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Report: Massive Investment Will Be Needed To Maintain Reliable Energy on 13 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff The U.S. utility industry will have to invest between $1.5 and $2 trillion between 2010 and 2030 to maintain current levels of reliable energy service for customers throughout the country, according to a new report issued today by the Brattle Group, which provides consulting and expert testimony in economics, finance and regulation. The findings are detailed in "Transforming America's Power Industry: The Investment Challenge 2010-2030." The report was presented by Peter Fox-Penner, a principal of the Brattle Group, at the [read more] Report: Renewables Can Meet Baseload, Replace Old Reactors on 13 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff Canada's Energy Minister George Smitherman's goal of increasing the amount of green energy in the province's electricity plan can only be met by replacing aging nuclear stations with new green sources of energy over the next decade, according to a Pembina Institute report released by a coalition of environmental groups. The Pembina Institute is a Canadian environmental policy research group. In September, Smitherman directed the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to enhance its targets for renewable energy, conservation and distributed energy. [read more] AWEA Applauds Passage Of Missouri Clean Energy Initiative on 13 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) applauds the recent passage of the Missouri Clean Energy Initiative, which requires that investor-owned utilities obtain 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2021. "The Clean Energy Initiative's wide margin of victory is a strong indication of the popularity of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, biomass (including ethanol) and hydropower, especially in America's heartland," says Randall Swisher, executive director of AWEA. "Coupling this victory with the Colorado and Washington ballot initiatives [read more] SKF Announces Two New Energy-Efficient Bearing Types on 13 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff SKF, a global supplier of bearings, seals and lubrication systems, has developed spherical and cylindrical roller bearings. Extensive testing results verify significant friction reduction compared to SKF standard bearings. SKF energy-efficient spherical roller bearings exhibit at least 30% less friction and corresponding reduced energy consumption, considerably lower bearing temperature, extended grease life and extended relubrication intervals. Five sizes of open bearings are the first to be introduced for industrial ventilation fan applications as part of the total SKF energy-efficient [read more] Jean Roche Named CFO At enXco on 13 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff Escondido, Calif.-based enXco, an EDF Energies Nouvelles company, has named Jean Roche chief financial officer (CFO). Roche brings to enXco 11 years of substantial experience overseeing and making strategic, cross-functional and operational decisions related to sales, production, supply chain and legal affairs. His most recent corporate experience was as CFO at LaCie in Hillsboro, Ore., where he directed the financial, tax and legal operations for five entities. "His experience with identifying business risks, and implementing and monitoring alternative business practices/concepts [read more] EnergyConnect Launches 2009 Enrollment Campaign on 13 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff Lake Oswego, Ore.-based EnergyConnect, a provider of demand-response technologies, has begun enrolling electricity consumers in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest-based PJM market in its 2009 EventConnect interruptible load response (ILR) program. EventConnect ILR integrates into PJM's ILR, which is designed to help ease the pressure on the nation's largest electricity grid during times of peak demand. According to the company, enrollment is expected to grow substantially in 2009, as a steady rise in energy costs is making it essential for electricity [read more] WEO Calls for Global Energy Revolution Despite Economic Crisis on 12 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff The International Energy Agency has released the World Energy Outlook 2008 (WEO-2008), which calls for a global energy revolution despite the economic crisis. The WEO-2008 provides analysis to help policy-makers around the world assess and address the challenges posed by worsening oil supply prospects, higher energy prices and rising emissions of greenhouse gases. In the WEO-2008 reference scenario - which assumes no new government policies - world primary energy demand will grow by 1.6% per year on average between 2006 [read more] Black & Veatch Releases U.S. Electric Utilities Survey on 12 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff Overland Park, Kan.-based Black & Veatch, a global engineering, consulting and construction company, has released the results of its third annual "Strategic Directions in the Electric Utility Industry" survey showing system reliability, aging workforce and infrastructure among the top concerns. The 2008 report identifies issues and concerns on the minds of U.S. power industry leaders. Also, this year's survey includes a detailed look at the acceptance and implementation plans for demand-side management and energy-efficiency programs. This year, as [read more] WhiteWave Foods Recognized For Renewable Energy Investment on 12 Nov 2008 by NAW Staff Broomfield, Colo.-based WhiteWave Foods Co. (WWFC) has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for investing in renewable energy. The annual awards recognize the country's leading green power purchasers for their commitment to helping advance the development and use of renewable energy. "Investing in renewable energy is critically important to our environment, our health and our quality of life - today and in the future," says Joe Scalzo, president and CEO of WWFC. "Our focus upon and investment [read more] EDAW / AECOM - Vice President/Principal, Project Manager, Project Planner, Environmental Planner, GIS Specialist, Biologist Preneal - Technical Director GDF Suez - Manager, Wind Resource Assessment; Wind Resource Analyst Katana Summit LLC - Welding Engineer, NDE Technician, Warehouse/Receiving Supervisor, Product Compliance Specialist, Program Engineer TRS Staffing - Opportunities in Wind Power Engineering Garrad Hassan - SCADA Project Engineer, Electrical Engineer Wind Capital Group - Wind Resource Specialist Natural Power Consultants - Business Manager, Technical Sales Engineer Nordex USA Inc. - Production Positions in Arkansas, Field Positions and Positions in Chicago Hatch Ltd. - Wind Power Leaders To place an ad within Wind Jobs, contact Vanessa Williams at 1-203-262-4670 x233, or at williams@nawindpower.com   Please click HERE to subscribe to North American Windpower magazine.

