Aggregator

By EDF Blogs

By: Gavin Purchas, Policy Director, Clean Energy, and Eric Gimon, Philanthropist

Fântânele-Cogealac Wind Farm, Romania

For those of you who are avid viewers of the TV show, “House,” you are probably all too familiar with Dr. House’s chaotic yet extremely effective style. He solves cases and achieves fame and notoriety, while those working with him try to learn valuable lessons along the way, hoping none of the crazy will rub off on them. So too it is with Europe and the many countries around the world looking to learn a thing or two from its experience with implementing one of the most aggressive set of renewable energy targets in the world.

The European Union’s (EU) attitude towards renewable energy started out as a rational set of targets followed by supporting financial mechanisms, but has ended up as a chaotic series of missteps that have resulted in the region losing its number one spot as the world’s clean energy leader. For countries following the EU (House’s team and colleagues in this metaphor) the message is simple: Do what we did in the beginning and not what we’re doing now…or else you’ll end up losing your license.

The recent decision by the EU Commission to phase out support for renewable energy technologies by 2017 is the latest in a series of missteps across the continent that have led to decreased investment and fewer renewable energy generator installations.

Rocky Mountain Institute

The first steps were triggered by the need for austerity measures, which led to the retrospective rollback of renewable support in countries like Spain, and decreased financial support in countries like Italy and Germany. As a result, in 2013 Germany saw a 57 percent reduction in solar installations compared to 2012, while Italy saw a decline of 70 percent, resulting in the countries losing their first and second spots (respectively) to China and Japan in the global rankings for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations.

The story for wind is similar, with installations decreasing by eight percent across the EU as a whole. Germany and the UK make up the bulk of all new installations in Europe at 42 percent, while other countries with previously healthy markets such as Spain, Italy, and France have seen their rate of wind energy installations decrease by 84, 65, and 24 percent respectively. This hit to the clean energy economy has been at a great loss to jobs in the renewables sector and the families they support.

Yet it is not all bad news. While both investment and installations are down, renewable energy installations made up 72 percent of all new generation projects in 2013 (up from 70 percent in 2012).

Furthermore, the level of support that has been provided over the last ten years by EU renewable energy policies has allowed European countries, especially Germany, to enjoy much lower installed costs for solar PV. In fact, the total cost of solar PV sits at $2.21/watt in Germany compared to $4.22/watt in the U.S. A recent report by the Rocky Mountain Institute entitled, “Reducing Solar PV Soft Costs: Focus on Installation Labor,” reveals that a significant part of the difference between what Germany is paying for solar versus what the U.S. is paying, is that the U.S. shells out $1.22/watt for installation and other ‘soft costs’ like customer acquisition, compared to $0.33 in Germany. Essentially Germany has gotten a lot better at getting customers interested in taking up solar and a lot more efficient at installing the units.

So what’s the lesson? Firstly, robust and predictable support for renewable energy policies have helped to bring down the cost of solar PV in the EU to half that of the US, resulting in a greater number of installations, a far higher capacity base, and a much larger and more vibrant clean energy economy. Had the member states and Commission stayed the course, faster cost reductions could have been achieved and the fall in investment and installations could have been avoided. However, by making the markets more volatile, the EU has succeeded in surrendering their global, clean energy leadership role to China and Japan.

If the U.S. is to learn a lesson from this experience, it is not that renewable policies are ready to be removed, but rather that they need to be maintained, and as the market evolves to favor renewables, scaled down in a way that is predictable to investors and in line with technology cost reductions.

To quote Dr. House, “Mistakes are as serious as the results they cause!” The EU is making a big mistake in scaling back support for renewables and the results are already being seen. The rest of the world should not follow.

Louisiana House Bill 490 passed another legislative milestone today when it passed out of the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure. This legislation ensures that money in Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund (Coastal Fund) is used for coastal restoration and protection purposes only. Next, the bill goes to the House floor for debate.

HB 490 will protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund by prohibiting it from being used as a pass-through account for purposes other than coastal protection and restoration.

We will continue to monitor and support House Bill 490 as well as provide updates on its status as it makes its way through the legislative process. Its next stop is the House floor.

