Green Renter: New Yorkers & Global Warming: Public Opinions and What Global Warming Means for New York City.
Sunday, May 4th, 2008| May 12, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
Debika Shome, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Columbia University
Sabine Marx, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Columbia University
Stephen Hammer, Urban Energy Program, Center for Energy, Marine Transportation and Public Policy (CEMTPP), Columbia University
William Solecki, The CUNY Insitute for Sustainable Cities
Are New Yorkers worried about flooding? heatwaves? sea level rise? What ARE the potential impacts of global warming on New York City? Are we willing to change our lifestyles to reduce our impact on the environment? Do we support the Mayor’s sustainability plan — PlaNYC 2030?
For this lecture, researchers Shome, Marx, Hammer and Solecki will review the results from the first-ever study of New Yorkers’ opinions about global warming. They will also discuss whether people’s perceptions match scientific projections for the future.
Posted in Global Warming, Solar One Events | Permalink
Sarkozy Calls For More Private Funding for Green Initiatives
Monday, April 21st, 2008
French President Nicholas Sarkozy called for a significant increase in green investment at an international conference on global warming last week in Paris. As much as 90% of the financing that will be necessary to help mitigate climate change must come from the private sector, France’s leader told reporters.
His comments were intended to address the creation of a long-term strategy to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Sarkozy also called for the establishment of a globally regulated carbon credit market and cited America’s policy of stimulating environmental change through private financing, though he is critical of the American administration’s insistence on voluntary emissions cuts. In the past Sarkozy has openly advocated stricter tariffs and trade penalties on nations that do not actively attempt to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, even going so far as to threaten American imports with stiffer taxation if the U.S. continues to vacillate on the establishment of a mandatory emissions cap.
Ever the diplomat, Sarkozy made no mention of President Bush’s apparently straight-faced attempt at credible environmental policy. Bush’s announcement earlier in the week that the U.S. would reduce its emissions by 2025 was met with harsh criticism at the conference by Germany and other nations; the EU released a subtler but no less emphatic statement that Bush’s plan did “not match the level of ambition needed on the part of developed countries, considering their responsibilities in the challenge we face”.
Despite his seemingly contradictory about-face on climate change, Bush offered no specific suggestions as to how this emissions reduction would be achieved. Skeptical environmentalists claim that the announcement is merely an attempt to establish a less rigorous policy before his successor has a chance to tackle the issue. With the American president’s likely motives revealed, the rest of us can stop looking for further signs of the apocalypse. The world just isn’t ready for a green George W…
Posted in Global Warming, Politics | Permalink
Acciona Unveils New CSP Power Plant
Friday, March 21st, 2008
Las Vegas is known for many things, but cutting-edge solar technology has never been one of them. Until recently, that is. Just a few miles outside of Las Vegas sits a prototype 64MW power plant called “Nevada Solar One“. Though its official opening was held on February 22, the plant has been up and running since last June and can generate enough energy to power more than 14,000 homes. In effect, Nevada Solar One uses a combination of solar and steam to operate; this technology, known as “concentrating solar power” (CSP), generates electricity by using the sun’s rays to boil water and the resulting steam to power turbines. If successful, CSP could revolutionize the energy industry.
The brainchild of Acciona SA, a Spanish conglomerate that specializes in civil engineering, construction and infrastructures, Nevada Solar One uses parabolic mirrors to focus sunlight on a tube of fluid above them. Other CSP plants, including an 11MW facility that opened in Spain last year, utilize different designs. The plant in Spain uses a dense array of smaller mirrors to focus light on a water tower at its center. Other variations use long, flat mirrors or devices that look like satellite dishes. Some even continue to provide power after the sun sets by storing energy in molten salt. CSP is also more cost-effective than traditional solar installation, in that it doesn’t rely on pricey and energy-intensive silicon panels.
CSP’s future clearly seems sunny. According to the SEIA, another 11,000MW worth of CSP plants are supposedly in the pipeline thanks to generous federal tax breaks that offset up to 45% of initial costs. If all goes according to plan, viable solar power may be right around the corner.
