Artists Reveal The Climate Change Threat

Artists deliver climate-change message that time is running out; They are increasingly sounding the alarm on global warming, through new works and collaborations with scientists

Helen Stoilas, 28 May 2018 (The Art Newspaper)

"A sense of urgency is at the heart of a number of climate change-themed exhibitions and projects in the US and Canada. Mel Chin, Douglas Coupland and Edward Burtynsky are among the many artists behind current and forthcoming works that look at environmental issues, and the pictures they paint of the future are stark…[Alexis Rockman has been creating ecologically minded work since the 1990s, often using materials such as soil and plants from the landscapes he depicts…

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…[Indicators: Artists on Climate Change, in upstate New York, features] works by 17 artists including Mark Dion, Maya Lin and Mike Nelson…[Mel Chin’s New York City-wide exhibition All Over the Place includes] Unmoored, an augmented reality piece that presents a flooded vision of the [Times Square] site…[Some artists] take this engagement a step further by working directly with scientists…[For the scientists, artists] can help their research reach a wider public…[The power of art has become more important as the current White House administration] works to dismantle federal regulations on industrial pollution…” click here for more

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New Energy Slowly Taking The Grid

1st Quarter 2018: Renewables Reach 19.2% Of U.S. Electrical Generation As Non-Hydro Renewables Increase By 13.4%...

Ken Bossong, May 29, 2018 (SUN DAY Campaign)

“Renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) accounted for 19.2% of net domestic electrical generation during the first quarter of 2018, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of data recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration…[W]ind accounted for 7.8% of total electrical generation during the first three months of this year, exceeding - for the first time - that produced by hydropower (7.6%)…Solar alone (i.e., utility-scale + distributed PV) is now providing almost 2% (i.e., 1.8%) of the nation's electrical production…[E]lectric power output by non-hydro renewable sources increased by 13.4% compared to the first quarter of 2017. Geothermal was up by 1.0%, biomass by 1.7%, wind by 12.9%, and solar (including small-scale distributed PV) by 33.2%...[N]et electrical generation by hydropower dropped by 6.9% so the combination of hydropower and non-hydro renewables experienced a net increase of 4.4% compared to the same time period in 2017…” click here for more

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Tempering The Climate Problem With Solutions

Dear media: We need more stories about resilience to climate change

Elizabeth Arnold, May 27, 2018 (LA Times)

“…[A] familiar narrative, about communities facing sea level rise and coastal erosion, fits into a larger pattern of climate change coverage. The threats posed to humans, polar bears and entire ecosystems are recounted on a daily basis, leading to what researchers call a ‘hope gap’…[There is still no dedicated agency or funding at the federal level to address climate-induced relocation. And while the public is slowly accepting the reality of warming, even those identified as the most alarmed say they don't really know what to do about it.] With little offered in the way of action or response, people eventually tune out…

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A surprising number of scholars are studying how the public responds to climate news….[Media and Climate Change Observatory founder Max Boykoff, recently] called attention to a ‘trend of daily fear, misery and doom’ that leaves audiences feeling powerless…This doesn't mean we should stop reporting the terrifying realities. But it does mean we need to start telling stories about effective responses…” click here for more

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The Fight For EVs Is Expanding

The 50 States of Electric Vehicles Report Released by NCCETC

May 15, 2018 (North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center [NCCETC])

“…42 states and the District of Columbia took actions related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure during Q1 2018…with the greatest number of actions relating to electric vehicle fees, charging station deployment and electric vehicle studies…[NCCETC’s The 50 States of Electric Vehicles for Q1 2018 found four apparent or emerging EV policy trends:] (1) states considering multi-faceted electric vehicle plans, (2) contention around utility ownership of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, (3) examining the role of demand charges in vehicle charging rates, and (4) piloting the co-location of energy storage systems with electric vehicle charging infrastructure…A total of 275 electric vehicle actions were taken during Q1 2018 – more than were taken in the entirety of 2017 (227 actions). New York, New Jersey and Hawaii took the greatest number of actions…followed by Massachusetts, Washington and Minnesota…” click here for more

