Global Call For Carbon Tax

Sky-high carbon tax needed to avoid climate catastrophe, say experts; Economists, including Joseph Stiglitz and Nicholas Stern, say taxes of $100 per metric tonne could be needed by 2030

Phillip Inman, 29 May 2017 (UK Guardian)

“…[T]he world risks catastrophic global warming in just 13 years unless countries ramp up taxes on carbon emissions…[A report backed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and endorsed by experts] including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern said governments needed to move quickly to tackle polluting industries with a tax on carbon dioxide at $40-$80 per tonne by 2020…A tax of $100 a tonne would be needed by 2030 as one of a series of measures to prevent a rise in global temperatures of 2C…[P]oor countries could aim for a lower tax since their economies are more vulnerable…The aim of a tax on carbon would be essential to meet the targets set by the Cop21 Paris Agreement in 2015…The Trump administration has rejected calls to introduce a carbon tax in the United States, saying it would cost jobs…” click here for more

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New Energy Boom Getting Bigger

Forty Years Ahead Of Eia's Forecast, Renewables Double Their Share By Providing 19.35% Of U.S. Electricity. Wind Tops 7%; Solar Reaches 1.5%

Kenneth Bossong, May 30, 2017 (Sun Day)

“…[New Energy] sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar - inc. small-scale PV, wind) accounted for 19.35% of net U.S. electrical generation during the first quarter of 2017. Of this, conventional hydropower accounted for 8.67%, followed by wind (7.10%), biomass (1.64%), solar (1.47%), and geothermal (0.47%). Combined, non-hydro renewables accounted for 10.68% of total generation…[In 2012, EIA forecast non-hydro New Energy would get to only 9% by 2035…[It is now clear that solar, wind, and the other New Energies,] now providing almost one-fifth of the nation's electrical production, are vastly exceeding expectations…[Actual New Energy generation] is 9.70% greater than just a year ago…” click here for more

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Solar Could Be Worth Nearly Three TRILLION $$$

Solar Energy’s Potential $2.8 Trillion Prize; A new projection put the opportunity in solar at $2.8 trillion and there's plenty of money to go around.

Travis Hoium, May 27, 2017 (Motley Fool)

“…[There is a clear path] to $2.8 trillion in solar power investments globally between now and 2035…[taking solar to] 17% of the world's energy, up from around 2% right now…[According to Shayle Kann of GTM Research, that amount of investment is a reasonable] assumption, given how cost effective [solar] already is today. If that happens, the industry's annual sales will grow from the approximately $87 billion made in 2016 to about $250 billion in 2035, leading to a cumulative installation over that period of 3,000 GW of solar power systems at a cost of $2.8 trillion…[Whether] from a dollar or volume perspective, that suggests enormous growth opportunities ahead for companies [like SunPower, First Solar, and Canadian Solar] that can build strong market shares in solar…[But solar projects] need to be financed in such a way that their investors can make money on them…[and] that hasn't always been easy for solar developers…[U]tilities are seeing solar as a bigger and bigger option for growth…” click here for more

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100 Things To Do About The Climate

100 Practical Ways to Reverse Climate Change; You know some of them—use renewable energy, eat less meat—but others will surprise you.

Simon Worrall, May 28, 2017 (National Geographic)

“…Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming [brings] together geologists, engineers, agronomists, climatologists, biologists, botanists, economists, financial analysts, architects, NGOs, activists, and other experts…[and offers 100 actionable] solutions to reverse global warming…[Hawken says the tendency has been] to silver bullet the problem, which is to look for the big solution…[which leaves out] a great number of salient, important solutions…[One of Hawken’s favorites is repopulating the mammoth steppe, the subarctic region that used to stretch from Alaska across Europe to Russia, with animals that were originally there to reduce the temperature of the soil in the subarctic and enhance the ability of that area to retain its permafrost…” click here for more

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Hints About The DOE Grid Study Emerging

What We Know So Far About Rick Perry’s Power Grid “Study”

Jim Marston, May 26, 2017 (Environmental Defense Fund Blog)