Posted in Energy, Energy Efficiency, Global Warming, Renewables, Technology | Permalink
Oceans Becoming More Acidic
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
By now you’ve probably heard most of the doomsday scenarios regarding global warming. Temperatures and sea levels are rising, glaciers and ice caps are melting, and shifting weather patterns are wreaking havoc with ways of life that have otherwise changed little for centuries. Climate change has been connected with everything from water-rights squabbles to failing crops to an increasing prevalence of malaria and dengue fever. Some scientists have speculated that these scenarios may be avoided by sequestering greenhouse gases in large bodies of water, but this short-sighted approach begs the question: what exactly are these emissions doing to our oceans?
“Ocean acidification” was a hot topic at the recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). According to researchers, our oceans have lower pH levels now than at any point in the last 40 million years, and at the present rate these levels will drop by another .3 units by the end of the century. This is due to the chemical reactions that result when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water, forming carbonic acid. Over the long term, this process could affect the food chain in significant ways. First, many organisms will not grow as large or will produce fewer offspring, as increased levels of CO2 render respiration and other physiological processes less efficient. Also, the absorption of greenhouse gases is likely to create dead-zones at some depths where the CO2-oxygen ratios are too low to support life. This is apparently already happening and is somewhat similar to the poisonous volcanic crater lakes that exist in central Africa, where high levels of CO2 and other gases are kept at the lake bottom due to water pressure — until something stirs up the water, leading to the release of noxious plumes that can have lethal, large-scale consequences, such as the 1700 people killed in Cameroon in 1986.
It is unlikely that the presence of such dead-zones in the oceans will present any significant danger to human populations, except in that such zones will lower the productivity of the ecosystem, affecting subsistence fishermen and others who rely on the sea for their sustenance and livelihood. But there is one more way in which ocean acidification could have serious consequences. Shellfish, coral and echinoderms may not be able to form their exoskeletons, as the calcium carbonate on which they depend dissolves during carbonic acid formation. One researcher referred to the massive volcanic explosions at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago which caused oceanic pH levels to change suddenly, leading to the extinction of 90% of oceanic species, particularly those that make shells from calcium carbonate. Another researcher, looking into the combined effects of acidification and temperature increase, conducted experiments on purple sea urchins that replicated the ecological conditions that will exist in 2100 if emissions levels continue unabated. Her results indicated that the urchins had to work up to three times harder to create their shells, and that these shells were often deformed.
All this goes to show that you can’t simply shrug off greenhouse gases by pumping them underwater.
Posted in Art, Global Warming, Technology, Waste, Water | Permalink
FutureGen Already Past? (Clean Coal - The Sequel)
Friday, March 7th, 2008 Back in December, we posted a report about what was billed to be the world’s first zero-emissions coal-burning power plant - FutureGen - slated for operation by 2012 in Mattoon, Illinois (Click here to read the original post). FutureGen was intended to be the first large-scale energy production facility to utilize a new technology known as Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), a process by which carbon dioxide and the other impurities that result from the burning of coal are pumped and stored underground in porous rock strata and saline aquifers, thereby keeping harmful emissions from accumulating in the atmosphere.
Despite the apparently noble intent of this project, our initial report voiced some reservations. First, that CCS had not been adequately tested, with regard to both its large-scale feasibility and its lack of environmental impact (especially on groundwater and subterranean rock/mineral formations). Second, that massive cost overruns and delays were becoming an increasing burden to the project before ground had even been broken.
It now seems that those reservations may have been more than idle speculation. The Economist reported last month that FutureGen is, according to DOE parlance, being “restructured”. In their typically blunt fashion, the eminent policy journal translates this to mean “starting from scratch” (See “Up In Smoke”; Jan. 31, 2008). The DOE is now requesting more information on CCS from the private sector with an eye towards building several smaller plants based on the technology in place of Mattoon’s grand enterprise. This reconsideration was based partly on a March 2007 report issued by MIT suggesting the need for more extensive investigations into CCS and the adoption of less cumbersome federal legislation. The new plan pushes back the completion of the first wave of CCS power plants to 2015 and promises to “at least double the amount” of impurities sequestered. No one yet knows if Mattoon or a reincarnated FutureGen Alliance will be involved.