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Stop Climate Change To Save “Tens Of Thousands” Species

Limiting climate change to 1.5°C increase would save thousands of species: report

Jessica Vomiero, May 20, 2018 (Global News)

“Just half-a-degree Celsius difference in temperature could make the difference between saving the majority of the world’s species from climate change, or increasing the extinction risks for plants, animals and insects…[K]eeping global warming under a 1.5 C increase in temperatures would preserve tens of thousands of land-based species, plants, vertebrates and insects on Earth, even in comparison to a rise in temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius…[T]he upper temperature limit set during the Paris Agreement is 2 C…[but the] impacts on biodiversity multiply significantly with a 2 C increase in global warming levels compared to 1.5 C [according to a new study from the University of East Anglia]…An additional study published by NASA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveals that not only is the Earth getting warmer every year, temperatures are increasing by greater amounts year after year…” click here for more

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Willing To Pay For New Energy

Americans want more clean energy. Here's what they're actually willing to do to get it

Tom DiChristopher, 16 May 2018 (CNBC)

“Americans have long supported the idea of clean power. The question has always been how much effort they're willing to expend to make a green energy future a reality…[A new Deloitte survey] suggests the gap between environmental concern and consumer action may be shrinking…[because of] falling prices for solar power, higher awareness of clean energy options, growing concern about climate change and the inclinations of millennials…68 percent of electric power buyers said they are very concerned about climate change and their carbon footprint. That's the highest percentage ever recorded in the study…74 percent of respondents believe climate change is caused by human actions, up 5 points from 2017. Just 37 percent said environmental concerns are overblown, down 8 points from last year…7 in 10 companies reported that customers were demanding that they draw at least some of their power from renewable sources...Building out more solar and wind farms was widely seen as the main answer to climate change…” click here for more

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Lawmakers, Regulators Working To Grow EVs

The 50 States of Electric Vehicles Report Released by NCCETC; 42 States and DC Took Action on Electric Vehicles During Q1 2018

May 15, 2018 (North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center [NCCETC])

“…[NCCETC’s Q1 2018 The 50 States of Electric Vehicles] finds that 42 states and the District of Columbia took actions related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure during Q1 2018 (see figure below), with the greatest number of actions relating to electric vehicle fees, fast charging deployment, and electric vehicle studies…[Four trends are apparent or emerging… (1) states considering multi-faceted electric vehicle plans, (2) contention around utility ownership of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, (3) examining the role of demand charges in vehicle charging rates, and (4) piloting the co-location of energy storage systems with electric vehicle charging infrastructure…A total of 275 electric vehicle actions were taken during Q1 2018 – more than were taken in the entirety of 2017 (227 actions)…” click here for more

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Younger Republicans Starting To Get Climate Change

Many Republican Millennials differ with older party members on climate change and energy issues

Cary Funk and Meg Hefferon, May 14, 2018 (Pew Research Center)

“There are significant divides between younger Republicans – Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 – and their elders in the GOP on a range of environmental and energy issues. One notable difference is that…[a]bout a third (36%) of Millennials in the GOP say the Earth is warming mostly due to human activity, double the share of Republicans in the Baby Boomer or older generations, according to a Pew Research Center survey…In addition, 45% of Millennial Republicans say they are seeing at least some effects of global climate change in the communities where they live, compared with a third of Republicans in the Baby Boomer or older generations…Millennials are less inclined than older generations in the GOP to support increased use of fossil fuel energy sources…44% of Millennial Republicans support the increased use of offshore drilling, compared with 75% of Republicans in the Baby Boomer and older generations…[However, 44% of Republicans across all generations] say policies aimed at reducing the effects of climate change make no difference for the environment, and around a quarter believe such policies do more harm than good…” click here for more

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California’s Solar Bump

California Puts Solar on the Roof and Up For Grabs; A mandate may not be the guaranteed boon to established companies investors think.

