Archive for January, 2010

Jan

24th

School Lunches:Greening the Programs


If you are a green minded parent, you may be concerned abuot the environmental and health consequences of the choices made by your child’s school.  BetterSchoolFood.org offers a simple, sensible action plan that starts with eating lunch with your child to see and taste what’s being served. 

The site has great resources for parents and you can become a member if you like. Here’s a quote to give you an idea of what they offer: “Have you been told “They won’t eat it” and “It’s too expensive” in response to wanting to improve the food in your school cafeteria?  Then we have good news for you! A study done by the University of Minnesota has found that school lunch sales don’t decline when healthier meals are served. The study also shows that more nutritious lunches don’t necessarily cost schools more to produce.”

Another good site is www.farmtoschool.org, which connects schools with local farms in school districts across the nation.  There are 1200 participating school districts in Texas, and the program helps improve the quality of food and is environmentally sound because the produce is more local.  Visit these sites to learn more about how this important component of your child’s education is being handled, and if you see a need for improvement; jump in and be part of the solution for your own kids and others. 

Here’s great Youtube video from Whole Foods called “Five Ways to Help Your School”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6wSLaP1a0c&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=F68DD6C0034EA90D

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here


Jan

18th

Overview: Green Energy in 2009


This is an excellent overview article written by Max Rutherford, Editor of BioFuels Watch.com.  It is worth noting that investment in green energy went up 2% in Europe last year, and down 8% in the US:

There is no question that green energy is a coming force. Economic and environmental necessity have pushed such sources of energy to the very forefront of public, corporate and governmental concern, making such energies the growing and coming sector. In fact, during 2008 and 2009, green energy overtook fossil fuels in terms of power generating investment attraction-the first time that this has ever happened. Clean technologies, including wind and solar, drew more than $140bn of investment during this period, compared to $110bn for coal and gas meant for electrical power generation. More than one-third of this ‘green money’ ended up in Britain and the rest of Europe.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their starting points, the largest growth in renewable energy investments were seen in India and China-along with several other developing countries, as they look to match the West by switching from fossil fuels in order to improve energy security and address issues relating to climate change, which will directly and immediately impact developing world countries.

The Executive Director of the UN’s Environment Program, Ache Steiner, has postulated that such indicators suggest that a tipping point has been reached, where renewable energy is perhaps even more important than fossil fuels in the global energy mix. It is indeed encouraging that, up to the end of 2009, a wide variety of renewable energy sectors have attracted significant capital, and many different regions are entering the sector in a serious way. Up to the end of 2009, more than $155bn of new money had been invested in clean energy concerns and projects-despite the fact that the capital raised on public stock markets dropped by 51% to $11.4bn. Over this period, green firms also saw share prices drop dramatically by over 60%.

Wind energy is the current global leader of green energy sources, attracted the highest levels of investment globally at over $51bn. Next comes solar power at over $33bn. As of the end of 2009, however, the solar power sector saw Y-O-Y growth of 50%, whereas wind power only saw an annual growth of 1%. The next most-popular green energy source is biofuels, attracted an investment of almost $17bn, down 9% on 2007 levels. This was principally due to overcapacity issues and political opposition to the sector, with ethanol being squarely blamed for rocketing food prices.

Europe remains the principal center for investment in green energy and power, seeing over $50bn directed into continent-wide projects-an increase of 2% on 2008 figures. The figure for the US was $30bn-down a total of 8%.

Many countries have seen a number of “Green New Deals”, designed with the intention of re-igniting recession-depressed economies and tackle climate change-related problems. The first quarter of 2009 saw a slump in renewable investment globally, and this trend has troubled the UN. The second quarter of 2009 has shown recovery, but indications are that the year would end at least a quarter down on 2008 figures. Many analysts are encouraged by the green shoots, but insist that politicians and policy-makers should do more to ensure continued growth.