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Legislation, Politics, Pollution, Technology | Permalink
First Survey of New Yorkers and Climate Change Finds Majority Worried about Impacts
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
A new survey of New Yorkers finds that most are convinced global warming is happening now and more should be done by key leaders to help New York City deal with climate change. The survey is the first-ever study of New Yorkers’ opinions about global warming and was designed and funded by researchers at Columbia and Yale Universities, and led by the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia. The survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research International, is based on English and Spanish telephone interviews with a representative sample of 1,000 adults living in New York City’s five boroughs. The interviews took place from November 28 to December 16, 2007. The survey’s key findings include:
- A large majority of New Yorkers are convinced that global warming is happening (78%), and of that number, 82 percent believe that global warming is caused mainly by human activities or caused equally by humans and natural changes.
- A majority of New Yorkers (60%) say they are personally worried about global warming. Further, 22 percent believe that global warming is already having dangerous impacts on the city while an additional 30 percent believe dangerous impacts are imminent within the next 10 years.
- Large majorities of New Yorkers believe that global warming will cause more heat waves (85%); energy blackouts (79%); worse storms, hurricanes and tornadoes (79%); increased rates of disease (72%); and flooding of subways, tunnels and airports (70%).
- Finally, a majority (69%) say it is likely that parts of New York City will need to be abandoned due to rising sea levels over the next 50 years
The complete summary and executive summary can be viewed here.
Posted in Global Warming, New York City | Permalink
PV Solar = True Green
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
Sometimes it can be difficult to gauge sustainability, because of all the factors that can contribute to the footprint of any given product. And while we all know that solar cells produce clean electricity once they’re installed, how much waste, pollution and greenhouse gases do they create while being manufactured?
Check out this article on the Scientific American website explaining how the entire life cycle of every common type of solar cell produces so little pollution and waste that even when made with power provided by coal-powered plants, solar power would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent if it replaced (or phased out) fossil fuels.
Environmental scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory tested the four most common types of PV cells: multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon and thin-film. They all produced fewer greenhouse gases over their entire life cycle when compared with oil, coal and natural gas.
Posted in Global Warming, Photovoltaics | Permalink
Two Strikes Against Corn
Monday, February 11th, 2008
Few agricultural markets in the U.S. are currently more robust than the corn market; even with prices at their highest point in a decade (reaching $4 a bushel in 2007), already generous federal subsidies to corn farmers are set to increase to $10.5 billion over the next five years, thanks to a bill recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Another bill passed by the Senate would double the federal mandate for corn-based ethanol as an alternative fuel source, also music to corn farmers’ ears.
But don’t go investing in corn futures just yet. Two recent news articles report findings that may limit the market’s long-term viability. One article combines the results of two reports that suggest that corn-based ethanol may increase rather than lower greenhouse gas emissions. While previous reports had reached a similar conclusion concerning corn’s efficiency when converted into biofuel, these new studies focus on other by-products of this latest corn craze — the replacement of soy fields with corn in the U.S. is leading to higher food prices and the clearing of Amazonian rain forests to plant more soy. This land conversion is creating an even greater carbon debt than that produced by standard fossil fuel consumption. According to one study, “Corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20-percent savings [in greenhouse gas emissions], nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years… We can’t get to a result with corn ethanol where we can generate greenhouse gas benefits.”
The other by-product of this increase in the production of ethanol created from food crops such as corn — a decline in global food supply and a subsequent increase in food prices — adversely affects millions of people in developing countries. According to ecologist David Tilman, coauthor of one of the studies, “We are converting their food into fuel. The typical driver of an SUV spends as much on fuel in a month as the poorer third of the world spend on food.”