Find out more about HB 490 in our previous post.

Take Action: Tell your state representative to close the loophole on transfers from the Coastal Fund other than those intended by law and support House Bill 490. You can take action here and here.

Louisiana House Bill 490 passed another legislative milestone today when it passed out of the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure. This legislation ensures that money in Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund (Coastal Fund) is used for coastal restoration and protection purposes only. Next, the bill goes to the House floor for debate.

HB 490 will protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund by prohibiting it from being used as a pass-through account for purposes other than coastal protection and restoration.

We will continue to monitor and support House Bill 490 as well as provide updates on its status as it makes its way through the legislative process. Its next stop is the House floor.

Find out more about HB 490 in our previous post.

Take Action: Tell your state representative to close the loophole on transfers from the Coastal Fund other than those intended by law and support House Bill 490. You can take action here and here.

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation

As spring weather warms the Midwest, snow melts and drains from 31 states into the Mississippi River. In south Louisiana, the mighty Mississippi River is nearing its peak flow of nearly 900,000 cubic feet of water per second. Rolling down the river with the water is mud and sand, which are essential to building wetlands in the disappearing Mississippi River Delta.

Every hour in Louisiana, a football field of land becomes open water. This land loss crisis is caused in part by levees built for flood protection and navigation which severed the connection between the delta and the river, almost completely halting the land-building processes that once created this iconic landscape.

Sediment diversions are large-scale restoration projects that move sand and mud from the river through the levees into nearby wetlands during high river flows – such as this year’s spring high water flow – to restart the land-building process and help sustain existing wetlands. One important question to understand the full land-building potential of these projects is: Is the Mississippi River a long-term, sustainable source of mud and sand?

A recent Nature Geoscience paper by Jeffrey Nittrouer, Ph.D. of River University and Enrica Viparelli, Ph.D. of the University of South Carolina, “Sand as a stable and sustainable resource for nourishing the Mississippi River delta,” suggests that while the amount of mud carried by the Mississippi River has decreased since the 1970s, the sand it carries has remained steady and may do so for the next 600 years.

The Missouri River is an important source of sediment to the Mississippi, historically supplying about one-half of the total sediment moving down the Mississippi River. However, dams built in the 1950s along the Missouri have been hypothesized as the cause of the large reduction in the amount of total sediment (mud plus sand) that makes its way down to the Mississippi.

In this study, Nittrouer and Viparelli look at changes in the mud and sand carried by the river over a year since the 1970s and found that while the amount of mud that makes it to Tarbert Landing, Miss. (306 miles above the Bird’s Foot delta) has decreased over time, the amount of sand has been consistent. They point out that the likely source of sand is material that is being eroded out of the river channel.

Nittrouer and Enrica applied a model to simulate the response of a sudden reduction in sediment supply that likely occurred with dam construction along the Missouri River in the 1950s. The model indicates that erosion of sand in the river channel between Cairo, Ill. and Vicksburg, Miss. keeps the amount of sand available at Tarbert Landing, Miss. steady for the next 600 years.  

Sand and mud are both needed to restore the Mississippi River Delta. Sand, which is 20 percent of the sediment carried by the river, is essential for building new platforms that can support marsh vegetation. Mud, which makes up the other 80 percent, is necessary for maintaining and increasing the resiliency of existing marsh to sea level rise and storm events.

This study suggests that there is a steady supply of sand to the lowermost part of the Mississippi River that can be put to work by constructing and using sediment diversions to mimic nature to build new land, help sustain existing wetlands and begin the restoration of the Mississippi River Delta. This is positive news for large-scale coastal restoration efforts. 

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation

As spring weather warms the Midwest, snow melts and drains from 31 states into the Mississippi River. In south Louisiana, the mighty Mississippi River is nearing its peak flow of nearly 900,000 cubic feet of water per second. Rolling down the river with the water is mud and sand, which are essential to building wetlands in the disappearing Mississippi River Delta.

Every hour in Louisiana, a football field of land becomes open water. This land loss crisis is caused in part by levees built for flood protection and navigation which severed the connection between the delta and the river, almost completely halting the land-building processes that once created this iconic landscape.

