Step it Up at the State Capitol!

Here is a great way for you to call for action on global warming.
Attend the Step it Up 2007 rally at the Minnesota State Capitol at noon on April 14th. stepitup2007.org

This is part of a nation-wide rally in over 1,100 locations. It should send a strong message to lawmakers in Minnesota and in Washington that we the people need strong action on this issue.

Please attend and add your voice to the call.

Planet Earth vs. Bush: Earth Wins

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday on the global warming case brought against the US EPA by California and 11 other states. Score one for Planet Earth. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the Bush administration's hands-off approach to regulating CO2 emmissions from vehicles must change. I'm not sure what the EPA's next move will be, and it's not likely to be a cooperative move. However, this is a big win because it lays the precedence that CO2 emmissions can be regulated under the existing Clean Air Act. Read more about it:
SF Chronicle Article

Rare Committee Meeting at State Capitol Tackles Global Warming

On Tuesday, both scientific and moral arguments were made at the State Capitol to stop global warming.

Catholic Archbishop Harry Flynn made the opening remarks stressing our moral responsibility to be good stewards of the Creation.

Will Steger continued the presentation explaining the scientific facts.
And the U of M's leading climate change researcher, David Tilman, talked about actions that the state must make in order to curb the damage of global warming.

This is an exciting time in Minnesota for people who see the urgent need to take bold action now. Contact your state representative to voice your support for taking action this year!

Full coverage on MPR

Amy Klobuchar Speaks to Senate About Global Warming

On Tuesday, the United States Senate had a hearing on global warming. Sixteen senators experssed their concerns, including Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar.

She said:

• "We just can't keep going the way that we're going"


• "December in Minnesota felt more like October. Our ice fishing seasons are shorter, and our skiers and snowmobilers haven't seen much snow."


• "In the last few months, you hear more and more people — Republicans, independents, Democrats — concerned about this"

Pioneer Press Article

U.N. Climate Panel Revising Minimum Global Warming Upwards

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release a new report on climate change on February 2nd that revises the minimum estimated increase in global temperatures since their last estimate in 2001.

Also, the 2,500 scientists who contributed to the report are 90 percent sure that human activities are to blame for a warming over the past 50 years.

The new report is likely to foresee a rise in temperatures of 2 to 4.5 Celsius (3.6-8.1 Fahrenheit) this century, with about 3 Celsius (5.4F) most likely. The European Union says any temperature rise above 2C (3.6F) will cause "dangerous" change, for instance with more heatwaves like in Europe in 2003 that killed 35,000 people.

New U.N. Climate Panel Report

The Stars are Aligned for Big Things in 2007

Tim Pawlenty's Assistant Commissioner for Renewable Energy, Mike Bull, was a presenter at the St Cloud CERTS Renewable Energy Conference last week. One of the more encouraging comments he made during the conference was that

"The stars are all aligned for this year's session for big things to happen in renewable energy. Maybe the biggest year ever."

He may be right. The governor has already announced a more aggressive renewable energy target of 25% by 2025. And the new state legislature is set to take up the whole issue of global warming this session. You can track the progress of this very important legislation at:
Clean Energy Minnesota

Let your representatives know that you vigorously support taking bold action this year!

MIT Finds Vast Untapped Geothermal Energy for Electricity

If there is a motivation to find clean energy sources, people will find it.

The United States already has geothermal systems operating in the West, but MIT concludes that the technology can be used broadly and be economical. Learn more about it.
MIT-led study finds geothermal energy potential untapped

Nancy Pelosi Turning Up the Heat in the House

As the House's new Democratic majority celebrated the completion of their populist 100-hour agenda Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) unveiled the party's next legislative target: an ambitious plan to wean the U.S. from foreign oil and slow global warming.

Pelosi announced that she intended to create a select panel to help craft the party's environmental agenda and had asked committee chairs with jurisdiction over the issue to pass legislation "to truly declare our energy independence" by July 4.

