Saturday, June 12, 2010

Solar Flight in Sight

If you're accustomed to flying for travel and are looking for a fast way to cut back your carbon footprint, look no further than the jet fuel that feeds your flights. Check nearly any carbon calculator, and you'll find that air travel is probably your biggest source of carbon emissions.

Is cutting back on such air travel an option? Yes, you can always buy so-called "green tags" to offset the emissions from your travel, find alternative modes of transportation (trains can offer a romtantic alternative in some regions), or organize "staycations" instead of elaborate journeys abroad. But for those airline trips where these options are out of the question, what else exists?


Commercially, current options are few and far between. But there is hope. This week I met the colleagues of a man, Bertrand Piccard, who plans to circle the world in a solar airplane called the Solar Impulse, stopping five times along the way to top up his hybrid solar battery. By day, the plane will absorb sunlight on its broad, solar-paneled wings by day, gaining altitude as it goes. By night, the plane will coast, slowly descending while propellors on the wings turn in the apparent wind, regenerating battery energy all the way. Mr. Piccard's purpose? To show that solar flight is possible.

Although solar flight may be far from commerciable at the moment, think what market change could come if investors prioritized this kind of energy over jet fuel. The concept of such change is not all that novel. On the contrary, Mr. Piccard's purpose should be familiar. On a field in Kitty Hawk, Arkansas, it was also the purpose of the Wright Brothers. And look what we're doing with their dreams now.

The Economist, at least, seems to think sufficiently well of the project to cover it in the Economist Technology Quarterly. My hope is that such options will soon spring from the pages of such magazines to the market. http://www.economist.com/node/16295620?story_id=16295620

A made-for-Hollywood type video promoting the project, or at least its daytime attributes, is online at http://www.solarimpulse.com/.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Sustainable Humanity and Energy Policy

There is more than one price to pay for our energy choices. The most obvious prices are listed on utility bills and legislative budgets. Less obvious is the price people pay for living near mining operations and power plants with deficient environmental management. Less told is the story of people who live with toxic air, poisoned water and contaminated soil.

On a road tour dubbed "Cleaning the Air," a group of concerned individuals set out on a ten-day, nine-city tour around Earth Day 2010 to explore this untold story and set the record straight. The tour was an intiative of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Little Village Environmental Organization and the Envirnonmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative. The tour precedes a report ranking the nation's coal power plants based on their emissions of air pollutants (nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide) in proximity to low income communities of color.

Read more about the climate justice initiative on the NAACP website here, http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/04/22/naacp-honors-earth-day-with-climate-justice-initiative-videos/. To follow the tour from your computer, check out Jacqui Patterson's blog and interviews here, https://climatejusticeinitiative.wordpress.com/.

The Cleaning the Air Road Tour raises key questions of equity and human rights. It names the price people have paid, and should mobilize action toward cleaner, healthier, more equitable energy policies.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sustainable Humanity

There is more to sustainability than cutting back on waste and making efficient energy choices. Look behind all of our agencies, departments and institutions, and you find regular people. You and me. This week’s Sustainable C focuses on just that – sustainable people, sustainable humankind. For me, the sustainability of people – of humankind – rests on respect for and improvement of human rights.

In this entry, I proudly share a letter from my mom to the editor of the newspaper she reads every day. I am moved by the sustainable humanity of her purpose.

“I was very saddened to read in your newspaper on May 21, 2010, that a gay couple in Malawi was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor. It is important that you have brought this to the public’s attention, and it is important that we speak out against such abuse of human rights.

As a mother of a lesbian daughter, I am speaking out. My daughter cannot live in Oregon with her partner because her partner is from Sweden. They cannot be married in Oregon making residency for her partner impossible unless she finds a job in her field. As a couple, they have chosen to live in Sweden where same-sex marriage is officially recognized along with all the benefits of marriage.