Sediment diversions are large-scale restoration projects that move sand and mud from the river through the levees into nearby wetlands during high river flows – such as this year’s spring high water flow – to restart the land-building process and help sustain existing wetlands. One important question to understand the full land-building potential of these projects is: Is the Mississippi River a long-term, sustainable source of mud and sand?

A recent Nature Geoscience paper by Jeffrey Nittrouer, Ph.D. of River University and Enrica Viparelli, Ph.D. of the University of South Carolina, “Sand as a stable and sustainable resource for nourishing the Mississippi River delta,” suggests that while the amount of mud carried by the Mississippi River has decreased since the 1970s, the sand it carries has remained steady and may do so for the next 600 years.

The Missouri River is an important source of sediment to the Mississippi, historically supplying about one-half of the total sediment moving down the Mississippi River. However, dams built in the 1950s along the Missouri have been hypothesized as the cause of the large reduction in the amount of total sediment (mud plus sand) that makes its way down to the Mississippi.

In this study, Nittrouer and Viparelli look at changes in the mud and sand carried by the river over a year since the 1970s and found that while the amount of mud that makes it to Tarbert Landing, Miss. (306 miles above the Bird’s Foot delta) has decreased over time, the amount of sand has been consistent. They point out that the likely source of sand is material that is being eroded out of the river channel.

Nittrouer and Enrica applied a model to simulate the response of a sudden reduction in sediment supply that likely occurred with dam construction along the Missouri River in the 1950s. The model indicates that erosion of sand in the river channel between Cairo, Ill. and Vicksburg, Miss. keeps the amount of sand available at Tarbert Landing, Miss. steady for the next 600 years.  

Sand and mud are both needed to restore the Mississippi River Delta. Sand, which is 20 percent of the sediment carried by the river, is essential for building new platforms that can support marsh vegetation. Mud, which makes up the other 80 percent, is necessary for maintaining and increasing the resiliency of existing marsh to sea level rise and storm events.

This study suggests that there is a steady supply of sand to the lowermost part of the Mississippi River that can be put to work by constructing and using sediment diversions to mimic nature to build new land, help sustain existing wetlands and begin the restoration of the Mississippi River Delta. This is positive news for large-scale coastal restoration efforts. 

Written by Moms Clean Air Force

This was written by Allie Morris for the Concord Monitor:

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen touted her legislation that would incentivize energy efficiency during a local Earth Day event that focused on the effects of climate change in New Hampshire.

It “is the cheapest, fastest way to deal with our energy needs,” she said to a crowd of roughly 30 invitees who attended the panel hosted by the National Wildlife Federation at New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center in Concord.

Shaheen was one of four speakers to address the need for action on climate change. The others included two biologists from New Hampshire Fish and Game and a bird researcher from New Hampshire Audubon, who talked about the impact on the state’s wildlife.

The bipartisan bill Shaheen is co-sponsoring would encourage the use of energy efficient technologies by businesses, individuals, and state and local governments, she said, which would help reduce carbon emissions and create an estimated 190,000 jobs.

The legislation deliberately relies on incentives instead of mandates to help with passage, Shaheen told the attendees. “It’s progress,” she said. “It’s not everything I would like.”

Known as the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, it is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican. The pair originally introduced the bill in spring 2013, but it stalled after legislators threatened to tack on amendments such as an approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

In February, Shaheen and Portman reintroduced an updated version of the bill, with several bipartisan amendments and new co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.

Now the legislation has enough Republican support in the Senate to break a filibuster, she said, and it should reach the floor within a couple of weeks.

“We think we have a real shot at getting this bill done.” If it passes, she said, it would be the first energy bill to pass Congress since 2007.

After hearing presentations about the effects of climate change on New Hampshire’s bird and moose populations from the biologists, Shaheen stressed the importance of connecting wildlife preservation to economics, to reach those who may not see a problem in dwindling animal populations.

“If we don’t have moose in New Hampshire, it makes a difference when we think about the jobs we have here, to the outdoor industry, to tourism, to fish and wildlife,” she said.

