When Change Becomes Crisis

Should We Be Calling Climate Change a 'Climate Crisis'?

Brian Kahn, May 21, 2019 (Gizmodo)

“…[Leading voices say it is time to move from ‘climate change’ to the more accurate ‘climate crisis’ label but some say the new label] has the potential to alienate some readers…Terms like climate crisis and emergency connote a value judgment…[They] are well borne out by the facts. Climate change is creating crises around the world…But the terms still blur the line between subjective and objective, a move that could have unintended consequences…People who don’t share the opinion that climate change is a crisis are, by and large, conservatives, who deny the problem’s existence at higher rates than the general populace…

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Numerous lines of research show that the denial doesn’t stem from a lack of intelligence, but rather from a worldview that climate change—a global problem that requires cooperation and government intervention to solve—directly threatens…[It is not necessary to pander to conservatives but] finding terms that most people can relate to is the key way to building engagement…[There may be] terms that can convey the urgency of the issue without the added value statement…[On the other hand, change may have become a crisis because] a concerted misinformation campaign…Clearly the status quo hasn’t exactly been working…[and the new label is] a step toward being real about the situation humanity is facing.” click here for more

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Replacing NatGas With Solar – The Math

How Many L.A. Rooftop Solar Panels to Replace a Natural Gas Power Plant?

Andrew Burger, May 27, 2019 (Solar Magazine)

“…[Market-leading residential solar energy systems installer Sunrun proposes replacing] a Los Angeles natural gas power plant scheduled for retirement by aggregating the power generated by solar-plus-storage systems installed in city homes…[The ‘virtual power plant’ (VPP) could replace peak capacity and] save nearly $60 million…[The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the] largest municipal utility in the U.S….[could deploy battery storage and solar on] roughly 150,000 homes and 5,000 apartment buildings…The ability to generate and manage emissions-free electricity at gigawatt-scale with the reliability, and at a cost that matches, or beats, grid-connected, natural-gas power generation could be a genuine game-changer when it comes to advancing the renewable, zero-carbon energy transition…

[Power utilities could leapfrog and avoid investing in a new generation of natural-gas power plants, thereby avoiding all the carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gas emissions, other types of environmental pollution and water resources use that comes with them…Installed in homes, businesses and government facilities and then networked to create a virtual power plant (VPP), solar-plus-storage systems have the advantage of being modular and quick to deploy with small physical footprints…They offer an unprecedented amount of flexibility when it comes to the range of grid services they can provide, from ancillary grid services, such as frequency or voltage regulation, to primary, spinning and reserve grid generation capacity… Sunrun recently won a bid to provide regional transmission organization (RTO) ISO New England (ISO-NE) with energy capacity at wholesale rates by aggregating electrical power produced by home solar-plus-storage systems distributed across the region…” click here for more

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Bringing Climate Crisis Resistance Home

5 ways you can personally fight the climate crisis

James Mack, 27 May 2019 (World Economic Forum)

“…There are many ways to take action…We all have a unique reach and can create a ripple effect across our spheres of influence…[to] play a role in battling the greatest challenge of our time…[1] Research shows that the average individual makes about 35,000 decisions every day…When you consider the climate crisis in your decision-making, others notice. Discussion begins, and the effect of your decision is multiplied…[2] Someone within your network may have the influence or power to effect change…If you recognize an environmental challenge but are not in a position of power to enact the necessary change, you may be connected to a decision-maker who is. Speak up and inspire action…

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[3] The more you learn about existing policies (those that help and those that damage the environment), the more you will realize how regulations and legislation can play a critical role in supporting the adoption of clean technology…[4] When Greta Thunberg caught the attention of the cameras at Davos with her cry for adults to ‘wake up and act like the house is burning,’ people took to the streets…It is important to look for the ‘Gretas’ within your community, and to amplify their voices…[5] We must support the positive efforts of others – whether big or small…[no matter their] level of knowledge about climate science…To fight the climate crisis, we need as many people as possible working in unison…” click here for more

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A New Energy Bet To Watch

Put This High-Yield Renewable Energy Stock on Your Watch List Now; Clearway Energy's results are being impacted by the ongoing PG&E bankruptcy, but it's likely to emerge unaffected. That could make it an excellent buy, if management can fix some other problems.