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here


Jan

17th

EPA:Stricter Smog Pollutants Limits


Excerpts from Washington Post article by Juliet Eilperin

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed stricter limits recently on the amount of pollution-forming ozone allowed in the air, significantly tightening rules the Bush administration had set for the nation’s most widespread air pollutant.

The new rules, which must undergo 60 days of public comment before becoming final, would help determine the quality of the air Americans will breathe for at least a decade. The change, which represents only the third time in nearly 40 years that the standards have been toughened, could cost industry billions, while preventing thousands of premature deaths a decade from now, the EPA maintains.

The stricter standards would limit ozone in the air to 60 to 70 parts per billion for any eight-hour period, down from 75 ppb. Although the percentage change sounds small, Thursday’s move ensures that state and local governments would face a much stricter air quality test in the years ahead.

The final target that the Obama administration adopts will have major implications for the regulations that state and local officials will have to set to meet the new federal requirements, which will become final between 2014 and 2031, depending on the region. Power plants and motor vehicles are significant emitters of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and other chemical compounds, which form ozone when exposed to sunlight, but sources as small as gas lawn mowers could face new restrictions depending on what EPA chooses as its ultimate goal.

Exposure to ground-level ozone, or smog, is linked to an array of heart and respiratory illnesses. Smog causes burning and inflammation in sensitive tissues and can harm wilderness areas and farm crops by stunting the growth of trees and plants.

“Smog in the air we breathe poses a very serious health threat, especially to children and individuals suffering from asthma and lung disease, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement. “Using the best science to strengthen these standards is a long overdue action that will help millions of Americans breathe easier and live healthier.”

EPA also announced that as part of its new smog proposal it will also set a secondary, seasonal limit to protect plants and trees from prolonged exposure to ozone.

S. William Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, said state and local officials are committed to tackling the nation’s smog problem despite the “daunting challenges” doing so poses. “Though the task of putting new, better standards into practice won’t be easy, it will most certainly be worth it,” he said.

But the administration’s plan could spark resistance among industries that will face new regulatory requirements, including utilities that have already cut their nitrogen oxide emissions in recent years.

Edison Electric Institute spokesman Dan Riedinger, whose group represents the majority of electricity generators in the United States, said “there’s huge uncertainty about what this and other regulatory requirements will entail for utilities and other sectors.”

Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to smog: Studies show that children who grow up in areas with high ozone concentrations never develop the same lung capacity as those who live in less polluted areas, and that they are more likely to develop asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here


Jan

9th

Warming Car Engines…Gas Waster or Good?


Is it best to let your car warm up in the morning when it’s really cold? Or does that just waste gas?

Although you might think it’s easier on your car to let it sit and gently warm up, doing so is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it does indeed waste gas.

The vast majority of cars on the road today use electronic fuel injection. When your car’s engine is cold, the computer tells the fuel injectors to stay open longer, allowing more fuel into the engine to help it run cold. As the engine warms up, the injectors let in less fuel and everything returns to normal, so to speak. 

The problem is, letting your car sit and idle is the slowest way to bring it up to operating temperature because it’s generally sitting in your drive at just above idle speed. And this method to warm up also invites other problems. Remember that modern cars are equipped with a multitude of devices to help them run clean, including a catalytic converter (sometimes three of them), a device in the exhaust system that works to burn off unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream. A cold engine emits a far higher percentage of unburned hydrocarbons than a warm engine. Unfortunately, the average catalytic converter can’t process 100 percent of unburned hydrocarbons even in the best of times. Importantly, the catalytic converter needs high exhaust temperatures to work properly. Throw in a cold engine emitting a high percentage of unburned hydrocarbons, repeat several hundred times, and you can end up with what’s called a “plugged” converter. In a nutshell, the converter becomes overwhelmed and literally ceases to function. This won’t happen all at once but over time, the end effect is the same: poor mileage and significantly dirtier exhaust.