LA Times Article

Global Warming is Not All Fun and Games

Recently, there have been news stories about how Winter sports are being disrupted in Minnesota and around the world due to temperatures .

USA Today: For many snow lovers, this winter has been all downhill

StarTribune: Where's all the ice?

This is one of the consequences of global warming.

The Washington Post reports that 2006 is the warmest year ever for the US. And a British report predicts 2007 will be even warmer.

Washington Post: Climate Experts Worry as 2006 Is Hottest Year on Record in U.S.

Scientists say 2007 may be warmest yet

While not being able to go ice fishing is not a serious consequence compared to the potential threat to millions of people's lives, it may be something that gets the attention of people who have thus far dismissed Global Warming as a theory that doesn't make a difference in their lives.
We all need to take notice of what is happening to our planet. If losing the fun of skiing and ice fishing will grab attention for average people, we should use that attention to educate people about the full significance of what is happening to the planet right now. People need to understand that there is a lot more at stake than a little fun in the snow.

What Will Your Next Governor Do About Global Warming?

In a debate broadcast on MPR on Sept 26th, all three major Minnesota governor candidates were directly asked their views on Global Warming.
(Listen to the debate)

I was pleased to hear all three candidates said that global warming is real, is serious, is caused by human activity and we need to do something about it.
So, I wanted to dig in deeper and see specifically what, if anything, the candidates plan to do.

Here's my assessment of how the candidates stand:
* Mike Hatch - proposes aggressive, comprehensive action
* Peter Hutchinson - ambitious goals and an easily understood plan emphasizing conservation and new technology
* Tim Pawlenty - illusive. When asked directly in the debate, he acknowledged global warming as a serious problem. But, his website never states anything about climate change. His only applicable information is stating that he signed the Community-Based Energy Development law in 2005. A good law promoting wind development, but it is hardly a comprehensive plan.

Here are more details about the candidates’ plans & positions.

Mike Hatch-
Mike Hatch has a very strong position on global warming laid out on his campaign website. He clearly spells out the urgency of the threat and has a long, detailed plan of how Minnesota can become a leader in renewable energy production and conservation. He explains in depth how the Bush Administration's plans are completely inadequate to face the threat posed. He goes on to explain that taking aggressive action on energy independence will actually be good for Minnesota's economy.

An excerpt from his website about job creation:
Not only would such a mandate benefit the environment, it would strengthen our economy and create jobs. In 2003, for example, the wind industry in Minnesota created approximately 3,100 jobs, $4 million in royalty payments to farmers, and $3.6 million in tax revenue to local governments. Over the last decade, the wind industry has invested an estimated $600 million in southwestern Minnesota alone. According to The Minnesota Project, wind power creates 22 direct and indirect construction and manufacturing jobs for each megawatt of installed capacity.


Peter Hutchinson -
Peter Hutchinson also has an in-depth position on global warming and a detailed strategy on how to deal with it.

Among the main objectives of his plan are:
* Make Energy Conservation A Top Priority. Minnesota should join the
16 states and 56 American cities that have adopted the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building construction and operation standards.
* Substitute Current Energy Sources with Renewable Sources and New Technologies. Cap greenhouse gas emissions with a target of achieving 1990 levels by 2020, matching the nation-leading standards just passed in California.
* Increase Use of Minnesota-Grown and Produced Fuels & Increase Fuel Efficiency. Have Minnesota’s first cellulose-based ethanol plant up and running within 8 years.

Tim Pawlenty
His website doesn't lay out any new proposals for the next four years. But it does list some accomplishments from the last four years. Although Global Warming is never mentioned on his site, there are a few items relevant to solutions for global warming.
* Increased the state’s commitment to renewable energy for the future through Prairie Island legislation.
* Advanced the Community Based Energy Development Tariff to encourage the development and use of locally owned wind and clean energy sources and established a goal of obtaining 800 megawatts of community based wind to be added to our electric system by 2010.
* Led efforts to fund Northstar Commuter Rail Line

Think about your vote -
As former Minnesota Republican Governor Arne Carlson recently said on a Midday program on MPR, Global Warming is one of the biggest threats facing the world today.
Your next governor should treat it as such.