Jason Hall, May 26, 2019 (Motley Fool)

“…The dividend yield of New Energy developer Clearway Energy (NYSE:CWEN) (NYSE:CWEN-A) appears to] put its shares among the highest-yielding yieldco stocks, currently outyielding Pattern Energy Group (NASDAQ:PEGI), Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP), TerraForm Power (NASDAQ:TERP), and NextEra Energy Partners (NYSE:NEP)…[But the ongoing bankruptcy of one of its biggest customers, PG&E (NYSE:PCG), forced it] to cut its quarterly dividend to $0.20 per share in late 2018, and the forward yield is 5.4% at recent prices…It could be some time before there's resolution on this issue, even as PG&E continues to pay Clearway at agreed-upon rates, and could emerge from bankruptcy sooner than expected. That keeps Clearway off the buy list…

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But it's on my watchlist… [T]here are other things Clearway must correct to get its cash flow moving in the right direction…[It must improve its balance sheet and grow] its portfolio of projects, and the company is making progress in this regard…[Though there must also be some resolution to the PG&E bankruptcy, the long-term result is likely] to be minimal impact for Clearway…[But] until the company demonstrates it can generate more cash from the rest of its assets, the dividend remains at risk…[M]anagement should be able to resolve this in due time…[Until then, yieldco Brookfield Renewable has] shown it can make money and steadily grow its dividend.” click here for more

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Extinction And The Climate Crisis

Humanity Faces a Biodiversity Crisis. Climate Change Makes It Worse. People are destroying the world’s natural wealth so fast that society must change radically to meet development goals, the UN says in a landmark scientific report.

Sabrina Shankman, Georgina Gustin, John H. Cushman Jr, May 6, 2019 (Inside Climate News)

“…[A million species are on the brink of extinction and the climate crisis role] in exacerbating the losses is accelerating…[A new report] warns of potentially irreversible economic, social and environmental calamities if the whole world doesn't [make urgent and concerted efforts to] change tracks by mid-century…The impacts would fall especially hard on the poor and in several frail regions, but no part of the planet would escape them…Because climate plays such a significant role, avoiding the collapse of ecosystems entails rapidly cutting net emissions of carbon dioxide to zero in the next few decades…This goes even beyond the complete and rapid shift from uncontrolled use of fossil fuels to clean energy that scientists say is needed to avoid unacceptable climate risks.

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…The rising seas and increased extreme weather events of climate change—fires, floods, pestilence and drought—have already caused widespread harm to biodiversity…Even at 1.5°C to 2°C of warming—the goals of the Paris climate agreement—the report warns that the ranges of most of the world's species on land will shrink significantly. At 2°C of warming, the report warns that 5 percent of species will be at risk of extinction. At 4.3°C—our current track of warming—that rises to 16 percent of species…To make the changes required to save biodiversity and the climate, the report…urges a global revolution—a shift in the way humans consume material goods, how we value the natural world, and how we account for nature in the way we develop our businesses and economies…” click here for more

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Tomorrow’s Solar Today

Energy Department Selects Five Winning Teams for Solar in Your Community Challenge Prizes

May 15, 2019 (U.S. Dept of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)

“…The five winners of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar in Your Community Challenge demonstrate innovative business and financial models to expand solar access for nonprofits, faith-based organizations, state and local governments, and low- and moderate-income communities, all of which face unique barriers to adopting solar…[The winners developed] replicable, innovative, and sustainable models for profitably expanding the use of solar power…In total, the winning teams proposed 25.7 megawatts of solar energy projects across the country by 2020, benefitting more than 1,200 households and 18 nonprofit organizations. On average, winners were able to save customers between 15% and 25% of their electricity bills…

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…[The Grand Prize of $500,000 went to The CARE Project from Denver, Colorado and] was led by the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver. Partners included GRID Alternatives, Ensight Energy, Xcel Energy, and SolarTAC…The $200,000 Runner-Up prize went to] The Community Solar for Community Action team from Backus, Minnesota…[It was] led by the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance. Partners included the American Indian Community Housing Organization, Leech Lake Energy Assistance Program, and Southeast Vermont Community Action…[Prizes of $100,000 went to the] Kerrville Area Solar Partners…[and the] Fellowship Energy team…More than 170 teams from 40 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico participated…” click here for more

