The Climate Action Blog

Friday, July 18, 2008

HYDROGEN CARS: Hydrogen cars could rule road by 2050, slash oil need. A government-backed study says America could nearly eliminate its need for gasoline for cars, pickup trucks and SUVs by 2050 if the government helps build a market for hydrogen fuel cells and other technologies. McClatchy Newspapers. 18 July 2008.

IMPACTS: Antarctic icebergs scouring seabed are new threat to marine life. Antarctic marine life is coming under increasing threat from icebergs that are scouring the seabed and destroying their habitat, a new study by the British Antarctic Survey has found. London Daily Telegraph, England. 18 July 2008

EPA STUDY - IMPACTS: Climate change puts U.S. way of life at risk: EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under fire for apparently discounting the impact of climate change, on Thursday said global warming poses real risk to human health and the American way of life. Reuters. 18 July 2008.

WIND POWER: State supports $4.9 billion wind power plan. If the plan wins final approval, it would be the country's largest investment in clean and renewable power. Austin American-Statesman, Texas. 18 July 2008. [Registration Required]

STATE POLICY (TX): Perry lays out Texas energy vision. Governor wants to double number of nuclear plants, add wind power, tap potential of biofuels. Austin American-Statesman, Texas. 18 July 2008. [Registration Required]

AL GORE: Al Gore's 10-year plan to solve the climate crisis. Today, Al Gore used his unique bully pulpit to promote an ambitious plan for controlling climate change: Produce all electricity from renewable and other nonpolluting sources of power within 10 years. The Daily Green. 18 July 2008.

CDM PROJECT: Namibia approves CDM project. A geothermal energy project has become the first clean development mechanism (CDM) project to be approved in Namibia. Windhoek New Era, Namibia. 18 July 2008.

AUSTRALIA - CARBON TRADING SCHEME: Australia outlines carbon trading scheme. Australia on Wednesday outlined a carbon trading scheme including a pledge that heavily polluting industries--exporting much of their product and those facing inter­national competition--could receive free credits for up to 90 per cent of their ­emissions. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 18 July 2008.

FRANCE - NUCLEAR: France orders probe at all nuclear sites. The French government on Thursday ordered an investigation into the water table around all of France's 58 nuclear reactors in an effort to dispel fears raised by a leak from a treatment plant run by Areva in southern France. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 18 July 2008.

STATES POLICY (FL): Florida willing to get tough over oil drilling ban. Florida's governor would go to court to guarantee his right to permit Florida offshore oil exploration. But the possible running mate for presidential nominee John McCain told the Financial Times it would be "more productive" for Congress to overturn its ban on offshore drilling. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 18 July 2008

STATES POLICY (KY); Get ahead of energy curve. If Gov. Steve Beshear is sincere about preparing Kentucky for a carbon-constrained future, he'll have to drop his dream of squeezing gasoline from coal. Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky. Editorial, 18 July 2008.

WASTE TO ENERGY: Gas from garbage. What Dallas does have is the technology and ingenuity to create its own natural gas in a matter of a few months-- an exciting, forward-thinking venture that will make the most out of a decidedly unexciting thing: household trash. Dallas Morning News, Texas. Editorial, 18 July 2008

PLASTIC SUBSTITUTE: Mitsubishi Chemical To Use Plant Resins For Plastics 7/18/2008 - Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. plans to mass-produce synthetic resins made from plant extract, seeking to reduce its dependence on petroleum, with output slated to begin as early as fiscal 2010, The Nikkei reported in its Friday morning edition. Plant resins are expensive, impeding its competitiveness against petroleum products such as naphtha. But as long as crude oil prices stay around or above $100 a barrel, plant-based resins will fare well, the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. unit has concluded. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

SPAIN - SOLAR: In Spain, It's The Running Of Solar Companies 7/18/2008 - Solar companies aren't waiting for a worst case-scenario in Spain, they're betting on it. Solar companies have quickly jumped into that country in the last several years, lured by new subsidies from the Spanish government directed at making solar as economically viable as other sources of energy. But a proposed cap on the program could cut total solar installations by a quarter next year, and even with a decision weeks away, solar companies are already looking to bolt. In 2008, solar companies will install roughly 1,100 megawatts of power in Spain thanks to the new subsidies that propelled companies across the world to enter the market from Barcelona to Seville. While the Spanish government expected some gains in solar installations, an almost doubling from 600 MW a year ago has left the government with a larger subsidies bill than it would like, and rumors have spread that those subsidies may come with a big catch next year. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

