both laptop and desktop computers, Dell plans to cut power consumption as part of its required work on compliance with the EPA’s EnergyStar 5.0 standard, reports Mark Hachman of pcmag.com. HP earlier said it would cut power use of “volume” PCs by 25 percent, relative to 2005. In those terms, Dell’s reductions would be [.] |
| How a Local Firewood Cooperative Can Lower a Nation’s Carbon Footprint Its one of the biggest issues currently being addressed in Poznan: How can we stop the burning of forests as poor people burn firewood to make a living? Wood is also increasingly popular as a biomass fuel. So whats the deal? Can we burn wood and not impact the environment? |
| Converting waste into a renewable energy sources Consider a technology that not only keeps your surroundings clean it also produces renewable energy at a low cost. Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., a U.S. pioneer for municipal waste-to-energy technology, wants to make sure that your waste doesnt go waste. Literally. Wheelabrator’s waste-to-energy facilities produce steam and electricity by burning large quantities of municipal trash [.] |