Climate change has taken a large toll on the state’s moose population, said Fish and Game biologist Kris Rines. The shorter winters have increased populations of parasites, such as winter ticks, that can kill the animals. “As of right now, we have seen 64 percent of all collared calves die due to winter tick this year,” Rines said during her presentation to the group.

Bird populations are also affected, said Audubon biologist Pam Hunt, as the changing climate alters habitats and seasons. That could, for example, send birds into migration at differing times. “Depending on when birds arrive here, it might mismatch with the food supply if plants are blooming earlier and birds get here late relative to that event,” she said.

“There is something we can do,” said Fish and Game biologist Emily Preston. The organization, in collaboration with roughly 50 other agencies, has outlined a plan for how the state can keep natural ecosystems intact. “I invite your help,” she said, “because we need to do this all together.”

Photo: Yvonne Nanasi


TELL EPA YOU SUPPORT NEW LIMITS ON CARBON POLLUTION




By Brad Copithorne

Wayne National Forest

Up to now, the most popular and cost effective forms of financing solar projects have been leases and Power Purchase Agreements (‘PPAs’), which allow homeowners to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their property and purchase power from the system’s output via a financial arrangement with a third-party developer who owns, operates, and maintains the solar panels.

Unfortunately, these creative financing mechanisms have not generally been available for commercial property owners. The only exceptions were buildings owned (or leased for a very long time) by investment-grade entities such as Google, Walmart, or a state or local government. Most small or medium businesses, office buildings, shopping centers, and apartment buildings could not access financing for money-saving solar projects as investors have been wary of extending 20-year solar financings for most commercial properties.

Fortunately, our good friends at Connecticut’s Green Bank (CEFIA) have created the first solar leasing investment fund that uses Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) to provide investors assurance that they will be repaid. The ‘CEFIA structure’ allows commercial property owners to sign a lease or PPA in the same manner and terms as their investment-grade brethren. The only difference is that payments are linked to the property tax bill and survive foreclosures. Since the taxman almost always gets paid, this structure allows investors to consider a much wider range of commercial credits.

According to Bert Hunter, CIO of CEFIA, “Our tax equity partner has provided us with underwriting guidelines that permit PPAs and solar leases secured through PACE, allowing solar developers to propose projects that would not generally be considered for financing. We have seen tremendous interest from developers, have created a $10 million pipeline, and expect to close our first transaction in May.”

Unfortunately, California’s PACE rules do not currently allow for the CEFIA structure to be implemented, but EDF is working on two potential solutions to this problem. First, we are in discussions with Demeter Power Group, Clean Fund and a couple of leading solar developers on an innovative solution that is expected to be effective under current PACE program rules.

“Our PACE solution is available in California today,” according to Michael Wallander, President of Demeter, “and we are in advanced talks with investors and project developers about executing our first transactions in the state.”

Second, Renewable Funding and EDF are working with Assemblymember Nancy Skinner on her PACE bill (AB 1883). This bill should be able to clear the way for the somewhat simpler CEFIA structure and further increase solar investment at no cost to taxpayers.

As soon as we have a workable solution in California, EDF plans to replicate it across the country. We look forward to helping provide all commercial properties the opportunity to join the low-cost solar revolution.

This commentary originally appeared on our California Dream 2.0 blog.

By Brad Copithorne

Wayne National Forest

Up to now, the most popular and cost effective forms of financing solar projects have been leases and Power Purchase Agreements (‘PPAs’), which allow homeowners to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their property and purchase power from the system’s output via a financial arrangement with a third-party developer who owns, operates, and maintains the solar panels.

Unfortunately, these creative financing mechanisms have not generally been available for commercial property owners. The only exceptions were buildings owned (or leased for a very long time) by investment-grade entities such as Google, Walmart, or a state or local government. Most small or medium businesses, office buildings, shopping centers, and apartment buildings could not access financing for money-saving solar projects as investors have been wary of extending 20-year solar financings for most commercial properties.