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11/13/2008 Wind, Energy, & Hydrogen News...

Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription) Guest Blogger: Are American Colleges Living Labs for Renewable ... Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription) - USA There are also encouraging signs from colleges that have installed wind-power capacity. Portland State University has installed four vertical-axis turbines ... See all stories on this topic

How Floating 'Energy Islands' Could Power the Future LiveScience.com - New York,NY,USA The clean power generated by an Energy Island could be transmitted to shore by underwater cables. Or it could be used to make hydrogen from water, ... See all stories on this topic

11/12/2008 Wind, Energy, & Hydrogen News...

Environment News Service US Military Finds Greener Ways to Operate Environment News Service - USA Traditional power production will be integrated with quiet, environmentally-sound hydrogen fuel cell technology In October, the US Army's Engineer Research ... See all stories on this topic

Israeli Greentech Companies Make Their Pitch Greentech Media - Cambridge,MA,USA Israeli companies that make dye solar cells, microbial fuel cell water purification technology and innovative wind power systems are among those looking for ... See all stories on this topic

Stuff.co.nz California Dreaming Stuff.co.nz - New Zealand It's not enough to recycle, BMW wants to "reuse'' by building a hydrogen-powered racer which would list old oil barrels and barbecue lids as part of the ... See all stories on this topic

IndustryWeek The Pros and Cons of Alternative Energy IndustryWeek - USA The same can be said for municipal waste, solar energy, wind power, etc. Even though the source of the energy is often free, the processing required to ... See all stories on this topic

Apparently my send-to e-mail was spammed

I in NO WAY support joining anyone's "Freebies Group". Those posts have been deleted, and if anything like that reappears in the future I'll delete it as soon as possible.

Being only a one person operation, I can't be as on top of things as I would like. It is extremely difficult to keep up with all the posts I would like to bring you, but now that election season is over, I'll be here much more.

With hope in my heart and a gleam in my eye,

Dan

What Amazing Times These Are...

I just saw a piece on a 7-year-old political blogger, nickname Stas - http://planetstas.blogspot.com

Quite an intelligent you man. Give him a visit when you have time.

-------------------------------------------

Onward - I have great hope that with the election of Barack Obama on November 5th that the USA will finally make serious progress on a rational energy policy. I wait with bated breath to see if that hope is fulfilled. Energy policy on the part of the federal government of the United States is the logjam at the root of a great many issues, and a huge contributor to the current economic disaster enfolding the globe. Energy freedom for the US population is second only to ideological freedom - without which the status quo would not be changed.

Our new President will have his hands very full. I hope that as concerned citizens, we all can pull together and try to repair much of the damage inflicted on our nation and the world's health.

Dan

A Better Day - (3rd annual Progressive Fest Illinois) Saturday, September 20th 9a-4:30p

http://www.better-day.info/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Palatine Conference Fosters Grassroots Efforts Toward Peace, Justice, Sustainability.

Palatine, IL - September 3, 2008 - When it comes to the large problems facing humanity, how can one person make a difference? A Better Day 2008 offers answers by bringing together distinguished speakers, activists, and community organizers for a day. The public is invited to learn and discuss the issues, make connections, and get involved in any of dozens of social benefit groups.

A Better Day 2008 takes place Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist, 1025 N. Smith Street, Palatine, Illinois.

This open, non-partisan event offers three tracks of activity: speakers, an exhibit of local organizations, and breakout sessions in the church classrooms. Jim Kenney of Common Ground will give the morning keynote, “Peace is Possible”. Other speakers will address social and economic justice, sustainable living, support for our veterans, and ways of dealing with our differences. Exhibitors in the conference hall will include environmentalists, advocates for economic reform and social justice, and local peace groups.

Programs will emphasize personal involvement. Program Committee member Kat Doyle says, "We want to tell everyone, you can do something! Working with other people for a good cause is a great way to make friends, discover skills you never knew you had, and just have fun."

A Better Day 2008 is sponsored by the Adult Faith Development Council of Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist, Palatine, Illinois.