Heavy-Hitters Taking on Climate Change

Some big names are taking big actions to help in the fight to curb global warming. It's good to see this high-profile attention to the most serious threat that our nation doesn't want to face.

• Bill Clinton's Global Initiative
• Al Gore's Plan
• Richard Branson's Billions

Now, what are YOU going to give to the fight?

Green Jobs are Booming

The naysayers are wrong. Opponents to taking aggressive action against Global Warming have warned that it would be bad for the economy and cost people their jobs. However, several sources of research on this topic show that development of renewable energy actually creates jobs and is good for the economy.

Deep in the Heart of Texas
The report, Texas Renewable Energy Standard: Economic and Employment Benefits, states that by 2025, the 20 percent RPS would create 38,290 new jobs in manufacturing, construction, operation, maintenance, and other industries. In fact, the amount of renewable energy needed to meet the requirement would create 2.8 times more jobs than fossil fuels—a net increase of 24,650 jobs by 2025 (Figure ES2). These jobs would generate an additional $950 million in income and $440 million in gross state product for Texas’ economy.
Green energy initiatives by national Government, the European Union and big business will mean an estimated half million new jobs across Europe over the next 10 years. "A lot of people have developed skills in other fields. Renewables are an opportunity to apply those skills and feel they are doing something beneficial and worthwhile"

Green Jobs in Canada
Green jobs are also jobs which contribute to environmental protection, such as the manufacture and installation of pollution control equipment or recycling plants. These are known as environmental industries and they employ about 123,000 workers in Canada.
The job-creating potential of a sustainable economy is large: a Canadian estimate of the employment impact of effective measures to combat climate change indicates two million new jobs created over fifteen years. It has been calculated that it takes 100 workers in a nuclear plant or 116 workers in a coal-fired plant to generate 1,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. Yet, 248 would be employed in a solar thermal facility or 542 in a wind farm to generate the same amount of electricity.

Green Jobs are Booming in California
Generating electricity from renewable energy sources provides more jobs than traditional energy sources, according to both economic models and reallife experience. Much of the cost of electricity from natural gas power plants is from the ongoing purchase of fuel. A higher portion of the generating cost goes to labor for renewable energy than for traditional energy sources.
California could take advantage of the job benefits of renewable energy by initiating long-term contracts or requirements that utilities obtain electricity from renewable sources. With such market guarantees, renewable energy companies would build 5,900 MW of new facilities in California by 2010. Added to the current capacity of 3,163 MW of clean renewable energy, the state would then be able to generate at least 20% of its electricity from renewables.
• Building 5,900 MW of renewable energy capacity would lead to the equivalent of 28,000 year-long construction jobs and 3,000 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.
• Over thirty years of operation, these new plants would create 120,000 personyears of employment.
Wind power typically provides 70% more jobs than gas, and solar technologies provide twice as many jobs. Job creation from geothermal energy is 11 times higher than from natural gas. Landfill gas plants employ 14.7 times as many workers.
California is home to 46 renewable energy companies larger than 100 employees.
Full report

Twin Cities Metro Task Force Planning 150 MW Wind Farm

The Rural Board and the Metro Task Force are evaluating opportunities to develop wind-energy by combining attributes of counties with significant wind resources to develop with counties with large electric loads. The two groups have established a joint committee to work towards the development of a 120 to 150-megawatt wind energy project at sites to be determined in southwestern Minnesota.

This is a great idea that should be encouraged.
Read about it at:
Hennepin County
Finance-Commerce

Bush puts out a "Strategic Plan" Designed to Confuse and Stall

Bush put out a 244 page "strategic plan" to curb global warming yesterday.
Good news: He's admitting it exists and is a problem
Bad news: He's stalling & shirking responsibility

Read more about it

California Turns Up the Heat on Global Warming Stallers

California is making several aggressive moves on fighting global warming.
It's great to see the world's 5th largest economy and a leader among US states taking such bold actions.