The best bet? Even when it’s 10 degrees F outside, start your car, let it run for 30 to 60 seconds to get all the fluids moving, then drive off gently. Your engine will warm up faster, your exhaust system will get up to temperature faster so the catalytic converter can do its thing, and you’ll use less fuel. Which is what you wanted all along anyhow, right?

If it’s below zero outside, it would be a good idea to give the engine five minutes or a little less before you drive off into the frozen wilderness!

— Richard Backus, editor in chief, Gas Engine and Motorcycle Classics magazines

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here


Jan

8th

Doggett Announces $4.8M for Green Jobs


U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced a $4.8 million grant Wednesday to train 1,000 local workers for jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

“Green’s the word in Austin, and today greenbacks are on their way to further strengthen our commitment to clean energy,” said Doggett, D-Austin. “Green jobs have the ability to not only transform the way we do business, but re-power America; this training will provide workers with the nuts and bolts to construct a thriving clean energy economy right here in Central Texas.”

The grant is a significant gain for the region’s green work force, as community and business leaders continue to eye plans to grow the sector in Central Texas, which has lost jobs in manufacturing and other key industries in the downturn.

The Central Texas plan, funded by the federal economic stimulus program, will train 1,000 workers for jobs at solar power plants in Austin and San Antonio and projects in nearby cities and states. The training will prepare workers for a variety of jobs, including in solar installation.

The grant will go to Austin’s Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee , which is sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 520 .

Gilbert Ferrales , training director for the JATC, said the training will provide workers with immediate employment opportunities in Central Texas.

The Austin IBEW will partner with ImagineSolar LLC, an Austin-based company that does job training for the solar energy industry, and the Austin Workforce Investment Board.

The training will begin as early as March and take place at JATC’s training facility in Southeast Austin over the following months.

“This grant represents a major step forward in developing the solar energy industry for Central Texas,” said Michael Kuhn, president and chief executive of ImagineSolar.

The region got one of 25 grants totaling nearly $100 million from federal stimulus funds announced Wednesday by the Labor Department.

It’s part of a larger $500 million federal initiative to train workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

“Our outstanding award recipients were selected because their proposed projects will connect workers to career pathways in green industries and occupations through diverse partnerships,” Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said in a statement Wednesday.

Article courtesy of Austin American Statesman

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here


Jan

4th

Resolve: Greener Cleaning for 2010


A simple way to support your goals for going greener is to change the way you clean your home.  You can eliminate smells, germs, and grime without introducing toxic chemicals or supporting the production of these products using simple, inexpensive methods.

First, easily make your own cleaning solutions- Buy industrial sizes of white vinegar, baking soda, and some orange oil. Buy a non-noxious liquid soap like Mrs. Meyers and some Borax.  Buy or reuse a couple of sprayer bottles. Lay in a supply of microfiber cloths (so you can keep bathroom and kitchen cloths separate), rubber gloves, and a pumice stone.  You’re ready to go!

 Kitchen: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in your sprayer bottle for cleaning surfaces.  Especially greasy mess? Add a few drops of the orange oil. You will avoid combining toxic chemicals with food preparation surfaces.  Use baking soda for cleaning the inside of the fridge.  Make a paste of vinegar and soda for baked on oven messes (conventional oven cleaners have some of the most noxious chemicals going, and you will inhale them and introduce them into your food if you use them), and for stinky sink drains areas.  Stainless appliances?  A few drops of the liquid soap and wipe down with the grain.  If you have to have a commercial grease fighter to be happy, try Holy Cow in a gallon size, and mix with water in your sprayer bottle.  Not only are you eliminating toxic chemicals in your home, but reducing the demand for highly toxic chemicals in plastic bottles and all the environmental damage that goes with that entire process.

 Bathrooms: Use your 50/50 vinegar water spray here for surfaces and mirrors as well.  Baking soda paste scrubbed into grout and tub and sink gunky areas works great.  You can use Borax, which is cheap and non-toxic, for mildew areas in showers.  Industrial cleaners typically contain glycol ethers, which are easily absorbed through the skin and have been linked to reproductive problems and birth defects in animal studies.  Not a good idea, and way overkill considering the simple alternatives! 