Contact:
Hal Snyder, M.D.
A Better Day 2008 Program Committee
224-678-6188
hal@better-day.info
http://www.better-day.info

What Is A Better Day?

• A one-day grassroots gathering about peace, justice, and the environment.
• A chance to network with people who are concerned about the way things are going and are determined to make a difference.
• A day of learning about the issues from organizers who are at the forefront on matters of global and interfaith fellowship, social justice, and sustainability.
• But most of all - a day to kick-start your participation in any of twenty or more local action groups - or if you are already involved, a chance to make new connections and reach out to the community.

A Better Day was inspired by Fighting Bob Fest, the annual Wisconsin extravaganza that brings thousands of fired-up progressive speakers, organizers, and rabble-rousers to Baraboo every September.

Morning Session

9:00-9:30 Doors Open, Registration

9:30-10:00 Opening

• Rev. Hilary Landau-Krivchenia: Welcome
• Hal Snyder: Getting the Most Out of the Day

10:00-10:45 Keynote by Jim Kenney: Peace is Possible Common Ground

11:00-12:00 Health and Education, Social Justice

• 11:00-11:20 Melanie Schikore Andina: Social Justice Through the Arts
• 11:30-11:50 Victoria Weiley: Living Within Your Means; Means Simply......Living

Lunch Break - 12:00-1:30

Afternoon Session

1:30-2:30 Sustainability

• 1:30- 1:50 Bruce Bendix: Defining a Sustainable Future Eco Squared Consulting
• 2:00- 2:20 Jay Womack & Paul Sorci : Green Roof Wight & Company

2:30-3:30 Supporting Our Veterans

• 2:30- 2:50 Dirk Enger: Our Veterans; Our Community Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
• 3:00- 3:20 Christopher France: Understanding PTSD Iraq Veterans Against the War

3:30-4:15 Panel: Dealing With Our Differences

• Vid Axel - Non-Violent Communication Living Action
• Jay Becker O'Neil World Can't Wait
• Catherine Caporusso Chicago Area CodePINK, Northwest suburban NOW

4:15 Closing by Rev. Hilary Landau-Krivchenia: Taking A Better Day Forward

Groups Working to Make a Difference

We hope you'll use A Better Day as a chance to network. Joining a social benefit organization is a great way to make new friends and discover your hidden talents. We are opening Atherton Hall to tables for more than 20 organizations.

We expect members or official representatives from the
following:

• Students for Animal Defense (College of DuPage)
• Greater Chicago Caucus
• Citizen Action/Illinois
• Social Action Committee, CCUU
• Green Sanctuary Committee, CCUU
• National Organization for Women – Northwest Suburban Chapter
• Northwest Suburban Peace & Education Project
• Chicago Area Code Pink
• Working Families Win
• Holistic Moms Network
• Sierra Club – Northwest Suburbs Region
• ACLU
• A+ Illinois
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Illinois Coalition for Justice, Peace, & the Environment
• World Can't Wait
• League of Women Voters
• Iraq Veterans Against the War
• Illinois League of Conservation Voters
• Common Ground
• Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition
• Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans

Getting the Word Out

Invitation (updated 9/02)

Mindmap (updated 8/29)

Registration form (save $2 by registering in advance at CCUU)

What is A Better Day? (updated 8/29)

Help Us Publicize the Event!

About US:

The team behind A Better Day arose from the joining of two groups.

For two years, 2006 and 2007, some of us helped organize the Illinois Progressive Fest in Big Rock, Illinois to bring together progressive candidates and activists working to put people before profits and restore the social contract in our government. In 2008 we formed the Progressive Fest Illinois (PFI) committee to work on non-partisan annual events going forward.

The Adult Faith Development Council of CCUU (Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist) in Palatine includes persons dedicated to uplifting the human spirit and working with organizations in the community to promote peace, justice, and sustainability.

email: info@better-day.info · media contact: Hal Snyder 224-678-6188

Both groups were interested in bringing together speakers, activists, and the public for a day of learning and networking. We decided to pool our efforts to bring you A Better Day.