Fortunately, our good friends at Connecticut’s Green Bank (CEFIA) have created the first solar leasing investment fund that uses Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) to provide investors assurance that they will be repaid. The ‘CEFIA structure’ allows commercial property owners to sign a lease or PPA in the same manner and terms as their investment-grade brethren. The only difference is that payments are linked to the property tax bill and survive foreclosures. Since the taxman almost always gets paid, this structure allows investors to consider a much wider range of commercial credits.

According to Bert Hunter, CIO of CEFIA, “Our tax equity partner has provided us with underwriting guidelines that permit PPAs and solar leases secured through PACE, allowing solar developers to propose projects that would not generally be considered for financing. We have seen tremendous interest from developers, have created a $10 million pipeline, and expect to close our first transaction in May.”

Unfortunately, California’s PACE rules do not currently allow for the CEFIA structure to be implemented, but EDF is working on two potential solutions to this problem. First, we are in discussions with Demeter Power Group, Clean Fund and a couple of leading solar developers on an innovative solution that is expected to be effective under current PACE program rules.

“Our PACE solution is available in California today,” according to Michael Wallander, President of Demeter, “and we are in advanced talks with investors and project developers about executing our first transactions in the state.”

Second, Renewable Funding and EDF are working with Assemblymember Nancy Skinner on her PACE bill (AB 1883). This bill should be able to clear the way for the somewhat simpler CEFIA structure and further increase solar investment at no cost to taxpayers.

As soon as we have a workable solution in California, EDF plans to replicate it across the country. We look forward to helping provide all commercial properties the opportunity to join the low-cost solar revolution.

This commentary originally appeared on our California Dream 2.0 blog.

By Brad Copithorne

Up to now, the most popular and cost effective forms of financing solar projects have been leases and Power Purchase Agreements (‘PPAs’), which allow homeowners to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their property and purchase power from the system’s output via a financial arrangement with a third-party developer who owns, operates, and maintains the solar panels.

Unfortunately, these creative financing mechanisms have not generally been available for commercial property owners. The only exceptions were buildings owned (or leased for a very long time) by investment-grade entities such as Google, Walmart, or a state or local government. Most small or medium businesses, office buildings, shopping centers, and apartment buildings could not access financing for money-saving solar projects as investors have been wary of extending 20-year solar financings for most commercial properties.

Fortunately, our good friends at Connecticut’s Green Bank (CEFIA) have created the first solar leasing investment fund that uses Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) to provide investors assurance that they will be repaid. The ‘CEFIA structure’ allows commercial property owners to sign a lease or PPA in the same manner and terms as their investment-grade brethren. The only difference is that payments are linked to the property tax bill and survive foreclosures. Since the taxman almost always gets paid, this structure allows investors to consider a much wider range of commercial credits.

According to Bert Hunter, CIO of CEFIA, “Our tax equity partner has provided us with underwriting guidelines that permit PPAs and solar leases secured through PACE, allowing solar developers to propose projects that would not generally be considered for financing. We have seen tremendous interest from developers, have created a $10 million pipeline, and expect to close our first transaction in May.”

Unfortunately, California’s PACE rules do not currently allow for the CEFIA structure to be implemented, but EDF is working on two potential solutions to this problem. First, we are in discussions with Demeter Power Group, Clean Fund and a couple of leading solar developers on an innovative solution that is expected to be effective under current PACE program rules.

“Our PACE solution is available in California today,” according to Michael Wallander, President of Demeter, “and we are in advanced talks with investors and project developers about executing our first transactions in the state.”

Second, Renewable Funding and EDF are working with Assemblymember Nancy Skinner on her PACE bill (AB 1883). This bill should be able to clear the way for the somewhat simpler CEFIA structure and further increase solar investment at no cost to taxpayers.

As soon as we have a workable solution in California, EDF plans to replicate it across the country. We look forward to helping provide all commercial properties the opportunity to join the low-cost solar revolution.

By Brad Copithorne

Up to now, the most popular and cost effective forms of financing solar projects have been leases and Power Purchase Agreements (‘PPAs’), which allow homeowners to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their property and purchase power from the system’s output via a financial arrangement with a third-party developer who owns, operates, and maintains the solar panels.