Liam Denning, May 14, 2018 (Bloomberg News)

“…[The debates have begun about whether the new California law requiring rooftop solar on all new houses] is cost-effective versus other climate-friendly measures…They’re valid debates…Large residential solar companies such as Sunrun Inc. look like obvious winners…[Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF)] estimates the mandate could boost residential solar deployment in California in 2020 by 200 to 300 megawatts, or 23 to 34 percent — on top of a market already growing at more than 9 percent…Builders might partner with established residential solar firms…[or a] homebuyer might pay the construction firm for the house and simultaneously contract with the solar partner…Financing could be done either through existing loan or lease products or, if preferable, rolled into the mortgage…This seems to hold out the prospect of all-in unit costs for residential solar falling dramatically…[because] more than two-thirds of the cost of a typical rooftop system in California relates not to equipment but to such things as marketing, permitting and installation…[But new] value propositions are needed…[because distributed solar power is already] pushing more electrons onto a glutted mid-afternoon market…California’s new mandate tees up a huge experiment in brands and services potentially picking up the slack as residential solar’s commodification accelerates…” click here for more

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Where The Wind Is

Every one of America’s 57,636 wind turbines, mapped

Christopher Ingraham, May 11, 2018 (Washington Post)

“…[A massive new U.S. Geological Survey database of over 57,000 commercial wind turbines shows that California’s Kern County, Riverside County, and Alameda County, Texas' Nolan County, and Oregon's Gilliam County are the top five wind regions There are 2,501 counties] with no commercial wind energy…There's a lot of variation in average annual wind speeds in the U.S….[In the southeast,] there are hardly any commercial wind projects…[T]here are also political considerations…[Wyoming] ranks seventh in the nation in terms of its potential wind-power generation…[but] 17th in terms of installed capacity…[It] is one of just two states that tax wind power (Oklahoma is the other), which renewable energy advocates say has stifled the development of the industry there…A number of states, primarily in the South but also in windier states like Nebraska and Wyoming, also lack legal mandates on how much electricity must come from renewable sources…[and] lag on wind-power…[But costs are falling so fast that] the industry is being driven more and more by plain economics…[The Department of Energy forecasts] over 400 gigawatts of installed wind-power capacity in the United States by 2050…[up from today’s] 89 gigawatt capacity…” click here for more

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Climate Change By Any Other Name

Inspiring Terms Are Simple. ‘Climate Change’ Isn’t. The doubters and believers aren’t even talking about the same thing.

Faye Flam, May 11, 2018 (Bloomberg News)

“As scientific terms go, “climate change” is failing. Good terms are specific, descriptive and help people to understand complex concepts. Climate change is ambiguous, referring perhaps to the most pressing human-generated environmental problem of the century, or to other kinds of changes that happen through natural forces and have been going on since long before humans arose…The ambiguity of “climate change” plays into the problems [identified by the Wall Street Journal op-ed Climate Activists Are Lousy Salesmen.] This is science, not advertising, and the terms that scientists come up with aren’t decided by public-relations experts using focus groups…

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…[T]he same people who were fascinated by dramatic natural climate changes were the ones to discover that burning up lots of fossil fuel was likely to cause a short-term spike in the global temperature…One could distinguish the current, more rapid climate change by calling it ‘anthropogenic climate change,’ but that term makes people trip over their own tongues…The complexity of climate science may always be at odds with the simplicity that's key to inspiring action…It's too late to prevent anthropogenic climate change, or unnatural climate change, or global warming -- call it what you will. But it isn't too late to slow the warming, and perhaps even reverse it. If only someone could sell the idea.” click here for more

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The Benefits Of Solar

Solar energy has real benefits

Dori Wolfe, May 12, 2018 (Houston Chronicle)