UW-Madison News Release--Ice Age Predicts Rise in Sea Level

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/2/08  CONTACT: Anders Carlson, (608) 262-1921, acarlson@geology.wisc.edu  ICE AGE LESSON PREDICTS A FASTER RISE IN SEA LEVEL  MADISON - If the lessons being learned by scientists about the demise of the last great North American ice sheet are correct, estimates of global sea level rise from a melting Greenland ice sheet may be seriously underestimated.  Writing this week (Aug. 31) in the journal Nature Geoscience, a team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison geologist Anders Carlson reports that sea level rise from greenhouse-induced warming of the Greenland ice sheet could be double or triple current estimates over the next century.  "We're not talking about something catastrophic, but we could see a much bigger response in terms of sea level from the Greenland ice sheet over the next 100 years than what is currently predicted," says Carlson, a UW-Madison professor of geology and geophysics. Carlson worked with an international team of researchers, including Allegra LeGrande from the NASA Center for Climate Systems at Columbia University, and colleagues at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the California Institute of Technology, University of British Columbia and University of New Hampshire.  Scientists have yet to agree on how much melting of the Greenland ice sheet - a terrestrial ice mass encompassing 1.7 million square kilometers - will contribute to changes in sea level. One reason, Carlson explains, is that in recorded history there is no precedent for the influence of climate change on a massive ice sheet.  "We've never seen an ice sheet disappear before, but here we have a record," says Carlson of the new study that combined a powerful computer model with marine and terrestrial records to provide a snapshot of how fast ice sheets can melt and raise sea level in a warmer world.  Carlson and his group were able to draw on the lessons of the disappearance of the Laurentide ice sheet, the last great ice mass to cover much of the northern hemisphere. The Laurentide ice sheet, which encompassed large parts of what are now Canada and the United States, began to melt about 10,000 years ago in response to increased solar radiation in the northern hemisphere due to a cyclic change in the orientation of the Earth's axis. It experienced two rapid pulses of melting - one 9,000 years ago and another 7,600 years ago - that caused global sea level to rise by more than half an inch per year.  Those pulses of melting, according to the new study, occurred when summer air temperatures were similar to what are predicted for Greenland by the end of this century, a finding the suggests estimates of global sea level rise due to a warming world climate may be seriously underestimated.  The most recent estimates of sea level rise due to melting of the Greenland ice sheet by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest a maximum sea level rise during the next 100 years of about 1 to 4 inches. That estimate, Carlson and his colleagues note, is based on limited data, mostly from the last decade, and contrasts sharply with results from computer models of future climate, casting doubt on current estimates of change in sea level due to melting ice sheets.  According to the new study, rising sea levels up to a third of an inch per year or 1 to 2 feet over the course of a century are possible.  Even slight rises in global sea level are problematic as a significant percentage of the world's human population - hundreds of millions of people - lives in areas that can be affected by rising seas.  "For planning purposes, we should see the IPCC projections as conservative," Carlson says. "We think this is a very low estimate of what the Greenland ice sheet will contribute to sea level."  The authors of the new Nature Geoscience report were able to document the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet and its contributions to changes in sea level by measuring how long rocks once covered by ice have been exposed to cosmic radiation, estimates of ice retreat based on radiocarbon dates from organic material as well as changes in ocean salinity.  In addition to Carlson and LeGrande, co-authors of the study, which was funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, are Gavin A. Schmidt of Columbia University, Delia W. Oppo of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Rosemarie E. Came of the California Institute of Technology, Faron S. Anslow of the University of British Columbia, Joseph M. Licciardi of the University of New Hampshire and Elizabeth A. Obbink of UW-Madison. ### - Terry Devitt, (608) 262-8282, trdevitt@wisc.edu    **************************************************** For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email news release system, please send an email to: releases@news.wisc.edu  For more UW-Madison news, please visit:  http://www.news.wisc.edu/  University Communications University of Wisconsin-Madison 27 Bascom Hall 500 Lincoln Drive Madison, WI 53706  Phone: (608) 262-3571 Fax: (608) 262-2331   

Opportunities in Midwestern Renewable Energy

Learn how to get the inside track in the race to develop renewable energy in the Midwest Receive detailed briefings on: · Renewable initiatives in the Midwest — identifying the opportunities · Impacts of RPS and other initiatives on project development in the Midwest · Dealing with transmission issues in the Midwest · Purchasing and developing renewable energy in the Midwest · Assessing the financing market for renewable energy projects in the Midwest Don't Miss the Pre-Summit Workshop: "Renewable Energy Development & Finance Issues in the Midwest"-- This pre-summit workshop will address specific issues and development "wrinkles" that renewable energy projects are likely to encounter in the Midwest. EVENT SCHEDULE: Workshop: Renewable Energy Development & Finance Issues in the Midwest Monday, October 6, 2008, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Summit: Opportunities in Midwestern Renewable Energy Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 9:00 am to 11:45 am WHERE Doubletree Hotel Minneapolis Park Place 1500 Park Place Blvd Minneapolis, MN 55416 FEE View Tuition Details More Event Information

For Want Of A Windmill...

For Want Of A Windmill...

In the 1860's a Jesuit Priest fashioned a whirligig dream,
Grew a business most successful,
'Till the days after WW II spinning water out of the ground,
All started in a little Wisconsin town.

Spin and whirl,
Pretty as a pearl,
Ornate wood or polished steel,
Pretty painted colors the life of many a farmer.

A Chicago company saw the light,
Bought the rights and moved North,
Fairbanks Morse landed in Beloit,
All was well that pumped the well.

In the 1920's an immigrant from Italy,
One Tuscan gentleman of little fame,
Landed and landed a job,
There by the river at Fairbanks Morse.