Unfortunately, these creative financing mechanisms have not generally been available for commercial property owners. The only exceptions were buildings owned (or leased for a very long time) by investment-grade entities such as Google, Walmart, or a state or local government. Most small or medium businesses, office buildings, shopping centers, and apartment buildings could not access financing for money-saving solar projects as investors have been wary of extending 20-year solar financings for most commercial properties.

Fortunately, our good friends at Connecticut’s Green Bank (CEFIA) have created the first solar leasing investment fund that uses Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) to provide investors assurance that they will be repaid. The ‘CEFIA structure’ allows commercial property owners to sign a lease or PPA in the same manner and terms as their investment-grade brethren. The only difference is that payments are linked to the property tax bill and survive foreclosures. Since the taxman almost always gets paid, this structure allows investors to consider a much wider range of commercial credits.

According to Bert Hunter, CIO of CEFIA, “Our tax equity partner has provided us with underwriting guidelines that permit PPAs and solar leases secured through PACE, allowing solar developers to propose projects that would not generally be considered for financing. We have seen tremendous interest from developers, have created a $10 million pipeline, and expect to close our first transaction in May.”

Unfortunately, California’s PACE rules do not currently allow for the CEFIA structure to be implemented, but EDF is working on two potential solutions to this problem. First, we are in discussions with Demeter Power Group, Clean Fund and a couple of leading solar developers on an innovative solution that is expected to be effective under current PACE program rules.

“Our PACE solution is available in California today,” according to Michael Wallander, President of Demeter, “and we are in advanced talks with investors and project developers about executing our first transactions in the state.”

Second, Renewable Funding and EDF are working with Assemblymember Nancy Skinner on her PACE bill (AB 1883). This bill should be able to clear the way for the somewhat simpler CEFIA structure and further increase solar investment at no cost to taxpayers.

As soon as we have a workable solution in California, EDF plans to replicate it across the country. We look forward to helping provide all commercial properties the opportunity to join the low-cost solar revolution.

BP Oil Spill Still Affecting The Gulf [PART 2]
By Dave Malkoff, The Today Show. April 26, 2014.
"Large predators like dolphins and sea turtles are still dying in large numbers around the gulf coast 4 years after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill…" (watch here) (Part 1 here)

How a Gulf Settlement That BP Once Hailed Became Its Target
By Campbell Robertson and John Schwartz, The New York Times. April 26, 2014.
"Four years ago the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caught fire and exploded, killing 11 men, spewing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico…" (read more)

BP refuses to pay for more research on Deepwater Horizon oil spill effects on dolphins, turtles, oysters
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. April 25, 2014.
"BP has refused to pay for continued studies of the effects of its Deepwater Horizon oil spill on marine mammals, turtles and oysters…" (read more)

Coastal restoration gets $1.1 million from offshore activity
By John Harper, The Daily Comet. April 25, 2014.
"Louisiana got some some help this year rebuilding its coast from producers extracting minerals off its coast…" (read more)

'Forbes': Wetlands restoration shows 'private capital is key' to environmental protection
The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. April 25, 2014.
"Wetlands restoration over the past several decades is a prime example of the role government policy can play in catalyzing…" (read more)

Fishermen concerned about seafood 4 years after Gulf oil spill
By Rhonda J. Miller, International Science Times. April 27, 2014.
“Four years after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon killed 11 people and BP's Macondo well gushed 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico…” (read more)

BP Oil Spill Still Affecting The Gulf [PART 2]
By Dave Malkoff, The Today Show. April 26, 2014.
"Large predators like dolphins and sea turtles are still dying in large numbers around the gulf coast 4 years after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill…" (watch here) (Part 1 here)

How a Gulf Settlement That BP Once Hailed Became Its Target
By Campbell Robertson and John Schwartz, The New York Times. April 26, 2014.
"Four years ago the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caught fire and exploded, killing 11 men, spewing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico…" (read more)

BP refuses to pay for more research on Deepwater Horizon oil spill effects on dolphins, turtles, oysters
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. April 25, 2014.
"BP has refused to pay for continued studies of the effects of its Deepwater Horizon oil spill on marine mammals, turtles and oysters…" (read more)

Coastal restoration gets $1.1 million from offshore activity
By John Harper, The Daily Comet. April 25, 2014.
"Louisiana got some some help this year rebuilding its coast from producers extracting minerals off its coast…" (read more)

'Forbes': Wetlands restoration shows 'private capital is key' to environmental protection
The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. April 25, 2014.
"Wetlands restoration over the past several decades is a prime example of the role government policy can play in catalyzing…" (read more)

Fishermen concerned about seafood 4 years after Gulf oil spill
By Rhonda J. Miller, International Science Times. April 27, 2014.
“Four years after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon killed 11 people and BP's Macondo well gushed 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico…” (read more)

Written by Molly Rauch

Parents make the best activists.