“…[Many are concerned that Secretary of Energy Rick Perry’s 60-day] ‘study’ of whether any policies or regulations have led to the premature retirement of coal or nuclear plants…60 days is barely enough time to fill job vacancies in a new administration, much less conduct a thorough analysis of America’s complex energy policies…Perry’s coal propaganda has nothing to do with reliability and everything to do with giving the pollution industry what it wants. The ‘grid reliability’ angle is a ruse, and one Perry used a decade ago when he tried to fast track new coal plants in Texas. This issue has been studied relentlessly by grid operators and government agencies around the country, and the grid is handling coal’s decline just fine. The Trump administration is using the reliability argument as cover to distract the American people from their close ties with the coal industry…[Perry’s] Chief of Staff, who will manage the study, worked for the Edison Electric Institute – where he led its anti-solar campaign…” click here for more

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Farmers, Tree Huggers Unite Behind Wind

Wind Energy Unites Enviros And Farmers

Gregory Dennis, May 28, 2017 (Vermont Digger)

“…[Environmentalists] put a priority on preventing damage to the ecosystems that support us. Property rights [advocates remind] us that there should be limits to what the government can force owners to do…But as Vermont moves haltingly toward cleaner energy, ‘Greens’ and some property rights advocates, especially farmers, now find themselves on the same side…[Both oppose regulatory constraints on sound levels of] wind turbines…[Greens want to push the state rapidly toward its 90% renewables by 2050 goal and farmers and others want to be able to erect low-noise wind turbines to meet their energy needs…A group of 40 farms last year called on Vermont officials to protect property owners’ rights to install solar and other energy…Wind already employs over 325 workers in Vermont and could provide many more jobs if there’s a market…” click here for more

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How To Tell Kids About Climate Change

Climate change predictions can be scary for kids. What can you say?

Kirsten Clark, May 22, 2017 (Louisville Courier-Journal via USA Today)

“…Climate change — as well as other environmental issues like deforestation and wildlife extinction — have the potential to be scary for children. The implications of climate change can contribute to stress, depression and anxiety for everyone, but especially for kids…[Experts say parents should approach these topics in several ways. First, encourage actions like a recycling and help] them brainstorm ways to have a larger-scale impact…Talk about animals to get them] talking more and learning more about environmental issues…Be in nature to allow them to see they’re also a part of the natural cycle and what they] do affects the environment…[Examine daily habits and learn from the] kids...[They often care more] than adults do…” click here for more

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California Takes A New Look At Wind

California is falling behind in producing wind power

Danielle Osborne Mills, May 22, 2017 (Sacramento Bee)

“American renewable energy was born in California…[But] California is at risk of falling behind…[It has fallen to fourth in installed wind capacity behind] Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma…[T]his is a bad time to fall behind…California’s leadership has been clear in its direction to the state’s energy agencies and utilities. In 2015, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León led the passage of a law requiring [50% renewables by 2030 and a 40% cut in] greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030…Agencies are devoting significant resources to the development of an all-encompassing planning process…[New renewable energy investment is needed] and a diverse set of technologies from a larger geographic footprint will reduce ratepayer costs…[A] new bill also authored by de León, Senate Bill 100, proposes moving the 50 percent target up to 2026 and eventually hitting 100 percent clean energy by 2045…” click here for more

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Mercedes Benz Goes Solar – With BatteriesTuesday May 23

Mercedes-Benz and Vivint Solar partner to compete with Tesla in home energy

Robert Ferris, 18 May 2017 (CNBC)

“Mercedes-Benz is partnering with U.S.-based Vivint Solar to compete with Tesla and similar companies in residential solar energy and storage…[Beginning in Q2, Mercedes-Benz Energy will offer] its 2.5 kilowatt-hour energy storage batteries with Vivint's rooftop solar to make a combined product for [California] homeowners…[A] similar program has already been successful in Europe…Costs will vary depending on the system, but a fully installed 2.5 kWh battery system, when paired with a solar energy system will cost about $5,000…A 20 kWh home energy storage system — made of several connected batteries —will cost about $13,000 fully installed…The offering includes the complete package: batteries, inverter, all required technical components, professional installation, permitting, system design and consultation with Vivint Solar. The installation of the entire system, including the solar panels and the battery, typically takes one to two days, once permits are secured…[Tesla] has touted the benefits of selling energy storage batteries with solar panels…” click here for more

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The Plan To Beat Climate Change

A new book ranks the top 100 solutions to climate change. The results are surprising. A chat with Paul Hawken about his ambitious new effort to “map, measure, and model” global warming solutions.