He found a wife and adopted a baby girl,
My own mother and grandmother,
So Noni cooked and Nono ground metal,
And my Mother married my Dad.

Spin and whirl,
Pretty as a pearl,
Ornate wood or polished steel,
Pretty painted colors the life of many a farmer.

Four children born there on the Rock,
Myself and my siblings all alive,
In the year 2000 I turned to poetry,
And fancied windmills could save the Earth.

I wrote poems of the graceful things,
Took my son to see them,
Blogged of the light and right,
And tilted at windmills for all I was worth.

Only just yesterday I find I'd have never been born nor they,
For want of a windmill in 1867,
The Poet who loves windmills exists because of a windmill,
Simply named Eclipse.

AquarianM

By Daniel A. Stafford
© 09/02/2008

http://www.spearman.org/Eclipsehistory.html

http://www.whizzyrds.com/Windblog.html

My Grandfather worked for 44 years at Fairbanks Morse, which would never have located in Beloit, WI if not for the Eclipse windmill. The Eclipse windmill line was arguably the most successful water-pumping windmill in American history, and also served in many locations overseas. My Grandfather very likely would have ended up somewhere else if the Eclipse windmill wasn't invented and made in Beloit - and I and all my brothers and sisters would never have been. How ironic that I have been a promoter of windmills as a large part of the solution to climate crisis these past eight years.Tilting at windmills quite simply suits me.

What to do about polar bear drownings and arctic sea solar radiation absorption

8 Polar Bears Trying To Swim 400 Miles To Nearest Ice:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1050659/The-heartbreaking-picture-polar-bears-400-miles-swim-nearest-ice.html

DS:

We should be creating artificial "ice islands" by making chains of white floating platforms that can be anchored in place to create open shipping lanes while giving the polar bears places to rest and hunt from. Such platforms could also reflect solar radiation back into space instead of letting it be absorbed into the seawater. This could literally help slow or mitigate many of the impacts of global warming. Such platforms could be inflatable, yet made of tough material the polar bears could climb on. They should be made of a material that will break down naturally in the ocean environment over time rather than traditional plastics, so that they wouldn't contribute to the plastic waste pollution problems in our oceans.

Gulf Coast Prayers...

Gulf Coast Prayers...

Reading, hearing seeing, dreading.

The weak among us are running for their lives,
The live scattered and broken for three years,
Faded for many of us,
Ignored by the seemingly strongest of us.

The monster Gustav comes howling and all you can do is beg.

Beg the sky to be gentle,
Beg the sea to forgive and rock softly,
Beg God to forgive our errors and protect our brothers and sisters.

This is why many never went back home.

This comes before we're even close to cleaning up the last one.

If we could reach out and pull them North we would.

Pray, pray, pray - for mercy.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
08/31/2008 - copyright donated to public domain.

Ideal Bite: (Heritage) Animal Farm

Aug 13, 2008 BANG FOR THE BITE More diverse flavors aside, making space for heritage food on your plate helps keep diverse animal species around - but since they're rare, these meats are tougher to find and can cost a bit more too. COCKTAIL FACT The CIA purchased the movie rights to Animal Farm from George Orwell's widow and covertly funded the 1954 animated version as anti-Communist propaganda. LIKE THIS TIP? Then check out . . . The Heirloom Seeds Tip The SF Heritage Turkey Tip RATE THIS TIP How useful is this tip? (5 is the highest) 1 2 3 4 5 Will Narragansett turkeys survive, Orwell they go extinct? The Bite If we start a heritage foods revolution by eating 'em, they'll stick around (sounds crazy, but by creating a higher demand, it gives farmers more motivation to raise them). Go for meat from farms raising these select heritage breeds instead of conventional 'stock, and you'll help keep biodiversity alive. By, um...George, we think they've got it. The Benefits Benefits that aren't just allegorical fiction. Preserving heritage animals preserves biodiversity - and they may have beneficial genetics (disease resistance, climate adaptability) that more common breeds may not. Saving species from total(itarian) extinction. Most livestock originate from just a few breeds. Example: Right now 75% of U.S. pigs come from three main species; about ten others are close to dying out. More variety than your 10th-grade required reading. With heritage foods, you'll taste flavors you're not gonna find with conventional meats, which are bred for uniformity. Personally Speaking Thanks to the rich, almost ducklike flavor of the heritage turkey he bought for Thanksgiving last year, SF Local Bite Editor Mike had the best Thanksgiving leftover-turkey sandwiches ever. Wanna Try? Schmancier grocery stores (such as Whole Foods) often let you know via signage whether a meat is heritage or not - or try asking your butcher. Heritage Foods USA - order select heritage foods online (prices vary). American Livestock Breeds Conservancy - find out which species are at risk. Slow Food USA - nonprof dedicated to preserving biodiversity in our food. Take our quick survey and be entered to win 1 of 5 prize packs from Clean George!      Sponsor