Baking soda and your scrub brush to clean the “throne”, and if it needs whitening, hydrogen peroxide works or try (gently!) scrubbing stubborn stains with a pumice stone.

 While we are on the subject of clean, fresh smelling homes, please consider reducing or eliminating the use of aerosol sprays, scented oils, plug-ins, etc.  Many of these have not been tested for health effects, and add to the number of particles we breath in our indoor spaces that may contribute to allergies, breathing problems, and generally poor indoor air quality.  Opt for sensible ventilation practices instead; an open window when climate allows and use of vent fans to pull odors out.   

 Our Stanberry and Associates wish for you is a healthier, safer, and more eco-wise clean home for 2010, and a Happy New Year. 

 For further reading: 

 

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/show-whats-inside/cleaning-products-ingredients-guide

 

http://www.womenandenvironment.org/campaignsandprograms/SafeCleaning/recipes

 

HouseLogic green cleaning articles: http://tinyurl.com/yl4u7ha

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here


Jan

2nd

New Climate Change Policy? Displacement.


The Copenhagen climate change meeting might actually turn out to be a success over time. China introduced their plan to limit green house gas emissions which was embraced by most of the world with the exception of Europe and the United States, although Barack Obama made some favorable comments about the Chinese plan.

So what is the Chinese plan? Basically it is one of energy displacement without any caps on emissions. They plan on radically increasing the amount of energy that they will produce from renewable resources (wind, solar, and even nuclear) but will not agree to any caps on carbon emissions. The idea is that renewable energy will always be used before a utility will turn to burning fossil fuel to generate electricity. The more renewable energy you build, the less fossil fuel you burn based on a given demand. If you can grow your renewable infrastructure to the point where you are increasing your renewable energy capacity faster than your electric demand then you will start reducing carbon emissions.

China currently receives only a tiny fraction of its electric power from renewable sources (other than hydroelectric). They will try to double their renewable energy production each year for the foreseeable future. It will take many years of doubling to reach an equilibrium point with an economy growing 10% per year. They talk about reducing the carbon output for each unit of production.

Why are the Chinese using this approach? Cap and trade just doesn’t work for them. They can’t put carbon limits on an economy that is growing 10% per year. If the caps really worked, their growth rate would decline substantially. They are not willing to give up the growth which provides jobs for the hundreds of millions of Chinese looking for work to move out of poverty.

To implement this policy of displacement, the Chinese government had decreed that power companies must buy all of the renewable energy produced even if the price of that energy is higher than the price of energy produced from fossil fuels. Note that the price renewable energy producers can charge is regulated by the government but is typically set at a price that provides a decent return for the company. China will also provide fast approval for renewable projects and will work to build out their electric grid to connect new power sources.

The First Solar deal with China to build 20 GigaWatts of solar collectors by the year 2020 is a good example of this policy at work. China guaranteed First Solar a rate tariff on the electricity produced that would make them a profit if they would build a factory in China to produce the panels. China will build the transmission lines to get the power to market for them. In 2020 China will have 20 GigaWatts for solar power which will mean they will product 20 GigaWatts less power from fossil fuels when the sun shines.

The displacement policy means Chinese wind and solar system producers are gearing up to increase production dramatically. This high consistent demand is allowing them to use scale to drive down manufacturing costs. One day renewable may become cost effective as a power source compared to fossil fuels and China won’t have to subsidize their production. In the mean time China creates whole new industries with tremendous export potential and thousands (millions?) of new jobs. They also don’t have to be heavy handed with energy consumers. Consumers will pay a slightly higher price for electricity as the utility companies pass through the higher prices they pay for renewable power.

Read more at Examiner.com:  http://tinyurl.com/y85gcks

Bookmark and Share

Comment Here