David Roberts, May 10, 2017 (VOX)

“…[The looming dangers of climate change are clear but] what about solutions?...[Paul Hawken, whose Natural Capitalism was called by President Clinton one of the five most important books in the world, has laid out] the 100 most substantive solutions to climate change, using only peer-reviewed research…[Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed Reverse Global Warming] is basically a reference book: a list of solutions, ranked by potential carbon impact, each with cost estimates and a short description. A set of scenarios show the cumulative potential…It is fascinating, a powerful reminder of how narrow a set of solutions dominates the public’s attention…” click here for more

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Ready For The Offshore Wind Boom

Massachusetts prepares for wind energy; The state aims to harness the strong, steady winds off its coast.

Jan Ellen Spiegel, May 22, 2017 (Yale Climate Connections)

“Off-shore wind energy is common in Europe. It’s never taken off in the U.S…[But Massachusetts] will soon request competitive bids for off-shore wind development – at sites 14 miles or more from Martha’s Vineyard…To encourage development, the state built a marine terminal to receive, construct, and repair wind turbines, which are too big for most ports…To make sure the state also uses the clean wind energy, Massachusetts passed new legislation that requires the purchase of 1,600 megawatts of wind-powered electricity per year within the next decade…Bidding for the first projects will start this year…[The first commercial-scale off-shore wind projects should be up and running] within four or five years.” click here for more

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Solar Research Faces Trump Cuts

Trump’s budget expected to massively slash research on renewable energy — and ‘clean coal’

Chris Mooney, May 18, 2017 (Washington Post)

“The Trump administration is expected to propose massive cuts to federal government research on wind and solar energy next week…The department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), which funds research on advanced vehicles as well as other aspects of clean energy, would face a roughly 70 percent [proposed] cut in 2018, carving about $1.45 billion from its $2.09 billion 2017 budget…The consequences of the proposed cuts could be wide ranging, potentially undermining the office’s SunShot Initiative, which has worked to drive down the costs of large-scale solar energy, which now runs about 7 cents per kilowatt hour. A goal of reaching 3 cents per kilowatt hour for large-scale solar electricity had been set for 2030…The cuts are far from becoming a reality. In recent budget negotiations, Congress funded Energy Department programs roughly on par with 2016 levels, rather than follow a Trump administration proposal to slash them deeply …” click here for more

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Why New Energy Won’t Be Stopped

6 Reasons Trump Can’t (Totally) Derail Progress on Climate; Falling prices for renewables and a growing sustainability movement from the bottom up have changed the global picture.

Laura Parker and Craig Welch, May 16, 2017 (National Geographic)

“…[The Kentucky Coal Mining Museum announced is converting to solar. To save money…Eighty solar panels on the museum’s roof saves almost $10,000 on the yearly electric bill…[As the world watches to see if or how far the U.S. steps back from its leadership role in the climate fight, there are reasons to believe it doesn’t matter]…1. Solar and wind are cheaper than coal…2. Corporate America is on board [and driving New Energy growth]…3. States and cities are stepping up [with spending to back their 100% New Energy commitments]...4. It’s not just blue states and tree-huggers [that benefit economically from New Energy] …5. The influence center [is shifting] from Washington to Sacramento…6. [There is a] brighter global picture…[but even] if Trump kept all of Obama’s plans, the U.S. would fall short of its own target of reducing emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Obama’s strategy always relied on the U.S. ratcheting emissions down more in coming years…” click here for more

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Silicon Valley Takes On Laptop Wind

Small Turbines From Silicon Valley Firm May Shift Wind Energy Market

Betty Yu, May 12, 2017 (CBS TV News)