In an unrelated development, France has just announced that it will halt the use of genetically-modified corn while it awaits the EU’s decision regarding a full ban. While this decision is most certainly intended to address concerns about the long-term effects of the consumption of bioengineered crops, not to mention the possibility of cross-fertilization with wild crop strains, it will no doubt affect the price and supply of corn as a cheap (albeit inefficient) fuel substitute, especially when one considers that most industry experts believe that genetic engineering may be the best way to increase the fuel conversion efficiency of corn and other low-cellulose crops.
One thing that seems all too clear is that, unless an informed public takes action, pork-barrel politics may regrettably get in the way of even such a seemingly progressive step as the development of efficient biofuels.
Posted in Biofuel, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Food, Global Warming, Legislation, Sustainability, Technology | Permalink
Edwards Goes Public Against Coal
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 In the recent Democratic debate John Edwards called for stopping the construction of any new coal power plants in America that did not sequester the carbon dioxide emissions. His quote from the debate, courtesy of Grist:I believe we need a moratorium on the building of any more coal-fired power plants unless and until we have the ability to capture and sequester the carbon in the ground. Because every time we build a new coal-fired power plant in America when we don’t have that technology attached to it, what happens is, we’re making a terrible situation worse.
We’re getting somewhere! Now if we could just get a front-runner to jump on board…
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Politics | Permalink
Europe’s Automakers Grapple With New Emissions Standards, While Gas Guzzlers In Cali Can Rest Easy
Friday, January 4th, 2008
While EPA honcho Stephen L. Johnson spent last week thwarting the attempts of California and 16 other states to adopt measures limiting automobile emissions, the European Union is taking unprecedented steps of its own to limit the carbon footprint of cars sold within its countries’ borders.
According to an article published in last week’s Economist (“Collision Course”; Dec. 22, 2007), the EU is about to adopt “the world’s strictest CO2-emission standards”. By 2012, new cars sold in the EU must meet an emissions threshold of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer; at present, European-made cars average about 160 g/km. The European Commission will also recommend the imposition of a fine of $137 per car per gram over the 130g/km limit. While this standard will undoubtably present a problem for all of Europe’s car manufacturers, the most vociferous protests are emanating from German luxury car giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Vehicles produced by these two companies average in the range of 184 g/km and 188 g/km respectively, about $7,000 in fines per car above the proposed threshold. In contrast, French and Italian automakers Citroen, Renault and Fiat — all whose fleets are “heavily biased towards fuel-efficient small cars” — average 142-147 g/km per car.
However, the ultimate form that this legislation will take is not yet settled. German auto lobbyists have pushed for a special “weight dispensation” that will provide relative emissions allowances for heavier cars; much to the dismay of environmental activists, the European Commission has agreed in principle. Ultimately, though, by focusing this emissions cap on cars sold in Europe rather than on cars manufactured, this mandate may do little to curb global greenhouse gases, as the main markets for both BMW and Mercedes lie abroad — mainly in the US, Russia and China, all countries whose clean-air standards still leave much to be desired.
Meanwhile, the attempts of California and other states to adopt their own clean-air initiatives are being stonewalled. Despite the recent deservedly-lauded legislation set to increase fuel efficiency in US-manufactured vehicles by as much as 40% by 2020, the California ruling unfortunately demonstrates the current administration’s continued reticence to recognize the global environmental crisis. It’s probably no coincidence that Johnson rendered his decision only after the latest round of Vice-President Cheney’s confabs with auto lobbyists, where Cheney purportedly promised to kill the California bill in exchange for industry support on the federal bill. Though EU officials seem willing to take an albeit limited lead on emissions reduction, the Bush administration continues to send mixed signals to the global community, slapping itself on the back with one hand for passing legislation it never wanted in the first place, while surreptitiously removing the bill’s teeth with the other.
Posted in Global Warming, Legislation, Pollution | Permalink