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Earth Policy News - Raising Energy Efficiency in a New Materials Economy - Part II

Earth Policy Institute Plan B 3.0 Book Byte For Immediate Release August 5, 2008  RAISING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN A NEW MATERIALS ECONOMY - Part II*  http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/Seg/PB3ch11_ss6b.htm  Lester R. Brown  There is a vast worldwide potential for cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by reducing the use of materials. This begins with the major metals--steel, aluminum, and copper--where recycling requires only a fraction of the energy needed to produce these metals from virgin ore, and with the recycling and composting of most household garbage. It continues with designing cars, appliances, and other products so they are easily disassembled into their component parts for reuse or recycling.              Germany and, more recently, Japan are requiring that products such as automobiles, household appliances, and office equipment be designed for easy disassembly and recycling. In May 1998, the Japanese Diet enacted a tough appliance recycling law, one that prohibits discarding household appliances, such as washing machines, TV sets, or air conditioners. With consumers bearing the cost of disassembling appliances in the form of a disposal fee to recycling firms, which can come to $60 for a refrigerator or $35 for a washing machine, the pressure to design appliances so they can be more easily and cheaply disassembled is strong.  Closely related to this concept is that of remanufacturing. Within the heavy industry sector, Caterpillar has emerged as a leader. At a plant in Corinth, Mississippi, it recycles some 17 truckloads of diesel engines a day. These engines, retrieved from Caterpillar’s clients, are disassembled by hand by workers who do not throw away a single component, not even a bolt or screw. Once the engine is disassembled, it is then reassembled with all worn parts repaired. The resulting engine is as good as new. Caterpillar’s remanufacturing division is racking up $1 billion a year in sales and growing at 15 percent annually, contributing impressively to the company’s bottom line.  Another emerging industry is airliner recycling. Boeing and Airbus, which have been building jetliners in competition for nearly 40 years, are now vying to see who can dismantle them most efficiently. The first step is to strip the plane of its marketable components, such as engines, landing gear, galley ovens, and hundreds of other items. For a jumbo jet, these key components can collectively sell for up to $4 million. Then comes the final dismantling and recycling of aluminum, copper, plastic, and other materials. The next time around the aluminum may show up in cars, bicycles, or another jetliner. The goal is to recycle 90 percent of the plane, and perhaps one day 95 percent or more. With more than 3,000 airliners already put out to pasture and many more to come, this retired fleet has become the equivalent of an aluminum mine.  With computers becoming obsolete every few years as technology advances, the need to be able to quickly disassemble and recycle them is a paramount challenge in building an eco-economy. In Europe, information technology (IT) firms are going into the reuse of computer components big-time. Because European law requires that manufacturers pay for the collection, disassembly and recycling of toxic materials in IT equipment, manufacturers have begun to focus on how to disassemble everything from computers to cell phones. Nokia, for example, has designed a cell phone that will virtually disassemble itself.  Patagonia, an outdoor gear retailer, has launched a clothing recycling program beginning with its polyester fiber garments. Patagonia is now recycling not only the polyester garments it sells but also those sold by its competitors. Patagonia estimates that a garment made from recycled polyester, which is indistinguishable from the initial polyester made from petroleum, uses less than one fourth as much energy. With this success behind it, Patagonia is beginning to work on nylon garments and plans also to recycle cotton and wool clothing.  In addition to measures that encourage the recycling of materials, there are those that encourage the reuse of products such as beverage containers. Finland, for example, has banned the use of one-way soft drink containers. Canada’s Prince Edward Island has adopted a similar ban on all nonrefillable beverage containers. The result in both cases is a sharply reduced flow of garbage to landfills.  A refillable glass bottle used over and over requires about 10 percent as much energy per use as an aluminum can that is recycled. Cleaning, sterilizing, and re-labeling a used bottle requires little energy compared with recycling cans made from aluminum, which has a melting point of 660 degrees Celsius (1,220 degrees Fahrenheit). Banning nonrefillables is a quintuple win option--cutting material use, carbon emissions, air pollution, water pollution, and garbage flow to landfills. There are also substantial transport fuel savings, since the refillable containers are simply back-hauled by delivery trucks to the original bottling plants or breweries for refilling.   Another increasingly attractive option for cutting CO2 emissions is to discourage energy-intensive but, to use a World War II term, nonessential industries. The gold and bottled water industries are prime examples. The annual global production of 2,500 tons of gold requires the processing of 500 million tons of ore, more than one third the amount of virgin ore used to produce steel each year. One ton of steel requires the processing of two tons of ore. For one ton of gold, in stark contrast, the figure is 200,000 tons of ore. Processing 500 million tons of ore consumes a huge amount of energy--and emits as much CO2 as 5.5 million cars.  >From a climate point of view, it is very difficult to justify bottling water, often tap water to begin with, hauling it long distance and selling it for outlandish prices. Clever marketing, designed to undermine public confidence in the safety and quality of municipal water supplies, has convinced many consumers that bottled water is safer and healthier than what they can get from their faucets. However, in the United States and Europe there are more standards regulating the quality of tap water than of bottled water. For people in developing countries where water is unsafe, it is far cheaper to boil or filter water than to buy it in bottles.  Manufacturing the nearly 28 billion plastic bottles used to package water in the United States alone requires 17 million barrels of oil. Including the energy for hauling 1 billion bottles of water every two weeks from bottling plants to supermarkets or convenience stores for sale, sometimes covering hundreds of kilometers, and the energy needed for refrigeration, the U.S. bottled water industry consumes roughly 50 million barrels of oil per year.  The good news is that people are beginning to see how climate-disruptive this industry is. Mayors of U.S. cities are realizing that they are spending millions of taxpayer dollars to buy bottled water for their employees--water that costs 1,000 times as much as the readily available tap water. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom has banned the use of city funds to purchase bottled water in city buildings, on city property, and at any events sponsored by the city. Cities following a similar strategy include Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and St. Louis. (See additional examples at http://www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2007/Update68_data.htm.)   Raising energy efficiency to offset projected growth in energy demand is an essential component of the Plan B blueprint to cut net CO2 emissions 80 percent by 2020, thus halting the rise in atmospheric CO2 and helping keep future temperature rise to a minimum. (See blueprint at http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/80by2020.htm.) Reducing materials use through the measures outlined here will help us attain this goal, moving the world closer to temperature stability.   * Go to http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/Seg/PB3ch11_ss6a.htm to read Part I of Raising Energy Efficiency in a New Materials Economy.    #     #     #  Adapted from Chapter 11, “Raising Energy Efficiency,” in Lester R. Brown, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008), available for free downloading and purchase at www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm  For information contact:  Media Contact: Reah Janise Kauffman Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 12 E-mail: rjk (at) earthpolicy.org  Research Contact: Janet Larsen Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 14 E-mail: jlarsen (at) earthpolicy.org  Earth Policy Institute 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 403 Washington, DC 20036 Web: www.earthpolicy.org   