Amnesty International said of Governor Patterson’s support for same-sex marriage in New York, ‘Marriage equality is a basic human rights issue. Until same-sex couples are able to marry, they will continue to face discrimination in housing, health care and on other critical matters directly tied to familial rights.’ So many gay people face discrimination in one form or another in many places around the world. It is deplorable and it limits our ability to move forward as productive societies. It is a shame that our society is among those that has such limits.

As human beings, our most important job is to be loving toward our family and others. When we see abuse of basic human rights, it is also our job to speak out. One voice does matter, especially in today’s world of technology where words are transported electronically with ease. Be loving, be generous and please speak out against abuse of human rights such as those taken from Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza in Malawi who were sentenced to 14 years of hard labor simply for celebrating their engagement. Join me as I speak out for equal rights here at home, as well.”

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Is the Generation of Nuclear Energy Sustainable?

From all accounts I have read, the world is nearing an energy crisis. Oil supply has peaked, compelling oil companies to last-resort, environmentally-disastrous measures, such as steam blasting bitumen out of the Canadian oil sands. Water supply is of increasing concern. National Geographic’s April 2010 edition focused on dwindling sources of clean water, and The Economist is poised to follow suit next week with a special report on water…”finite, vital, much wanted, little understood.” http://www.economist.com (print edition for week of May 15th-21st 2010). Despite its toxic profile, nuclear energy is increasingly at the top of many countries’ energy agendas.



But is it sustainable?

The trouble with nuclear is that every step in its production chain is severely toxic to wildlife and human life. From the uranium fuels nuclear generators to the water-intensive cooling towers used at the power plant, and from the disposal of spent uranium to the ultimate decommissioning of the plant, nuclear business is deadly business.

This is a topic worth exploring in detail. As a starting point, let’s take the first step in the process of nuclear fuel cycle – uranium mining. Uranium is a radioactive material that fuels nuclear power plants. Uranium mines operate in 70 different countries, with a majority of operations in developing countries, where hazardous waste regulations are relatively lax. http://www-nfcis.iaea.org/UDEPO (registration required).

The uranium mining process unsheathes high concentrations of radioactive elements and other elements that can wreak havoc on people’s health near the mines. These elements include uranium decay products such as radon, thorium-230 and radium-226, as well as heavy metals (copper, manganese and cadmium) and poisons including arsenic. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to these materials has been linked to cancer, leukemia, birth defects and genetic mutations. www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/health_effects.html.

One detailed example of how a uranium mine has poisoned human habitat is featured in Greenpeace’s recent report titled, “Left in the dust: AREVA’s radioactive legacy in the desert towns of Niger.” www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/Left-in-the-dust/. This report leaves the reader begging the question, “Why? Why nuclear?” For those of us who engage our elected officials on the topic of energy, and certainly for our elected officials, this report should be recommended reading.

More of the nuclear fuel cycle could be explored, but the basic point is this. Before we choose nuclear—whose fuel cycle is proven to be disastrous to human health—it is vital that we exhaust all other options. The ongoing health and sustainability of humankind depends on such well-reasoned policy choices.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

BP Oil Spill and Our Energy Choices

On April 20, 2010, two days shy of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, an offshore oil rig exploded off the Louisianna coast, killing 11 workers on site and erupting thousands to millions of gallons of oil into the tender Gulf waters. The severity of the incident and its consequences raise a number of questions about our energy choices.


Could the explosion have been avoided? Yes, it could. Starting in July 2007, the US Department of Interior (DOI) had data featuring a history of accidents, fires and even deaths at offshore drilling sites. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/gulf-oil-spill See, for example, DOI's performance data and analysis 2007. http://www.doi.gov/pfm/par/par2007/par07_2c_resource_use.pdf (scroll to "composite accident severity ratio," p. 135). One must question whether BP used the best available technology, and whether DOI's offshore oil drilling regulations were sufficiently stringent in light of data it had on previous accidents, fires and deaths.

Could the offshore drilling itself have been avoided? Yes, it could. The US is a country known as much for its affluence as for its ability to devise innovative solutions. What is so crazy about the energy questions the US faces at this juncture is that the most obvious solution is also the simplest. Energy efficiency.

