Monday, January 22, 2007
From Competition to Cooperation: Companies Collaborate on Social and Environmental Issues
Momentum is gaining on collaborations. The United States Climate Action Partnership -- a group of ten major companies including Alcoa, Duke Energy, DuPont, and General Electric -- announced a push for carbon regulation in the US. The move was timed right before President Bush's State of the Union address. The partnership, which grew out of discussions last year between GE and the World Resources Institute and Environmental Defense -- seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 10 to 30 percent over the next 15 years through a carbon cap-and-trade system.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
California is leading the way
While the Planktos family lives (for the most part) in California, we have a special connection with British Columbia. About a third of the folks around here hail from Victoria, so imagine my excitement when I saw the following Tyee article about Cambells rumored energy plan, which it is hoped, will largely be based on the California Global Warming Solutions Act
This is yet another reminder that the world is watching California. We need to ensure that the implementation of the California Global Warming Solutions Act sets the standard for future state and provincial (as well as federal we hope soon!) legislation.
Secret Energy Plan: Will Campbell Top Schwarzenegger?
'The Governator' raises the bar, BC pushed to match California global warming targets.
By Tom BarrettPublished: January 9, 2007
TheTyee.ca
Environmentalists are hoping that Premier Gordon Campbell can measure up to a certain former action hero when it comes to fighting climate change.
Climate change campaigners say they've been hearing rumours out of Victoria that the Campbell government intends to announce action on greenhouse gas emissions soon.
Their hopes were raised by a year-end interview with Jeff Rud of the Times-Colonist in which Campbell said B.C. needs to be a leader on climate change. A forthcoming update of the government's energy plan will "deal directly" with the issue, Campbell said.
"I think there's probably a lot of people who are hoping it's going to [contain] some greenhouse gas targets," says Lisa Matthaus, campaigns director for the Sierra Club of B.C. "As good as, if not better than, California has."
Environmental groups see the California standards, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last fall, as the standard for other jurisdictions to meet. The California Global Warming Solutions Act aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2020 through market-based mechanisms.
This is yet another reminder that the world is watching California. We need to ensure that the implementation of the California Global Warming Solutions Act sets the standard for future state and provincial (as well as federal we hope soon!) legislation.
Secret Energy Plan: Will Campbell Top Schwarzenegger?
'The Governator' raises the bar, BC pushed to match California global warming targets.
By Tom BarrettPublished: January 9, 2007
TheTyee.ca
Environmentalists are hoping that Premier Gordon Campbell can measure up to a certain former action hero when it comes to fighting climate change.
Climate change campaigners say they've been hearing rumours out of Victoria that the Campbell government intends to announce action on greenhouse gas emissions soon.
Their hopes were raised by a year-end interview with Jeff Rud of the Times-Colonist in which Campbell said B.C. needs to be a leader on climate change. A forthcoming update of the government's energy plan will "deal directly" with the issue, Campbell said.
"I think there's probably a lot of people who are hoping it's going to [contain] some greenhouse gas targets," says Lisa Matthaus, campaigns director for the Sierra Club of B.C. "As good as, if not better than, California has."
Environmental groups see the California standards, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last fall, as the standard for other jurisdictions to meet. The California Global Warming Solutions Act aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2020 through market-based mechanisms.
Schwarzenegger isn't stopping with AB 32
Apparently, reducing overall emissions by 25% isn't enough! The Governer has decided to tackle the fuel industry as well which makes up a significant portion of California's emissions.
The article below outlines Schwarzenegger's plans to announce a mandate to reduce fuel emissions by 10%, resulting in a decline in overall gas comsumption as well as a boom in the alternative fuel industry. Who knows? Maybe we'll start seeing biodeisel stations popping up next to every McDonalds!
Next Schwarzenegger target: fuel emissions
By Marc Lifsher, Times Staff WriterJanuary 9, 2007
SACRAMENTO — Escalating California's battle against global warming, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to announce today that he will order a 10% cut in motor vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide.
Under the proposal, petroleum refiners and gasoline sellers would be ordered to reduce the carbon content of their fuels over the next 13 years.
The order could also usher in a new generation of alternative fuels in California, experts say, as refiners consider adding ethanol or other biofuels into gasoline blends. It could also mean a shift of part of the state's auto fleet to hydrogen or electric power.
Experts have said the changes could mean an increase in fuel prices over the years, but industry officials declined to comment Monday.
"Basically, California is signaling the beginning of a whole new era for fuels and for renewable energy," said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense, a New York-based activist group.
Schwarzenegger plans to include the environmental proposal as part of his annual State of the State address. Contents of the planned executive order were disclosed to The Times by industry sources and confirmed by administration officials familiar with the plan.
The article below outlines Schwarzenegger's plans to announce a mandate to reduce fuel emissions by 10%, resulting in a decline in overall gas comsumption as well as a boom in the alternative fuel industry. Who knows? Maybe we'll start seeing biodeisel stations popping up next to every McDonalds!