“While wind energy is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, wind farms provide less than five percent of the energy in the U.S…[A] Silicon Valley startup is aiming to change the market’s direction…[Semtive] opened its U.S. headquarters at NASA Research Park..[to perfect smaller, distributed wind turbines] made for low wind speeds…[Instead of the 30 miles per hour wind speeds needed for utility-scale turbines, Semtive’s] blades are designed to allow the turbines to keep spinning at low [10 miles per hour] wind speeds…Semtive says the turbines are ideal for urban and rural areas. They are made of aircraft-grade aluminum…Installation on a rooftop or balcony takes less than an hour…[Semtive says the] smallest model starts at $4,600, [the turbines] qualify for green tax rebates and incentives from the state and federal government…[and] one medium-sized turbine can generate 100 percent of [an average residential customer’s] energy usage…” click here for more

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Floating Solar To Cut Costs

Floating solar panels possible wave of future

Jamie Chambers, May 15, 2017 (Fox TV News)

“…[The] floating solar panels at the Olivenhain Reservoir…[will be the first solar array of its kind and] has been billed as a triple technology threat by producing energy and water saving and cutting costs all at the same time…The plan is to cover 10 percent of the Olivenhain Reservoir with solar panels that would generate roughly 6 megawatts of power annually, which translates to powering 1,500 houses a year…According to officials, no tax dollars are needed, so rate payers would not be burdened by the floating solar panels…[And covering the reservoir will reduce] evaporation…The idea still has hurdles to jump through, like an environmental report and getting the neighbors to climb on board. So far most locals seem to be supporting the idea…[It] might come on line as soon as 2018.” click here for more

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Why Doubters Deny Climate Change

The Science Of Climate Change Skepticism

Melissa Pandika, March 17, 2017 (OZY)

“…Recent research suggests one possible explanation [for climate change denial despite overwhelming scientific evidence]: Your beliefs about climate change depend partly on the weather where you live…Climate describes weather patterns over time…[The metaphor says weather is mood and climate is personality. Though global climate change is conclusively documented, the weather outside people’s front doors has more to do with whether] they believe in the phenomenon…[A recent study] found that people in parts of the country that have experienced more record-low temperatures than record highs since 2005 were less likely to believe in climate change…[L]ocal temperatures seemed to have a modest effect on beliefs…[but are, apparently,] a distraction from the very serious problem and challenge of climate change.” click here for more

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U.S. Cities Are Getting Greener

32 Cities Improve Energy Score Per New Ranking

Josh Cohen, May 11, 2017 (Next City)

“…[A scorecard ranking the 51 largest U.S. cities on five criteria – local government operations, community-wide initiatives, building policies, energy and water utilities, and transportation policies – found 32] cities improved this year compared to 2015’s scorecard…Boston slotted into first with a score of 84.5 out of a possible 100 points…New York and Seattle rounded out the top three with Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, tied for fourth…The scorecard weights the five categories by potential energy savings. For example, transportation gets the most points because it often accounts for a city’s greatest energy consumption. In a sample of 20 large cities, the ACEEE found that transportation-related energy use accounted for 36 percent of citywide energy consumption…On the other end of the scorecard, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Birmingham, Alabama, were least energy efficient…” click here for more

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Electricity Choice Movement Faces Pushback From Utilities

Sonoma Clean Power, utilities face battle over energy costs

Robert Digitale, May 14, 2017 (The Press Democrat)

“…[A new type of public energy program in California] appears poised to change who buys electricity for homes and businesses across large swaths of the state…[Growth of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)] is leading experts to examine how well the programs are boosting the use of renewable electricity compared to the private utilities that formerly served the same communities…The growth is also prompting a face-off between the public programs and California’s three biggest private utilities…In the dispute, both sides have suggested their ratepayers are getting a bum deal in how the state has set the rules for this new era. For the public programs, the outcome has high-stakes implications because their customers could end up paying considerably more to offset the growing costs for excess power that the utilities contracted for but no longer need…[CCA is now about 5 percent of the state’s electricity market and] both utilities and other experts say that number will increase markedly…” click here for more

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Mississippi Delta Flooding Is Climate Changing

Flooding in the Mississippi Delta is climate change in action; “Anyone who doesn’t believe in climate change should stroll through my hallway.”