• The first state law capping greenhouse gas emissions.
On Sept. 26th, the governor signed into law the first state-wide cap on global warming pollution. It mandates that California cut its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, about a 25 percent reduction.

• Governator's Green Man Building a Bush By-Pass Across the Nation
On September 26th, Terry Tamminen, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top environmental aide, kicks off his mission to convince other states to adopt policies like the State of California has just enacted in an effort to fight global warming.
"What California is doing can be replicated by other states," Tamminen told Reuters in an interview on Friday. "We can create over the next few years a de facto national policy on climate change and we don't have to wait for the federal government."

• California takes US EPA to the Supreme Court.
California and 11 other states are suing the EPA for failing to protect the nation from Global Warming. The court will hear the case this Fall. According the the Sierra Club, this is the big enchilada of global warming court cases.

• California sues carmakers over global warming

Minnesota Mayors Think Global (Warming) and Act Local (Cooling)

Mayors from six Minnesota cities including Minneapolis, St Paul and Duluth have taken up the challenge to protect our state from the effects of global warming. These are the Minnesota mayors who have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Mary Hamann-Roland Apple Valley MN
Herb Bergson Duluth MN
Nancy Tyra-Lukens Eden Prairie MN
R.T. Rybak Minneapolis MN
Ardell F. Brede Rochester MN
Chris Coleman St. Paul MN

Nationwide, as of September 8, 2006 294 mayors representing over 49.2 million Americans have accepted the challenge.

Read more about the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement from the guy that started up the challenge, Mayor of Seattle Greg Nickels.

Here are some of the plans that Minnesota has come up with:
Minneapolis Environmental Report -Towards Sustainability

Minnesota Climate Change Action Plan

U.S. EPA's Global Warming Site is "Not Like the Others"

When I was a kid, I loved watching the part on Sesame Street where they showed you several things that were similar. Then they asked you "Which one of these things is not like the other? Come on, can you tell me which one?" Even little kids could plainly see one of the things was different.

That little song started playing in my head when I compared the U.S. EPA's website on Global Warming to other official government websites on global warming. Read for yourself. I think you'll agree. The US EPA's Global Warming Site is "Not Like the Others".

Official Government Websites on Global Warming

United Kindom's DEFRA -
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Rising global temperatures will bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The effects will be felt here in the UK and internationally there may be severe problems for people in regions that are particularly vulnerable to change.

Environment Canada -
Human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the build-up of greenhouse gases that trap heat and reflect it back to the earth's surface. This is resulting in changes to our climate, including a rise in global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events.

Germany's Umweltbundesamt -
The rate and degree of climate change, which took place during the 20th century are
unprecedented – for example the current temperatures on the Northern Hemisphere are probably the warmest for at least 2000 years. Since 1950, there has been a pronounced increase in the damage caused by natural disasters and flooding.

Only a small fraction of this climate change can be explained by natural factors such as eruptions of volcanoes, changes in solar activity or deviations in the Earth’s orbit around the sun. In the scientific community there is overwhelming consensus that the main cause of climate change is human activity, in particular the emission of greenhouse gases.

Swedish EPA -
Our future climate is everyone's responsibility. To succeed in limiting our contribution to global warming, we must be prepared to take responsibility today for the world our children will live in tomorrow. Here we present information about climate policy, international climate negotiations, the causes and effects of global warming and how you as an individual can reduce your influence on the climate.

The threat of climate change is one of the most difficult environmental problems faced by humankind. All countries are affected and all contribute to the problem and we will all have to face the consequences in some way or other. We know that anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases can influence the climate and the temperature increase witnessed during the 20th century can only be explained by the increased emissions of carbon dioxide from our use of coal, oil and natural gas which make up the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions.