UK - TIDAL POWER: UK's Marine Current Turbines Says Tidal Device Delivers Power To Grid 7/18/2008 - U.K. tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines said Thursday it has delivered its first electricity into the grid from its SeaGen turbine in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough. The 1.2-megawatt tidal stream power system will be generating electricity at full capacity in a few weeks, the company said. "This is an important milestone for the company and indeed the development of the marine renewable energy sector as a whole," said Martin Wright, managing director of Marine Current Turbines, of the project that will deliver electricity to 1,000 homes. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

WIND POWER: US Small Wind Turbine Market Grew 14% In 2007 7/18/2008 - The U.S. small wind turbine market grew 14% in 2007, driven by rising electricity prices and concerns about climate change, the American Wind Energy Association said Thursday. Small wind turbines produced about 9.7 megawatts of new power-generating capacity in 2007, bringing total small wind-generating capacity to 55-60 MW, according to AWEA. More than 9,000 small wind turbine units were sold in 2007, with total sales of $42 million. Small wind systems in the U.S. displace an estimated 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of taking 10,000 cars off the road, according to AWEA. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

Monday, July 21, 2008

WIND POWER: Green light for massive wind farm. Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire have been approved by Scottish ministers. BBC, UK. 21 July 2008.

IMPACTS: Scientists warn of wetlands 'carbon bomb'. The world's wetlands, threatened by development, dehydration and climate change, could release a planet-warming "carbon bomb" if they are destroyed, ecological scientists have warned. London Daily Telegraph, England. 21 July 2008.

CLIMATE REPORT: 100 months to save the planet. A "Green New Deal" is needed to solve current problems of climate change, energy and finance, a report argues; according to the Green New Deal Group, humanity only has 100 months to prevent dangerous global warming. BBC, UK. 21 July 2008

STATE POLICY (NJ): Soaring enery costs sparking 'green' legislation in New Jersey. With gas prices hovering at $4 per gallon and the nation in an economic funk, there is no shortage of ideas on how to make New Jersey more energy efficient. Associated Press. 21 July 2008

ALT FUELS: Quest for alternative fuels starts with an engine at Argonne National Laboratory. Begun with about $100,000 in start-up money nearly two years ago, the omnivorous engine project is an effort to design a spark-ignition engine that can run on a variety of liquid fuels. Chicago Tribune, Illinois. 21 July 2008.

ELECTRIC CARS: GM, utility group to announce electric car tie-up. General Motors Corp and an organization representing US utilities are set to announce a partnership to prepare for the widespread sale of plug-in electric cars, people familiar with the plans said Friday. Reuters. 21 July 2008.

PLUG-IN HYBRIDS: Future is nearly now for plug-in hybrids. When hundreds of experts gather this week for the country's first and biggest plug-in hybrid conference, the tone of the gathering will reveal a dramatic change: The talk is of "when," not "if." San Jose Mercury News, California. 21 July 2008.

STATE POLICY (NJ): New Jersey Energy Plan Looks At Aggressive Goals 7/21/2008 - New Jersey state officials held their last public hearing Thursday for the forthcoming New Jersey Energy Master Plan that outlines state renewable energy goals, and they have seen a wealth of support for the plan. Officials are required to update an energy plan every 10 years according to state law, but they last wrote a plan in 1991. The new plan will be finalized in the fall.

STATE POLICY (CA): California Becomes First In Nation To Establish Green-Building Codes 7/21/2008 - The California Building Standards Commission has taken a step toward building a greener future for the state with new green building codes for new houses. The commission made California the first state in the nation to incorporate these standards into its building codes. The codes will be phased in over the next three years. The new code requires California homes to be approximately 50% more energy-efficient than homes built to national energy standards by July 2009, a 20% reduction in overall water use within all new homes starting on July 1, 2011, and air quality measures that include adhesives, paints and coatings with low or no levels of "volatile organic compounds," high-efficiency air-conditioning filters to better filter out dust and particulates, and always-on exhaust fans to ensure better fresh air circulation in the home by Jan. 1, 2011. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/21/08

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Relevant stories for Tuesday were minimal and were repeats of stories reported the previous days.

Wednesday, June 23, 2008

SOLAR POWER: Saharan sun could power European supergrid. Vast farms of solar panels in the Sahara desert could provide clean electricity for the whole of Europe, according to EU scientists working on a plan to pool the region's renewable energy. London Guardian, England. 23 July 2008.