Marlene Cimons, May 8, 2017 (ThinkProgress)

“…[After six inches of water swept through Cherri Foytlin’s home in Rayne, Louisiana, wrecking walls, insulation, floors, furniture, clothes, and toys, she said] ‘Anyone who doesn’t believe in climate change should stroll through my hallway.’…[T]he latest round of storms delivered heavy rainfall, dangerous winds, and persistent flooding across Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and elsewhere…

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...[According to Brent Walker, mayor of Alton, Illinois, the more intense and frequent the Mississippi River Valley storms and flooding are one of the many consequences of climate change and this ‘‘the Mississippi River is a good example’ of a new] ‘world of extremes’…Climate change has made the air warmer. Warmer air holds more moisture. This leads to heavier rainfall, which can produce severe flooding…” click here for more

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Rhode Island’s Ocean Wind Replaces Diesel Plant

The first U.S. offshore wind farm just shut down a diesel plant

Bobby Magill, May 4, 2017 (Grist)

“…[When America’s first offshore wind farm on Block Island, Rhode Island, went online, officials shut down] the island’s only electricity source — a small diesel-fueled power plant…The island’s 2,000 residents burned about 1 million gallons of diesel fuel annually…Diesel releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other common petroleum-based fuel except for residential fuel oil…Until now, Block Island’s power grid was completely isolated from the mainland…[The wind farm and its connection to the mainland allowed the island to connect to the New England power grid for the first time…[It demonstrates] how renewables are helping to displace fossil fuels on the power grid…[The 5-turbine, 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm is the first ever offshore wind project built in the U.S.and is proving] the viability of offshore wind…If fully developed, offshore turbines could supply four times today’s total U.S. electricity generating capacity…” click here for more

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Harvest The Sun In Massachusetts

Cranberry farmer grows new 'crop': solar energy; Massachusetts farmer Michael Paduch installed a solar array on four acres of cranberry bogs. It’s a 'win, win, win,' he says.

Jan Ellen Spiegel, May 8, 2017 (Yale Climate Connections)

"Michael Paduch, a farmer in Carver, Massachusetts, has more than 20 acres of cranberry bogs. But with prices low in recent years, he’s started harvesting a new crop on his land: energy…[Several years ago he realized the land was ripe of solar development because it was open, got plenty of sun, and, as a wetland, had few other good uses. Now,] a solar array covers four acres of his cranberry bogs. It produces a megawatt of energy – enough to power more than 100 homes…And best of all, the cranberry vines thrive in the shade created by the panels. They don’t produce quite as many berries, but Paduch can grow and sell the plants to other farmers…Paduch said he is ‘farming the sun” and ‘producing something good’ so it is] ‘a win, win, win’…” click here for more

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"It Was Beauty That Killed The Beast"

What caused coal’s decline? It wasn’t Obama’s rules, study says

Bill Estep, May 4, 2017 (Lexington Herald Leader)

“Competition from cheap natural gas accounts for nearly half the decline in domestic U.S. coal consumption in recent years… Lower demand for electricity and growing use of renewable energy such as solar power also took a bite out of coal’s market share… Tougher federal environmental regulations also played a role in coal’s decline, but those rules were a significantly smaller factor than reductions in the cost of natural gas and renewable energy, [according to Can Coal Make A Comeback?] from Columbia University researchers…The researchers said that [President Trump’s promised ‘renaissance in U.S. coal production and employment’ is unlikely. They also concluded that an aggressive effort to roll back the coal-related environmental regulations from the Obama Administration] could help turn around the decline in domestic coal consumption. But that would rely on an increase in natural gas prices, and coal still wouldn’t fully recover…” click here for more

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Windows To The Sun

Turning Windows Into Solar Panels

Nell London, May 8, 2017 (Colorado Public Radio)

And Generating Electricity with a Flexible Glass Thinner than a Business Card

Colin Payne, February 1, 2017 (Engineering.com)