“…New York City, which receives less sun than Houston, is ranked 7th with 117 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) installed. Houston is ranked 33rd with only 8 MW installed, [according to Shining Cities 2017. Mayors from across the country recently agreed that accelerating the growth of solar will reduce pollution and revitalize communities by creating jobs and keeping energy dollars in] local economies…Distributed generation makes economic and environmental sense…[It also makes communities more resilient] in the face of extreme weather…Deciding to invest in solar for your home or business may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be…[The nonprofit Solarize campaign helps home and business owners] invest in solar while saving money through competitive selection of the installer and through collective purchasing of solar equipment. The more people deciding to solarize, the lower the cost for all…” click here for more

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California Ocean Wind In Talks With The Navy

Offshore wind farms coming to California — but the Navy says no to large sections of the coast

Rob Nikolewski, May 6, 2018 (San Diego Union-Tribune)

“…[There is a renewable energy bonanza blowing off the coast of California] but the U.S. Navy puts large swaths of the state off limits to future offshore wind farms — including all of San Diego and Los Angeles, extending up to the Central Coast…[Federal and state officials, and wind energy companies] are working with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a more flexible plan…[T]he back-and-forth adds an extra layer of complexity to the nascent industry on the West Coast, where geographic features make it harder to construct wind farms in the Pacific than those on the East Coast…It's estimated that nearly a terrawatt of electricity will be generated off the coast of California…But in the past year, some of the lofty expectations have been tempered…[because of the Navy’s concerns that installations will interfere with Navy and Marine Corps missions conducted in the air, on the surface, and below the surface…The wind blows harder as you move up the California coast…” click here for more

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Where U.S. Climate Change Will Hit The Home

Global warming will depress economic growth in Trump country; It’s global warming that will hurt the economy in red states, not a carbon tax.

Dana Nuccetelli, 7 May 2018 (UK Guardian)

“…Economies thrive in regions with an average temperature of around 14°C (57°F). Developed countries like the US, Japan, and much of Europe happen to be near that ideal temperature, but continued global warming will shift their climates away from the sweet spot and slow economic growth, [according to a recent working paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. And the states with the hottest summertime temperatures] voted for Donald Trump in 2016…[The paper concludes that if we meet the Paris target of staying below 2°C global warming, US economic growth will only slow by about 5 to 10%. On our current path, including climate policies implemented to date (which would lead to 3–3.5°C global warming by 2100), US economic growth would slow by about 10 to 20%...[With the higher temperature], US economic growth would slow by about 12 to 25% due to hotter temperatures alone…As the economics research shows, failing to curb global warming will certainly lead to less economic growth. Climate policies could hamper economic growth, but legislation can be crafted to address that concern…” click here for more

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Community Solar Doubled In 2017

SEPA report: U.S. doubled community solar capacity in 2017; Minster case study underlines need for program flexibility -- and patience

May 1, 2018 (Smart Electric Power Alliance)

“Community solar capacity in the United States more than doubled between 2016 and 2017, from 347 megawatts (MW) at the end of 2016, to 734 MW at the end of 2017. At present, 228 utilities in 36 states have active community solar programs, [according to Community Solar Program Design Models from the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA)]…Third parties now account for 67 percent of community solar programs, versus about 33 percent for utilities…The average subscription rate for community solar projects is 83 percent; with subscription rates for third party-owned community solar over 90 percent…Utilities are starting to explore the use of community-scale, distributed solar as a grid asset for improved reliability and grid support services…Many of the community solar projects in service are targeted at low-to-moderate income customers, renters and residential customers who live in multifamily buildings…” click here for more

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Huge Push For Grid Modernization Across The Nation

Huge Push For Grid Modernization Across The Nation The 50 States of Grid Modernization: Grid Modernization Activity Increased By 75% Over Q1 2017

May 3, 2018 (North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC))