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Designers On The Climate Crisis

How the world's leading designers are thinking about the climate crisis

Aileen Kwun, May 15, 2019 (CNN via the Philadelphia Tribune)

“Transgenic silk garments that emit a neon glow, sartorial burial suits embedded with flesh-eating microbes, and a bouquet of perfume notes derived from the DNA of extinct flora are just a few of the mind-bending works of design presented in ‘Nature,’ this year’s Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial program…[It] looks at how designers are responding to human-induced climate change and the impending environmental crisis…Last year was the world’s fourth hottest since records started in 1880, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)…[More than 60 projects from scientists, to engineers, farmers, programmers, artists, philosophers, and others from 22 countries] are placed into one of seven categories based on strategy, rather than medium — Understand, Simulate, Remediate, Salvage, Facilitate, Augment, and Nurture…

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Clothing has been cited as among the top contributors of pollution and waste globally. In 2018, Quantis found that the footwear and apparel industries account for more than 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while, according to a 2016 McKinsey study, nearly 60% of all clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators within a year of its production…The selected works — all contemporary, and in several instances, prototypes of ideas yet to be realized — display an ingenuity of material innovation, suggesting products that drastically reduce environmental harm, or novel ways of responsibly tapping into overlooked resources…” click here for more

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The Secret To More New Energy

This one weird trick can help any state or city pass clean energy policy; A political strategy that actually works.

David Roberts, May 15, 2019 (VOX)

“…[T] he past few years have seen a remarkable flourishing of climate and clean energy policy at the subnational level, in states and cities across the country…[They all] used the same simple trick to achieve policy success…[New Energy policy was passed in Washington state by] Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, working for the first time with solid Democratic majorities in both houses of the state legislature…[in Nevada] by newly elected Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, working with Democratic majorities in both houses…[in Colorado by] newly elected Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, working with Democratic majorities in both houses…[in New Mexico by newly elected Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, working with Democratic majorities in both houses…[in California by] Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, working with Democratic majorities in both houses…

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[It was also passed in New Jersey by] newly elected Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, working with Democratic majorities in both houses…[in Los Angeles by] Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti, working with a Democratic city council…[in New York City by]Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, working with a Democratic city council…[in Chicago by] Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel, working with a Democratic city council…[in Boise, Idaho, by] Democratic Mayor David Bieter, working with a purportedly nonpartisan but in reality Democratic city council…in Missoula, Montana, by Democratic Mayor John Engen, working with a Democratic city council…[in Cincinnati, Ohio, by] Democratic Mayor John Cranley, working with a Democratic city council…[in Washington, DC, by Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, working with a Democratic city council…The trick is: elect Democrats…[That it is this partisan an issue is] not ideal. But it is what it is.” click here for more

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Weekend Video: Bill Maher And Jay Inslee Talk New Energy, Climate Change

Weekend Video: Preaching Resistance To The Climate Crisis

Weekend Video: The New Electric Vehicle

Trees To Beat The Climate Crisis

The simple yet elusive key to fighting the climate crisis: More trees It may get less press than more dramatic solutions, but planting trees–and protecting the trees we have–is a vital step in the climate battle.

Sarah Sax, May 10, 2019 (Fast Company)

“…Habitat destruction on land, overfishing in the seas, and overconsumption across much of the globe, [among many other human behaviors], now threaten to extinguish up to a million species in the near future…One of the major tactics at humanity’s disposal [to address and, hopefully reverse, this trend] is effectively managing and restoring the world’s forests–preservation and conservation efforts that could, quite literally, change the world…[Tropical reforestation holds the largest sequestration potential – but tropical deforestation is the largest contributor to land-use emissions globally because forests] can both sequester large amounts of carbon in things like trees and soil, but also be a huge source of CO2 when that carbon is lost through activities like agriculture, logging or wildfire…