Next Schwarzenegger target: fuel emissions
By Marc Lifsher, Times Staff WriterJanuary 9, 2007
SACRAMENTO — Escalating California's battle against global warming, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to announce today that he will order a 10% cut in motor vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide.
Under the proposal, petroleum refiners and gasoline sellers would be ordered to reduce the carbon content of their fuels over the next 13 years.
The order could also usher in a new generation of alternative fuels in California, experts say, as refiners consider adding ethanol or other biofuels into gasoline blends. It could also mean a shift of part of the state's auto fleet to hydrogen or electric power.
Experts have said the changes could mean an increase in fuel prices over the years, but industry officials declined to comment Monday.
"Basically, California is signaling the beginning of a whole new era for fuels and for renewable energy," said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense, a New York-based activist group.
Schwarzenegger plans to include the environmental proposal as part of his annual State of the State address. Contents of the planned executive order were disclosed to The Times by industry sources and confirmed by administration officials familiar with the plan.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Great Emissions Calculator!
I stumbled across a fantastic emissions calculator today while doing some research.
The EPA Clean Energy Department has a 'power profiler' which will provide you with detailed information about where your energy comes from.
The tool uses your zip code to provide a fuel mix comparison, an emissions rate comparison and provides suggestions on how to make a difference.
Then, you can use your actual monthly energy use, your average monthly energy use or the square footage of your home or business to determine your emissions. This provides you with the estimated pounds of nitrogen oxide, sulpher dioxide and carbon dioxide you emit each year.
This is translated into real terms, aka how many cars produce the equivalent, or how many trees need to be planted to compensate.
Give it a go! See how you compare to the national average
Ocean Acidification is on the Senator's Radar
Barbara Boxer's global hot seat
Sen. Barbara Boxer, who takes over as chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has promised that combatting climate change will be her top priority. While Congress will likely move "incrementally," she vows that there will be a "sea change" in how the committee addresses environmental issues.
Boxer and other committee members might look no further than the sea for a sense of just how far beyond a certain "tipping point" climate change has already taken us.
According to a New Yorker article entitled 'The Darkening Sea,' nearly half of all the carbon dioxide that humans have emitted since the start of the nineteenth century has been absorbed by the sea -- which covers 70 percent of the earth.
That has led to a 30% increase in what is called 'ocean acidification' -- a term coined by two Lawrence Livermore Lab scientists -- which will only increase as we continue to dump billions of tons of carbon into the oceans every year, resulting in a process that cannot be reversed, according to scientists quoted in the article.
How is marine life dealing with what is threatening to become one gigantic, global bath of acid? Well, for one thing, the calcium-containing shells of pteropods, part of the zooplankton family, are dissolving."I think there's a whole category of organisms that have been around for hundreds of millions of years which are at risk of extinction -- namely, things that build calcium-carbonate shells or skeletons," says one of the Livermore scientists, Ken Caldeira.
So, what can be done about it?
According to a New Yorker article entitled 'The Darkening Sea,' nearly half of all the carbon dioxide that humans have emitted since the start of the nineteenth century has been absorbed by the sea -- which covers 70 percent of the earth.
That has led to a 30% increase in what is called 'ocean acidification' -- a term coined by two Lawrence Livermore Lab scientists -- which will only increase as we continue to dump billions of tons of carbon into the oceans every year, resulting in a process that cannot be reversed, according to scientists quoted in the article.
How is marine life dealing with what is threatening to become one gigantic, global bath of acid? Well, for one thing, the calcium-containing shells of pteropods, part of the zooplankton family, are dissolving."I think there's a whole category of organisms that have been around for hundreds of millions of years which are at risk of extinction -- namely, things that build calcium-carbonate shells or skeletons," says one of the Livermore scientists, Ken Caldeira.
So, what can be done about it?
"To a first approximation, if we cut our emissions in half it will take us twice as long to create the damage. But we'll get to more or less the same place. We really need an order-of-magnitude reduction in order to avoid it."
And that's just what planktos ecorestoration projects will provide!
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
New Certification Standard Proposed for Climate Offset Products
There is a lot of uncertainty in the voluntary carbon offset market. With no standardized system for verification and certification presently in place in the United States, it is hard for the consumer to be able to judge the quality of the offsets they are purchasing.
This uncertainty has raised the need for a national or state-based certification system. There are several initiatives currently in place. The following article outlines one such program. I encourage you to log onto their website and submit your comments or read their report here. What is important to you in terms of verification and certification offsets? Are all offsets equal? Let them know. But before you do, check out this article:
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 21, 2006 - A new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Product Certification Standard has been published for stakeholder comment by the Center for Resource Solutions. CRS is developing the new standard with the Green-e GHG Advisory Group, composed of key environmental organizations, government agencies, businesses, and advocacy organizations who work on climate change issues. CRS believes the creation of this draft standard is the first step in ensuring credibility in the marketplace for voluntary GHG reduction products, such as carbon offsets offered to help "neutralize" an individual's or organization's climate impacts. Based on recent press coverage and uncertainty in the marketplace, it is evident that buyers of these products are seeking a higher level of certainty in the market about the quality of products. CRS aims to provide consumer protection to the growing number of individuals and businesses who choose to decrease their own contribution to global warming by purchasing greenhouse gas reductions.