US EPA -
Uncertainties
Like many fields of scientific study, there are uncertainties associated with the science of global warming. This does not imply that all things are equally uncertain. Some aspects of the science are based on well-known physical laws and documented trends, while other aspects range from 'near certainty' to 'big unknowns.'

What's Known for Certain?
It's well accepted by scientists that greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and tend to warm the planet. By increasing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, human activities are strengthening Earth's natural greenhouse effect. The key greenhouse gases emitted by human activities remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries.

What's Likely but not Certain?
Figuring out to what extent the human-induced accumulation of greenhouse gases since pre-industrial times is responsible for the global warming trend is not easy. This is because other factors, both natural and human, affect our planet's temperature. Scientific understanding of these other factors – most notably natural climatic variations, changes in the sun's energy, and the cooling effects of pollutant aerosols – remains incomplete.

Nevertheless, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated there was a "discernible" human influence on climate; and that the observed warming trend is "unlikely to be entirely natural in origin."

In short, scientists think rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are contributing to global warming, as would be expected; but to what extent is difficult to determine at the present time.

Where's the Beef?
The U.S. EPA doesn't seem to place the same emphasis as the other nations.
Is it not the most serious problem facing the world today like the rest of the world thinks?
According to The New York Times, it might not be the EPA's own opinion that's posted on their website. It might be the opinion of a lobbyist for the Oil Industry hired by President Bush to "soften" global warming data.

Read more about Philip Cooney.

Even Republicans Say We Gotta Do Something About Global Warming

We're all used to hearing the hippie liberals and the latte sipping, Volvo driving elitists yammering on about Global Warming. But did you know that there are actually some conservatives who believe something needs to be done about Global Warming?
Who are these people?

Here's my list of VIPs in the GOP on the topic of GHGs:

• • George Pataki, Govenor of New York, calls for strong national effort to reduce dependency on foreign oil by 35 percent, conference on global warming at Columbia University; urges development of cleaner, alternative fuels; critics say remarks follow pattern of Pataki's rhetoric outpacing action; point to state's limited progress in reducing carbon monoxide from burning fossil fuels
  
  New York Governor's Site
  


• • The Govenator- Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California pact between Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democratic-controlled Legislature would impose a 25 percent reduction in state emissions by 2020, the most ambitious goal yet set in the nation.
  
  San Francisco Chronicle
  


• • Senator John McCain pushed a bill with Joe Lieberman to fight global warming in 2006. But, the bill failed to pass through the GOP-led congress (vote 38-60).


• • Holy-Moly! Even Pat Robertson of the 700 Club is now a "convert" to believing in Global Warming. That is the biggest surprise to me, and potentially a powerful ally in pursuading the conservatives who would never listen to a latte-sipping liberal like me.
  
  ThinkProgress article
  

Ride the Waves- Energy from the Ocean

You've all heard about windmills & solar panels. But what about the oceans? Two-thirds of the planet is covered by water. Water that is in constant motion. There is R&D being done to harness the immense, clean power contained in the oceans.

According to the DOE, the total power of waves breaking on the world's coastlines is estimated at 2 to 3 million megawatts. In favorable locations, wave energy density can average 65 megawatts per mile of coastline.

Three basic technologies for harnessing the waves are:

• Bobbing floats like on your fishing rod


• Oscillating Water Columns (OWC)


• Tapered Channels (Tapchan Systems)

That is a huge source of clean energy. Read more about it at:
US Department of Energy
European Wave Energy Thematic Network
Full report (502 pages)

Oil-free Sweden by 2020

Are you kidding me?

Sweden has a bold vision of how to get off of the oil addiction.
Could they really be oil-free in 15 years?
If the rest of the world had the same attitude, could we all achieve that goal?