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[New research shows warming can be limited] through technologies that exist today…[and] natural climate solutions…Agriculture, forestry, and other land uses contribute approximately one-quarter of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions but receive only a tiny fraction of climate mitigation dollars…[Meeting the Paris Climate agreement goals] is strongly dependent on not just cutting emissions from fossil fuels, but also avoiding deforestation [through conservation of actual forests, reforestation and sustainable management of forests] and reducing emissions from agriculture…[At least 477 companies have some form of voluntary zero-deforestation supply chain initiative…[but] a lack of definition over what zero deforestation means, as well as a lack of government regulation to hold companies accountable, are increasingly seen as major obstacles…” click here for more

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The Fall Of Coal

Demand For Coal Slides As Renewable Energy, Natural Gas Fill In The Gaps

May 9, 2019 (Colorado Public Radio)

“…[Despite the president’s rhetoric,] U.S. demand for coal to generate electricity will keep sliding in coming months…Renewable energy sources including wind, solar and hydropower are expected to fill much of the gap left by coal's decline…It's particularly true for Western states, where renewables will provide almost a quarter of the power to households and businesses during the peak summer season…[Natural gas is expected to have a 40 percent share of U.S. markets this summer…[The White House has tried] to ease coal plant regulations and mining restrictions. But after production briefly bumped up in [2016, it is now falling in] almost all coal mining states…

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Wyoming, Kentucky and Texas have seen the biggest drops so far this year. Among the top 10 coal states, only Montana has seen a slight increase in the volume of coal mined in 2019…Coal's share of power generation is projected to be 25 percent this summer. That's down roughly half over the past decade and follows a wave of coal plant retirements by utilities seeking cheaper and cleaner-burning alternatives…[And, driven by economics,] plant retirements continue to stack up…Utilities this summer will pay about 3 percent more for coal and 12 percent less for natural gas compared with last year…” click here for more

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CO2 Passes 415 PPM, Accelerating Crisis

Climate crisis: CO2 levels rise to highest point since evolution of humans; ‘We don’t know a planet like this’

Harry Cockburn, May 13, 2019 (UK Independent)

“Levels of the damaging greenhouse gas carbon dioxide have reached an alarming new milestone at the world’s oldest measuring station in Hawaii…The Mauna Loa observatory, which has measured the parts per million (PPM) of CO2 in the atmosphere since 1958, took a reading of 415.26ppm in the air on 11 May – thought to be the highest concentration since humans evolved…[Mauna Loa, on Hawaii’s largest volcano, tests air quality on the remote Pacific islands because it is far from continents and pollution, while the area lacks vegetation, which can interfere with results…The 1958 readings showed the concentration of CO2 was 313 ppm in March 1958…

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…[This is reportedly the first time in human history earth’s] atmosphere has had more than 415ppm CO2… ‘We don’t know a planet like this,’ [meteorologist Eric Holthouse said of the reading. The] last time CO2 concentrations were this high was during the mid pliocene epoch 2.5 – 5 million years ago…During this period, global temperatures were 2 – 3C higher than they are today, global sea levels were at least 25 metres higher, and sea ice at the Arctic had retreated and given way to forests, where summer temperatures regularly reached 15C…” click here for more

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Solar Loans Take Lead Over Leasing

US residential solar finance update: H1 2019

May 2019 (Wood Mackenzie)

“…Solar loans now claim a 45 percent share of the residential market, while third-party ownership (TPO) has fallen to its lowest point since 2011 at a 33 percent market share…[and] Mosaic maintained its position as the top solar loan provider last year, claiming a quarter of the loan market…[The ITC stepdown is expected to] give TPO providers an edge in the early 2020s and likely foster increasing competition in the solar loan market as loan structures simplify…Last year’s stagnation in the TPO market can be attributed largely to Tesla’s changing customer acquisition tactics, which led to a decline of overall installation volumes in 2018…The rise of smaller solar installers worked in favor of loan providers in 2018 as those local installers turned to loan providers for consumer financing…