This point is appreciated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which recently formed a Climate Change Work Group to take a closer look at greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions under the Clean Air Act. In a recent presentation to the EPA, the Climate Change Work Group underscored the importance of one particular best practice: energy efficiency. http://www.epa.gov/air/caaac/climate/2010_02_PresentationtoCAAAC.pdf (see recommendations on last page of presentation)

As a result of the drilling, and the explosion and massive leakage of oil into the Gulf waters, wildlife, human health and livelihoods are at risk. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/28/us/20100428-spill-map.html Even in this week's issue of The Economist magazine, the bottom-line focused editorial team steps outside its usual business focus to detail the environmental distress: "Dead jellyfish and turtles are now washing up on the beaches, and fish are suffocating. When the oil starts to wash up in quantity, the greatest environmental threat will be to the Louisiana Wetlands." http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16059982

So long as we can still do more to increase energy efficiency, we can and should resist drilling in areas vital to wildlife and human life. Examples of other energy choices are abundant. Consider, for example, this suggestion from the non-profit organization Environmental Working Group: "The best way to control energy prices and foreign dependence is by reducing demand with immediate, major and mandatory investments in conservation measures such as mass transit, higher mileage cars, improved building codes, tougher efficiency standards for appliances and lighting, and through the promotion and development of available alternative energy sources like solar and wind." http://www.ewg.org/reports/comingupdry (scroll to article, "Despite Increased Drilling in the West, Gasoline and Natural Gas Prices Have Soared").

Two days shy of Earth Day 2010, this event should raise serious concern about our energy choices: our individual choices, as well as the choices we condone through our elected representatives.

* * *

For more information on the spill and to track day to day developments, see the NY Times' interactive map. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/28/us/20100428-spill-map.html Greenpeace also offers historical and contemporary coverage from the perspective of our environment. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/gulf-oil-spill Information on one part of the US government response can be found on the first page of the Department of Interior website. http://www.doi.gov/

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Framework for Sustainability: The Natural Step


Methodologies for planning and implementing a more sustainable way of doing business abound. However, some methodologies are the topic of more water cooler conversations than others. A good example of one methodology that has received raving endorsements is The Natural Step.

The Natural Step provides a framework for businesses, organizations and agencies to brainstorm, plan and implement more sustainable practices. It works like this.

Take, for example, Municipality ABC. It's the 1990s, and ABC faces severe economic downtown, job loss, brain drain and low morale. Its policymakers decide that the solution lies in creating a sustainable environment for businesses and residents. ABC policymakers meet at a retreat to brainstorm their options for economic development using The Natural Step's four guiding objectives:

1) Reduce our community's contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals.
2) Reduce our community's contribution to dependence on persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances.
3) Reduce our community's contribution to encroachment upon nature (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems).
4) Meet human needs fairly and efficiently.

Using these guidelines to help spark their brainstorming, ABC policymakers develop plans for sustainable practices in the following areas. Examples of their plans, marked according to the guideline that inspired them, include the following:

- selectively develop public transportation (including public transportation, pedestrian walkways, bike trails and schemes for vehicle sharing) (1,3,4)
- improve commercial and residential building function and design to use passive solar energy, to incorporate renewable energy for heating and cooling, and to eliminate toxic building materials (1,2,3,4)
- improve agricultural methods to eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides (1,2,3,4)
- update municipal purchasing guidelines to reflect new sustainable practices and policies (1,2,3,4)
- revise urban planning regulations to support preservation of open space, forests, natural waterways, and habitat (1,2,3,4)
- update sewage treatment techniques to reuse greywater and treat blackwater (3)
- affordable housing (4)

ABC policymakers develop and implement new practices and policies in ABC municipality that boost morale while creating new jobs and cultivating a more desirable living environment. The municipality becomes a model for a new way of life and doing business.

This is the story of some Swedish businesses, municipalities and organizations in the 1990s. New methodologies abound, of course, but the old methodologies, including The Natural Step, deserve thoughtful reflection. My own reflection on this particular approach to sustainability is that more than a few businesses and municipalities that have benefited from The Natural Step continue to thrive.