“If windows were solar panels, then giant glass office towers could soak up the sun's energy and use it to keep the lights on and the copy machines humming. That's the vision of a partnership between…[SolarWindow Technologies and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. SolarWindow says that solar windows installed on a 50-story building could offset 30 to 50 percent of its energy usage. The impact could be especially meaningful because commercial buildings account for about one-third of the nation's electricity consumption…SolarWindow’s scientists developed the new flexible glass product by applying layers of liquid coatings to Corning’s Willow Glass and then laminating them under conditions that simulated the high pressure and temperatures of the manufacturing processes used by commercial glass and window producers…SolarWindow sees them as particularly well-suited for installation over existing skyscraper windows…[They could also] be applied to cars, trucks, buses, planes and boats to turn them into mobile power generators…” click here for more

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Wind Obstructions On Dakota Pipeline Lands

What's Keeping Tribes From Harnessing Their Wind Energy?

Chris Clarke, May 2, 2017 (KCET)

“The Dakota Access Pipeline goes through some of the windiest parts of the Great Plains, and wind power generation in the Plains States has grown rapidly over the last decade…But in the rush to develop wind power, the Native peoples of the Plains are being left behind…While private landowners have enjoyed nearly a decade of Obama-era incentives to develop wind energy, Plains tribes seeking to harness the wind blowing past their lands must contend with several unique obstacles to development that don’t face their neighbors…Oglala Sioux tribal leaders of the the Rosebud Sioux reservation have been eager to build wind turbines on their lands for more than 20 years…[But plans for the] Owl Feather War Bonnet wind power facility on the Rosebud Reservation were delayed [by mismanagement and bureaucratic complications] for so long that the would-be buyers of the plant’s electricity backed out in 2008…[Despite reforms, proposed] projects remain in limbo…” click here for more

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How Climate Change Is Growing The New Slavery

Climate change has created a new generation of sex-trafficking victims

Justine Calma, May 2, 2017 (Quartz)

Editor’s note: This is a profound piece that adds a chilling dimension to the global warming debate. Click thru and read it and see the images.

“…[When Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines, it] displaced more than 4 million people…After the skies cleared, a second humanitarian disaster unfolded…An underground economy took root as women and girls were sold for food and scarce aid supplies, or trafficked into forced labor and sex work…[One girl, Kristine, told Quartz she] was sold to men every night…The men raped her, and took graphic pictures and videos. Kristine was 13…The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, which scientists have linked to an increased frequency and severity of extreme-weather events…When families lose their livelihoods and can’t recover between severe weather events, pressure increases on women and children to provide for the family—sometimes at any cost…The Global Slavery Index, an internationally recognized estimate of the prevalence of modern slavery, calculates there to have been about 400,000 trafficked persons in the Philippines in 2016. But the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare & Development, which provides assistance to trafficking victims in the country, identified only 1,465 victims…” click here for more

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Wind Is Increasingly Inevitable

Opinion: Wind power will keep growing rapidly — and bring economic opportunity to rural America; Wind power is now the fourth-largest capacity source behind natural gas, coal, and nuclear

Michael Goggin, April 29, 2017 (American Wind Energy Association)

“…[Even with] uncertainty on carbon policy, other factors will continue to drive wind energy’s astronomical growth — benefiting in particular the rural and Rust Belt areas that are starved of economic opportunity…[Economists from all political perspectives agree carbon policy] results in more efficient market outcomes but even without it, cost declines and technology advances led to wind becoming] the county’s largest source of renewable generating capacity, and the fourth-largest capacity source behind natural gas, coal, and nuclear…The cost of wind energy has fallen 66% in seven years as wind turbines became 50% more productive…In many parts of the country, wind is already the lowest-cost source of new electricity…Since the [November] election, the nation’s largest electric utilities have continued to invest in renewable energy, with many noting that policies to limit carbon pollution are inevitable…[M]ore than 100,000 Americans work in the wind industry, with employees in all 50 states. Over 25,000 of these workers manufacture wind power components at more than 500 U.S. factories…[T]hese numbers will continue to grow…[T]otal wind-driven employment could near a quarter of a million by 2020, with $85 billion in economic activity over the next four years…” click here for more

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