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Other sources of consumer finance are usually unavailable to those installers…Strong residential solar growth in Texas and Florida last year also played a part in the relative ascent of solar loans, as third-party-ownership is currently limited in those states…The growing solar loan industry is characterized by very thin margins. Lenders felt pressure to raise prices incrementally last year, with some eliminating low interest products or raising dealer fees. Some solar loan providers are also expanding into verticals such as storage and home improvement where margins may be higher…[Though the elimination of the ITC will boost leasing, solar] loans will also become simpler, enabling traditional commercial banks to offer direct to consumer loans…Dedicated solar loan providers will likely still have a competitive advantage…[because] of large installer networks…” click here for more

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Climate Change By Any Other Name Is A Crisis

Call it a Climate Crisis

May 1. 2019 (The Action Network)

“We need television news to call the climate crisis exactly what it is: a climate crisis…In 2018, only 3.5% of national television news segments that mentioned climate change referred to it as a crisis or emergency…Words matter. When networks consistently fail to treat climate change as a crisis or emergency, they unwittingly enable complacency and inaction…It’s long past time for the media to call the climate crisis what it is—and to cover it with the regularity, focus, and depth that an urgent, existential threat merits…

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…[The Action Network wants viewer to email ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC, asking them to use the term climate crisis because] when lethal heatwaves are the new normal, it’s a crisis. When stronger storms force millions from their homes over and over again, it’s a crisis. When kids walk out of school so adults will see their future’s at stake, it’s a crisis…[TV’s coverage] doesn’t match the reality…In 2018, less than 4 percent of news segments spoke of climate change’s impacts as a ‘crisis’ or ‘emergency’…[And too few segments make the connection between disasters like supercharged hurricanes and wildfires] to the greenhouse gases and climate change behind them…[Networks] can jump start a global conversation on how we solve this crisis. While we still have time…” click here for more

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New Energy Is Winning In The Marketplace

Prices of renewable energy sources plummeted between 2009 and 2017

Ben Geman, April 9, 2019 (Axios)

“The International Monetary Fund's annual World Economic Outlook…[shows] why wind and solar power are growing so fast in power markets…[The levelized cost of electricity from different forms of zero-carbon power] is the all-in comparison of the costs of building, running, supplying and maintaining facilities over time…Between 2009 and 2017, the installed price for utility-scale solar fell 76% and the installed price of onshore wind fell 34%,] making these energy sources competitive alternatives to fossil fuels and more traditional low-carbon sources…

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Today renewables account for about 25% of global power generation…Hydropower has the largest share, but cost declines are helping wind and solar gain ground, with solar overtaking hydro in about a decade…” click here for more

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Climate Crisis Now A Priority For Voters

Polls say: Everything’s coming up green

Molly Enking, May 1, 2019 (Grist)

“For the first time, climate change is ranked as the No. 1 issue among Democratic voters in a new national CNN poll…82 percent of voting Democrats (including left-leaning Independents) listed climate change as a ‘top priority’ that they’d like to see presidential candidates focus on. The next-highest issue was universal health care, at 75 percent, followed by gun reform, at 65 percent…

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[Y]oung people, in particular, feel climate change is a major priority…[V]oters between 18 and 29 said they’d favor action on the climate crisis even if it hurts economic growth…[and] a high percentage of young people plan to vote…Although not everyone believes global warming has already begun, most Americans report worrying about climate change ‘a great deal’ or a ‘fair amount,’ according to a recent Gallup poll…” click here for more

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State Renewables Mandates Bring Benefits

What That Flashy Renewable Energy Paper Got Wrong

Amanda Levin, April 25, 2019 (Natural Resources Defense Council)

“…The price of onshore wind fell 22%, solar prices fell 33% after 2015, and now] renewable energy is so inexpensive, utilities have found that they can save customers money by closing coal plants early and replacing them with wind and solar power…[But a new paper concludes renewables mandates, called renewable portfolio standards (RPS)] programs are costly and ineffective at addressing climate change…

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The Energy Department’s national labs have done their own large-scale studies each year and found that these polices drive significant renewable energy development at low costs for customers—about 2 percent of an U.S. household’s average monthly bill (or a little more than $2 a month).,,[And the benefits] could top $1 trillion…[The paper] only includes data through 2015. That means it has missed out on the recent declines in renewable energy prices…It is precisely because of these falling costs that many states have decided to strengthen their standards in the last three years…The research ignores other factors and inappropriately blames renewables for other cost increases…” click here for more

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