“…A total of 259 grid modernization actions were taken during Q1 2018 [in 37 states and DC, up from 196 actions last quarter. This also represents a 75 percent increase over the 148 actions taken in Q1 2017. [The greatest number of actions relating to advanced metering infrastructure rules, energy storage deployment, grid modernization investigations and utility business model reforms. New York, California and Massachusetts were most active,] followed by Hawaii, New Jersey and Minnesota…The [NCCETC Q1 Grid Mod update] identifies five trends…Grid resilience planning emerging as a new area of focus among states…States working to define the scope of grid modernization…A growing number of states addressing access to system and customer data…States expressing both support for and concerns about advanced metering infrastructure; and…Energy storage taking a central role in grid modernization, with a majority of U.S. states taking action on energy storage during the quarter…” click here for more

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Where Climate Science Is REALLY Missing

Study finds very few pages devoted to climate change in introductory science textbooks; Less than 2 percent of pages discussed climate change in leading biology, chemistry and physics textbooks

30 April 2018 (EurekAlert)

“…When Arizona State University graduate student Rachel Yoho started pouring over introductory science textbooks, she] was surprised by the paucity of materials devoted toward subjects like global warming, climate change and renewable energy applications…[After examining] more than the 15,000 combined pages from current editions of 16 of the leading physics, biology and chemistry undergraduate textbooks published between 2013 and 2015, she and co-author Brucer Rittmann] found that less than 4 percent of pages were devoted toward discussing climate change, global warming, related environmental issues or renewable energy applications…[B]iology textbooks had on average the largest number of pages discussing the effects of climate change, but still less than 2 percent, while chemistry textbooks showed the largest variation, and physics books have an average of less than 0.5 percent of total pages…Among the three disciplines, the least emphasis was placed on renewable energy technologies in the biology textbooks examined…Going forward, they think perhaps it's time for introductory sciences to be more explicit about some of these pressing topics that span multiple disciplines…” click here for more

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Are U.S. Energy Attitudes Shaped By Russian Trolls?

Russian trolls are pitting Americans against energy industry

Merrill, Matthews, April 30, 2018 (The Hill)

“…Russian trolls are actively trying to disrupt U.S. energy markets…[A report from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology focused] on the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Russian internet troll farm based in St. Petersburg that appears to be at the forefront of Russian cyber-meddling…[found it was exploiting American social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter,] in a concerted effort to disrupt U.S. energy markets and influence domestic energy policy…[It cited public statements from Anders Fogh Rasmussen, then-secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a former prime minister of Denmark…[and] a January 2017 assessment from the U.S. Director of the Office of National Intelligence…[Russian money reportedly has been channeled through a Bermuda-based shell company known as Klein, Ltd., to various organizations such as the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters Education Fund] to oppose fracking…According to the World Bank, oil and gas revenue accounts for about 40 percent of the Russian government’s revenues…The U.S. energy boom, made possible by fracking and other innovative drilling techniques, has helped turn the U.S. into the world leader in crude oil and natural gas production, directly threatening Russia’s oil and gas revenues and, by extension, its geopolitical influence…[This] could be shaping — or misshaping — Americans’ views about the energy industry…” click here for more

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Big Opportunity To Clean Up Building Energy

Electric Home Study Biased, But Shows CA Wants Clean Energy

Merrian Borgeson, April 27, 2018 Natural Resources Defense Council)

“…Building-related pollution is responsible for 25 percent of the state’s carbon emissions—on par with the industrial sector, and just behind transportation as California’s leading sources of dangerous climate pollution that fuels wildfires and heat waves. This includes the use of both electricity and natural gas…[A study from the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) seriously misrepresents the opportunity for affordable electric appliances to help reduce air pollution and climate-warming pollution from California’s buildings…[But it reveals] a need for new policy and the deep commitment of Californians to clean and renewable sources of energy…[As New Energy makes the electricity supply cleaner,] emissions from fossil fuels burnt in buildings will become one of the top barriers to achieving California's climate and clean air goals. The good news is that we have a range of solutions currently available…[But the CBIA report provides] misleading information about the cost and performance of an important solution – super-efficient electric heat pumps that can be used for heating space and water…” click here for more

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