* * *

Most of the information in this entry of Sustainable C derives from the book, The Natural Step for Communities: How CIties and Towns can Change to Sustainable Practices (ISBN 978-0-86571-491-5).

More information on The Natural Step today can be found by running a web search of "The Natural Step" or "Det Naturliga Steget."

An entertaining two-minute video on The Natural Step can be found here, courtesy of Youtube:

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

How Sweden Leads Sustainable Practices

A light April snow falls over Stockholm as I reflect on the successes of sustainable development in Sweden. By sustainable development, I mean development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." See http://www.un-documents.net/a42r187.htm (the definition is informally known as the Brundtland Commission definition).



This general concept framed discussions yesterday at Sweden's Sustainability Day 2010, a nationwide conference held in Stockholm to celebrate and promote sustainable development in Swedish businesses and industries. http://miljoaktuellt.idg.se/2.1845/1.291059 At the conference, that which astounded me was not emergence of new achievements, but rather the ongoing successes of old ones.

Already in the 1990s, municipalities and corporations in Sweden were using sustainable development-driven solutions to pull themselves from negative balance sheets to soaring profits. These solutions were based on a process called The Natural Step (in Swedish, Det Naturliga Steget). For more information read the book, The Natural Step for Communities: How CIties and Towns can Change to Sustainable Practices (ISBN 978-0-86571-491-5).

Take for example Scandic Hotels, a Northern Europe hotel chain celebrated for its sustainable practices and policies. In the early 1990s when the hotel faced bankruptcy, it employed company-wide sustainability training as part of an effort to turn the company around. During training, employees were invited to brainstorm how the hotel might function more sustainably. Management realized several of the suggestions, which ranged from using all natural materials in furniture and carpeting to installing wastebackets that easily help guests separate garbage, recycling and compost. Similar business plan overhauls were conducted by Statoil gas stations and the municipal government of Stockholm.

Nearly 20 years later, it is no surprise that these corporations and this government lead talks at Sustainability Day 2010. For example, the hotel director from Scandic Hotel/ Malmen was celebrated as a nominee for the Sustainability Leadership Award. Statoil was the primary conference sponsor. As a presenter, the municipal government of Stockholm shared news of its green building achievements and its "Stockholm Climate Pact" with business leaders. What do all of these business leaders have in common? Early in the game, they incorporated The Natural Step in their policies and practices.

In short, if you wonder why Sweden is perceived to lead the world in sustainability practices, The Natural Step offers some answers.

Next week on Sustainable C, I will explore what The Natural Step entails and how it has helped leaders create sustainable visions.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Sustainable Seafood

I quit eating salmon a few years ago when the population of wild salmon that returned to spawn in the Northwest dropped to an all-time low. The alternative, of course, was to buy farm-grown salmon, but the arguments against that industry convinced me to give up salmon altogether. This was no easy separation, as I grew up fishing salmon on charter boats with my dad, and enjoying every sort of dish that can be made with our catch (salmon chowder, smoked salmon, salmon on the grill, baked salmon...you name it).

The convincing image was that of a Frankenstein salmon. The Frankenstein salmon is likely to escape into the wild, breed with wild salmon, and weaken the entire wild salmon population. I wanted no association with it. Though my image of the Frankenstein salmon is not entirely off-base (see the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Farmed Salmon Fact Card” at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_SalmonFactCard.pdf), it turns out that giving up salmon altogether is not necessary.

According to seafood-specific charts crafted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a well-respected research institute and educational facility on the West Coast of the U.S., some salmon consumption is sustainable (and some is not). See, for example, this one-stop-shop chart. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=17.. According to this chart, farmed salmon (except for tank-farmed salmon) is not sustainable, but wild-caught Alaskan salmon is.

Check the label for the salmon’s origin and ensure – if you can – that the labeling is correct. See salmon mislabeling case followed by attorneys at Stoel Rives, http://www.foodliabilitylaw.com/2009/01/articles/preemption-1/supreme-court-denies-certiorari-on-salmon-labeling-case/.