I've got the story, the government agency and the official report right here.
Read more about how Sweden will save the planet:

Scandinavica.com article
Swedish Ministry of Sustainable Development
The Official Government Report

Excerpt from the report:

Declining access to conventional oil, in combination with our joint responsibility to stop
global warming, will be a test of the world community’s readiness to switch to energy
systems that are more sustainable in the long term. Basically, it is a question of the will to
show solidarity with present and future generations.
Sweden accepts this challenge!
In this document, we propose a number of far-reaching, concrete measures that can end our
dependence on oil by the year 2020 and tangibly reduce our use of oil products. Our
ambitious objectives are as follows:
• Through more efficient use of fuel and new fuels, consumption of oil in road transport
shall be reduced by 40-50 per cent.
• In principle no oil shall be used for heating residential and commercial buildings
• Industry shall reduce its consumption of oil by 25-40 per cent

The Sulfur Shade Solution

Paul Crutzen Proposes Temporary Global Warming Relief
by Injecting Sulfur Into The Atmosphere.
He doesn't suggest this as alternative to reducing global warming polution.
Rather, he says progress on that front is going too slowly to stave off disaster.
Putting a "sulfur shade" up in the sky would buy us time to get our act together.
Or would it mess things up ever further? I'm thinking the "Don't Mess with Mother Nature" adage would apply here, but it might be a last ditch effort if things get really bad.

Sulfur Shade Solution

Get the Facts from EEA

The European Environment Agency has extensive information about the hazards of global warming. It also has detailed reports about Eurpean strategies to reduce the hazards of climate change.

Here's some important links:
EEA Global Warming Reports Links Page

A few links I found especially important:
EEA stragegies assessment
This detailed report has lots a great information about how to implement reductions in greenhouse gasses.

Europe needs adaptation strategies to limit climate change impacts
A report from Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director

2004 impact report

Govenator Fights Global Warming

The California Legislature introduced the "Global Warming Solutions Act".
It seeks to set concrete limits on green house gases. Will this set a precedent that will spread nationally?

Natural Resources Defense Fund Report

MOOOve Over WINDCOWS: Navitas Can Build 49 Turbines

The local group, Wisconsin Independent Citizens Opposing Windturbine Sites (WINDCOWS), sued Navitas to stop them from building 49 wind turbines in Eastern Wisconsin near lake Michigan. The complaints seem to be about visual pollution. Local residents don't think it will look good to have 300-foot towers in their area.

Minneapolis-based Navitas Energy company has won the lawsuit and now is clear to move ahead with construction.

htrnews.com

RADAR study no longer delays Austin, MN Wind Farm

There has been a hold-up in building new wind farms in Minnesota in 2006.
The delay has stemmed from the FAA & Homeland Security stopping development pending analysis to determine if the wind turbines will disrupt aviation RADAR signals. This analysis is now required nationally since a dispute over a windfarm near Cape Cod, MA.

Now, the RADAR study has been completed for a 100-megawatt farm near Austin, MN. The farm has been given a green light to build the turbines. There are 2 other farms in southwest MN still waiting for approval. For more details, go to:

Finance-Commerce.com

Duluth News Tribune

Go see the Eco Experience at the State Fair!

If you're at the fair, look for the 123-foot wind turbine blade sticking out of the ground. That's where you'll find the Eco Experience with advice on how to reduce your footprint on the planet.

Read more at:
MPR article on Green Expo

Germany's Plan

Interview with Germany's Environment Minister

Trittin: In Germany we've got to the stage where what we are talking about is that renewable energy delivers too much energy - not too little. The politics of sustainable energy never meant relying on a single energy source but on a mixture. We are in the process of composing anew our energy mixture, which at the moment is made up of a third nuclear energy. By 2020 the nuclear component will have disappeared, while the renewable energy part (not just wind but also sun, biological and geo-thermal) will double. Fossil fuels such as gas and coal will also play an important role, though in much more efficient power stations than today. And don't forget our most productive and least used source of energy up until now - energy efficiency

Think Green Minnesota!

Global warming is real. It is happening now. It is worse than you think.
Do something.
Now.
That means you too!