Earth Policy News - Solar Thermal Power Coming to a Boil

Earth Policy Institute Plan B Update For Immediate Release July 22, 2008  SOLAR THERMAL POWER COMING TO A BOIL  http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2008/Update73.htm  Jonathan G. Dorn  After emerging in 2006 from 15 years of hibernation, the solar thermal power industry experienced a surge in 2007, with 100 megawatts of new capacity coming online worldwide. During the 1990s, cheap fossil fuels, combined with a loss of state and federal incentives, put a damper on solar thermal power development. However, recent increases in energy prices, escalating concerns about global climate change, and fresh economic incentives are renewing interest in this technology.  Considering that the energy in sunlight reaching the earth in just 70 minutes is equivalent to annual global energy consumption, the potential for solar power is virtually unlimited. With concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) capacity expected to double every 16 months over the next five years, worldwide installed CSP capacity will reach 6,400 megawatts in 2012--14 times the current capacity. (See data at http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2008/Update73_data.htm#table1.)  Unlike solar photovoltaics (PVs), which use semiconductors to convert sunlight directly into electricity, CSP plants generate electricity using heat. Much like a magnifying glass, reflectors focus sunlight onto a fluid-filled vessel. The heat absorbed by the fluid is used to generate steam that drives a turbine to produce electricity. Power generation after sunset is possible by storing excess heat in large, insulated tanks filled with molten salt. Since CSP plants require high levels of direct solar radiation to operate efficiently, deserts make ideal locations.  Two big advantages of CSP over conventional power plants are that the electricity generation is clean and carbon-free and, since the sun is the energy source, there are no fuel costs. Energy storage in the form of heat is also significantly cheaper than battery storage of electricity, providing CSP with an economical means to overcome intermittency and deliver dispatchable power.  The United States and Spain are leading the world in the development of solar thermal power, with a combined total of over 5,600 megawatts of new capacity expected to come online by 2012. Representing over 90 percent of the projected new capacity by 2012, the output from these plants would be enough to meet the electrical needs of more than 1.7 million homes.  The largest solar thermal power complex in operation today is the Solar Electricity Generating Station in the Mojave Desert in California. Coming online between 1985 and 1991, the 354-megawatt complex has been producing enough power for 100,000 homes for almost two decades. In June 2007, the 64-megawatt Nevada Solar One plant became the first multi-megawatt commercial CSP plant to come online in the United States in 16 years.  Today, more than a dozen new CSP plants are being planned in the United States, with some 3,100 megawatts expected to come online by 2012. (See data at http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2008/Update73.htm#table6.) Some impressive CSP projects in the planning stages include the 553-megawatt Mojave Solar Park in California, the 500-megawatt Solar One and 300-megawatt Solar Two projects in California, a 300-megawatt facility in Florida, and the 280-megawatt Solana plant in Arizona.  In Spain, the first commercial-scale CSP plant to begin operation outside the United States since the mid-1980s came online in 2007: the 11-megawatt PS10 tower. The tower is part of the 300-megawatt Solúcar Platform, which, when completed in 2013, will contain ten CSP plants and produce enough electricity to supply 153,000 homes while preventing 185,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually. All told, more than 60 plants are in the pipeline in Spain, with 2,570 megawatts expected to come online by 2012.  Economic and policy incentives are partly responsible for the renewed interest in CSP. The incentives in the United States include a 30-percent federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar through the end of 2008, which has good prospects for being extended, and Renewable Portfolio Standards in 26 states. California requires that utilities get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and Nevada requires 20 percent by 2015, with at least 5 percent from solar power. The primary incentive in Spain is a feed-in tariff that guarantees that utilities will pay power producers €0.26 (40¢) per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by CSP plants for 25 years.  