Other tools for responsible seafood shoppers, as well as some educational links, are available here: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx.

Friends, this post will be my last one for January. In February, I will take most of the month off to learn more about fish...from a snorkeler’s perspective. Consider this my Sustainable Living break. Please check back in late February and early March for the next edition of Sustainable C. As always, your comments are welcome.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Before You Trash that Old Computer or TV: Carrots and Sticks to Consider

According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), electronics waste is the “fastest growing waste stream in the U.S.” http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/pubs/docs/OREcyclesDisposalBanQA.pdf, p.2. Electronics waste—including computers, computer monitors, and televisions—contain substances that “can be harmful to our health and pollute our environment if released into the air, water and soil.” http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/pubs/docs/OREcyclesDisposalBanQA.pdf, p.2.

That is why in Oregon as of January 1, 2010, it is illegal to throw computers, computer monitors and televisions in the trash. The law has teeth. Each violation can lead to a $500 civil penalty. http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/459.html (see ORS 459.995(d)). But the law isn’t all stick. Lawmakers have provided a sort of carrot. They’ve made it easier for folks to comply with the new law by creating E-Cycles, a program that provides free recycling of computers, monitors and televisions at 220 collection sites statewide.

If you live in Oregon and are in search of one of these sites, call 1-888-532-9253. For more information, see DEQ’s online question and answer brochure at http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/pubs/docs/OREcyclesDisposalBanQA.pdf. If you live in Oregon and want to dispose of electronic waste other than computers, monitors or televisions, check out this list of other electronics recycling centers in the state: http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/ecycle/consumers/otherrecyclers.htm.

If you live outside of Oregon, contact your city or county solid waste office to find out about similar programs in your area.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Not So Cool: Heating and Cooling Takes Up Half of Your Energy Bill

According to the US Energy Information Administration, space heating and cooling accounts for nearly half of the energy use in your home. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=us_energy_homes (see also “How We Use Energy” earlier in Sustainable C). The bad news is that your heating and cooling is probably fueled (in part or entirely) by gas, oil, propane or electricity, all of which are energy sources that emit greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. The good news? You can make the most significant changes to your home energy bill—and your greenhouse gas emissions—by changing the way you heat and cool your home.

Before you run out and buy solar panels and double paned windows, consider starting with a simple energy audit. (If you rent, ask the homeowner or apartment building manager to allow you to deduct the cost of the audit from your rent payment.) The energy audit will help you pinpoint where you have leaks. The results can be surprising…and extremely helpful. For example, your audit may indicate that you need more insulation in your attic precisely when you thought you needed to re-insulate all the walls.

For those of us on a tighter budget, a few cheap and easy solutions will follow. For example, sealing leaky windows with plastic can shave off a significant bit of your bill. (Again, leaky windows are most easily identified with an energy audit.) You might also consider turning down the heat in the house and using a space heater to heat the room where you are spending most of your time. I use a space heater by my desk, so even if the rest of the house is chilly, it’s cozy in my study area.

For those with a more ample budget, look into a programmable thermostat (if you do not already have one). Programmable thermostats can take up to 10% off heating and cooling bills, according to the US Department of Energy. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12720. For more ideas on where to save money (and reduce emissions), look into some of the recommendations on the websites listed below.

As you save energy, money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, you might even be eligible for tax credits in your state. To learn more, check out the Alliance to Save Energy at http://ase.org/section/_audience/consumers/taxcredits.

Other useful websites for improving your home’s heating and cooling performance:

US Department of Energy (selecting and replacing heating and cooling systems) - http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12310
Energy Star (heating and cooling systems) - http://www.energystar.gov/
US Green Building Council (overall building shell efficiency) – www.usgbc.org
American Architectural Manufacturers Association (window efficiency) – http://www.aamanet.org/
The Windows and Doors Manufacturers Association (window and door efficiency) – http://www.wdma.com