Read More
This uncertainty has raised the need for a national or state-based certification system. There are several initiatives currently in place. The following article outlines one such program. I encourage you to log onto their website and submit your comments or read their report here. What is important to you in terms of verification and certification offsets? Are all offsets equal? Let them know. But before you do, check out this article:
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 21, 2006 - A new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Product Certification Standard has been published for stakeholder comment by the Center for Resource Solutions. CRS is developing the new standard with the Green-e GHG Advisory Group, composed of key environmental organizations, government agencies, businesses, and advocacy organizations who work on climate change issues. CRS believes the creation of this draft standard is the first step in ensuring credibility in the marketplace for voluntary GHG reduction products, such as carbon offsets offered to help "neutralize" an individual's or organization's climate impacts. Based on recent press coverage and uncertainty in the marketplace, it is evident that buyers of these products are seeking a higher level of certainty in the market about the quality of products. CRS aims to provide consumer protection to the growing number of individuals and businesses who choose to decrease their own contribution to global warming by purchasing greenhouse gas reductions.
Read More
Happy New Year!
Hello Planktos shipmates!
This is just a quick new years greeting message to all our friends.
This is a very exciting year for Planktos. Our store was bustling over the holidays with all kinds of eco-friendly folks neutralizing their friends and families this holiday season. And its not too late! What a better way to start the year than by neutralizing your 2007 carbon footprint in advance. Just visit our store to look at your options.
Within the year, we will be heading out on our new research vessel as well. Be sure to keep an eye on this space for all the exciting bloom updates.
On the land side of things, Klimafa is going ahead with its new partnership with with UNEP billion tree campaign. For more information, check out the blog archive.
Climate change consciousness has reached the tipping point. Over the last six months, the level of awareness of the crisis we are facing has exploded. The media is teeming with stories about the Kyoto Protocol, voluntary emissions offsets, and local and international efforts to raise awareness and develop solutions for climate change.
Many of these exciting initiatives are coming out of the youth and on University Campuses. A great blog to keep up to date on the campus climate initiative is itsgettinghotinhere.org. You can get information about local, regional and national initiatives and events.
Over the new year I met a recent McGill graduate who had helped to develop technology that sequesters carbon dioxide in concrete! It not only makes the concrete stronger and impermeable, but has the capacity to sequester a billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year. It is this kind of innovation which is needed to attack the climate crisis from as many sides as possible.
and here is a great quote passed along to be by my lovely friend Rosemary -
From an op-ed in the New York Times:
"...while our embrace of green has finally reached a tipping point, the tipping point on climate change and species loss is also fast approaching, if it’s not already here. There’s no time to lose. “People see an endangered species every day now when they look in the mirror,” said the environmentalist Rob Watson. “It is not about the whales anymore.”
Let's hope 2007 sees an explosion in climate mitigation success!
This is just a quick new years greeting message to all our friends.
This is a very exciting year for Planktos. Our store was bustling over the holidays with all kinds of eco-friendly folks neutralizing their friends and families this holiday season. And its not too late! What a better way to start the year than by neutralizing your 2007 carbon footprint in advance. Just visit our store to look at your options.
Within the year, we will be heading out on our new research vessel as well. Be sure to keep an eye on this space for all the exciting bloom updates.
On the land side of things, Klimafa is going ahead with its new partnership with with UNEP billion tree campaign. For more information, check out the blog archive.
Climate change consciousness has reached the tipping point. Over the last six months, the level of awareness of the crisis we are facing has exploded. The media is teeming with stories about the Kyoto Protocol, voluntary emissions offsets, and local and international efforts to raise awareness and develop solutions for climate change.
Many of these exciting initiatives are coming out of the youth and on University Campuses. A great blog to keep up to date on the campus climate initiative is itsgettinghotinhere.org. You can get information about local, regional and national initiatives and events.
Over the new year I met a recent McGill graduate who had helped to develop technology that sequesters carbon dioxide in concrete! It not only makes the concrete stronger and impermeable, but has the capacity to sequester a billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year. It is this kind of innovation which is needed to attack the climate crisis from as many sides as possible.
and here is a great quote passed along to be by my lovely friend Rosemary -
From an op-ed in the New York Times:
"...while our embrace of green has finally reached a tipping point, the tipping point on climate change and species loss is also fast approaching, if it’s not already here. There’s no time to lose. “People see an endangered species every day now when they look in the mirror,” said the environmentalist Rob Watson. “It is not about the whales anymore.”
Let's hope 2007 sees an explosion in climate mitigation success!
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