In the southwestern United States, the cost of electricity from CSP plants (including the federal ITC) is roughly 13–17¢ per kilowatt-hour, meaning that CSP with thermal storage is competitive today with simple-cycle natural gas-fired power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy aims to reduce CSP costs to 7–10¢ per kilowatt-hour by 2015 and to 5–7¢ per kilowatt-hour by 2020, making CSP competitive with fossil-fuel-based power sources.  Outside the United States and Spain, regulatory incentives in France, Greece, Italy, and Portugal are expected to stimulate the installation of 3,200 megawatts of CSP capacity by 2020. China anticipates building 1,000 megawatts by that time. Other countries developing CSP include Australia, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. (See map at http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2008/Update73_data.htm#fig7.)  Using CSP plants to power electric vehicles could further reduce CO2 emissions and provide strategic advantages by relaxing dependence on oil. In Israel, a tender issued by the Ministry for National Infrastructures for the construction of CSP plants and a 19.4¢ per kilowatt-hour feed-in tariff for solar power systems are sparking interest in developing up to 250 megawatts of CSP in the Negev Desert. This would produce enough electricity to run the 100,000 electric cars that Project Better Place, a company focused on building an electric personal transportation system, is planning to put on Israeli roads by the end of 2010.  A study by Ausra, a solar energy company based in California, indicates that over 90 percent of fossil fuel–generated electricity in the United States and the majority of U.S. oil usage for transportation could be eliminated using solar thermal power plants--and for less than it would cost to continue importing oil. The land requirement for the CSP plants would be roughly 15,000 square miles (38,850 square kilometers, the equivalent of 15 percent of the land area of Nevada). While this may sound like a large tract, CSP plants use less land per equivalent electrical output than large hydroelectric dams when flooded land is included, or than coal plants when factoring in land used for coal mining. Another study, published in Scientific American in January 2008, proposes using CSP and PV plants to produce 69 percent of U.S. electricity and 35 percent of total U.S. energy, including transportation, by 2050.  CSP plants on less than 0.3 percent of the desert areas of North Africa and the Middle East could generate enough electricity to meet the needs of these two regions plus the European Union. Realizing this, the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation--an initiative of The Club of Rome, the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation, and the National Energy Research Center of Jordan--conceived the DESERTEC Concept in 2003. This plan to develop a renewable energy network to transmit power to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa calls for 100,000 megawatts of CSP to be built throughout the Middle East and North Africa by 2050. Electricity delivery to Europe would occur via direct current transmission cables across the Mediterranean. Taking the lead in making the concept a reality, Algeria plans to build a 3,000-kilometer cable between the Algerian town of Adrar and the German city of Aachen to export 6,000 megawatts of solar thermal power by 2020.  If the projected annual growth rate of CSP through 2012 is maintained to 2020, global installed CSP capacity would exceed 200,000 megawatts--equivalent to 135 coal-fired power plants. With billions of dollars beginning to flow into the CSP industry and U.S. restrictions on carbon emissions imminent, CSP is primed to reach such capacity.  #     #     #  For more information on Earth Policy Institute’s goal of 200,000 MW of CSP worldwide, part of  a plan to cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2020, see Chapters 11-13 in Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, available at www.earthpolicy.org for free downloading.  For information contact:  Media Contact: Reah Janise Kauffman Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 12 E-mail: rjk (at) earthpolicy.org  Research Contact: Janet Larsen Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 14 E-mail: jlarsen (at) earthpolicy.org  Earth Policy Institute 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 403 Washington, DC 20036 Web: www.earthpolicy.org   

Al Gore's Climate Challenge Speech