CO2 OFFSETS: Don't offset your CO2 emissions, retire them. At the age of 25, Dan Lewer is going into retirement -- carbon emissions retirement that is. Lewer is co-founder of a new online carbon offset company called Carbon Retirement, which launched on July 15. Reuters. 23 July 2008.

GEOTHERMAL: In the push for alternative energy, what happened to geothermal? Geothermal energy, which has been heralded by some scientists over the years as a rich untapped resource, has garnered much less attention than other alternative energy sources, particularly from politicians. US News & World Report. 23 July 2008.

GREEN CITIES: Green Streets project reduces carbon footprint and energy bills. Families taking part in a greener living experiment have made big cuts in their carbon footprint, managing to reduce their energy use by 30 per cent and CO2 emissions by 20 per cent London Daily Telegraph, England. 23 July 2008.

STATE POLICY (CT): Republicans stand with Rell on her plan for energy rebates. Republican lawmakers scored a minor coup for Gov. M. Jodi Rell Tuesday, backing her plan to send some proceeds from the auction of global-warming pollution credits back to individual utility customers. New London Day, Connecticut. 23 July 2008.

NUCLEAR: Vote clears way for US nuclear deal with India. India's government survived a hotly contested confidence vote Tuesday, clearing the way for it to finalize a landmark nuclear energy deal with the United States. Associated Press. 23 July 2008.

NUCLEAR: Britain pushes on with nuclear power revival plan. Britain wants to be the most attractive place in the world to build nuclear power plants and has published draft rules for finding places in England and Wales to do it. Reuters. 23 July 2008.

COAL-TO-LIQUIDS: Firm touts Alberta coal-to-liquids plant. A small Calgary company on Tuesday proposed Canada's first coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant in northwest Alberta. Calgary Herald, Alberta. 23 July 2008.

Thursday, June 24, 2008

SOLUTIONS: Americans must diet to save their economy. Want to save the US economy? Go on a diet. That's the message ecologists are trying to get across. They say the apparently looming energy crisis could be averted if US residents cut their calorie intake. New Scientist, England. 24 July 2008.

IMPACTS: Study warns of water problems. A new study predicts that climate change will create devastating drought in Nevada and throughout the Southwest and continue to drop the levels of already low Lake Mead and Lake Powell, threatening the water supply for 2 million Nevadans. Associated Press. 24 July 2008.

STATE POLICY (CA): California green energy proposal has thin support. Awareness is low, but 63 percent of those who had a view on it favor a California ballot measure that would require half the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025, a Field poll issued Tuesday shows. Reuters. 24 July 2008.

HYDROGEN CAR - U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: SoCal mail carriers use hydrogen car. A U.S. Postal Service station in Orange County began using a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle Wednesday to deliver the mail. Modesto Bee, California. 24 July 2008.

CAR CHARGING STATIONS: Coulomb, V2Green To Offer Electric Car-Charging Stations 7/24/2008 - Anticipating a wide roll out of electric cars in 2010 and beyond, Coulomb Technologies Inc. and V2Green Inc. are offering a technology to allow drivers of electric cars to plug in and charge their vehicles outside of a garage. Campbell, Calif.-based Coulomb will make charging stations that can be used on city streets, outside office buildings or in apartment building parking lots, for example, so drivers who don't own garages or merely want to charge their vehicles during the day can access charging stations. Seattle-based V2Green will provide smart-grid services, giving the utilities information to help ease the burden of this extra draw on the power grid. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/24/08

PLUG-IN ELECTRIC CARS: Electric-Car Maker Aptera Gets $2.75M Charge From Google 7/24/2008 - Google.org's RechargeIT program, launched in June 2007 to accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, has made its first investments. According to a blog post by Karl Sun, an investment principal with Google.org, Aptera Motors Inc. will receive $2.75 million from the program. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company develops electric and hybrid vehicles. Aptera's first production model, the Typ-1, will be available in December at a cost of about $30,000, the company previously told VentureWire. The all-electric version gets 120 miles per charge, while the hybrid version gets 300 miles per gallon, the company said. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/24/08

EMISSIONS MONITORING TECH: Accenture Offers IT Product Suite To Monitor Emissions 7/24/2008 - Accenture Ltd. launched a new "Green Technology Suite," a set of tools designed to help an organization be green and save money as well through its information technology department. The tool uses software, methodology and consulting services to allow a company or organization assess its carbon emissions and decrease that level, as well as save money on operating costs, focusing on IT. New York-based Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/24/08