I remember when my 10-year-old was just a baby. I had just moved to Washington, DC, when I learned the heavy metal, lead had been found in the DC water system at very high levels. I knew a lot about lead poisoning and its health effects on children, as I had worked for an environmental health policy organization in New York, interned for the New York City Department of Health, and have a master’s degree in public health.

But I had never faced these issues from the other side – as a parent. I never faced these issues with the health of my baby on the line. Suddenly I had so much at stake. I had to get involved. So I scoured the newspapers for information, searched the mommy listservs, and talked about it with acquaintances at the playground. Soon I found myself at meetings with parents and community groups, making signs for demonstrations, and speaking at city council hearings.

I brought my baby girl with me and spoke from the heart. And I saw how important and powerful it was to speak with a parent’s voice. Scientists, officials, engineers, and professors were all needed in addressing this issue, but it was parents who had the most relevant stake in what was happening. If we didn’t get involved, who would advocate for our children’s health?

We were the engines. Parents made change happen.

I’ve been thinking about this in the wake of the latest IPCC report about how climate change is going to have severe impacts on our health and well-being in the near future.

Here’s why parents will fix the climate crisis:

• Children face the heaviest health burden from a warming world. Climate change is happening now, and it is hurting children far more than other age groups. In 2011, a team of researchers looked at global health data from the year 2000 and estimated that climate change was responsible for more than 150,000 deaths each year. These deaths were from the changing ecology of diseases like malaria and dengue, increases in diarrheal and respiratory diseases, extreme weather disasters, worsened poverty, food insecurity, and other causes. Of the more than 150,000 deaths attributable to climate change, these researchers estimated that 88% of them — that’s 132,000 – occurred in children.
• In a warming world, air pollution like ozone and particle pollution is likely to increase. Even mercury levels in fish are likely to increase. Children are the most vulnerable to breathing dirty air and ingesting heavy metals. They will suffer more than adults, and they need a strong voice to speak for them and protect them. That’s our job, as moms and dads, to speak up for our children’s health, and the health of other children who don’t have a voice.

Here’s why parents have a unique role in climate activism:

• We care about the future. Stopping climate change is about protecting the future. The worst effects of climate change may or may not be in our lifetimes. But in order to turn this ship around, we have to act as if the future is important. Who better than parents to do this? Our stake in the future couldn’t be bigger.
• This is the perspective we need to bring to the table – we need to shift the conversation away from arguments about whether today’s extreme weather is caused by today’s carbon levels, away from arguments about whether today’s pollution regulations will harm today’s economy, and toward what our world will look like in three, four, five decades.

Parents care about what our children’s world will look like.
Parents care about what our future grandchildren’s world will look like.
Parents make the best activists.

JOIN MCAF

Oil Spill Still Impacts Wildlife
By The Weather Channel. April 24, 2014.
“Oil spill leaves lasting impacts on the Mississippi; damage to both plants and animals remain…” (read more)

The Listening Post Answers: Your Questions About Coastal Erosion
By Kate Richardson, WWNO (New Orleans, La.). April 24, 2014.
“A month ago we ran a segment about coastal erosion. And you, our loyal Listening Posters, were kind enough to share questions you had on the topic…” (read more)

How Private Capital Is Restoring U.S. Wetlands
By Logan Yonajak, Forbes. April 25, 2014.
“Wetlands are vibrant ecosystems that provide critical wildlife habitat, storm protection and water filtration…” (read more)

From wetlands education to the Vegan Village, there’s something for everyone at Earth Day
By Langdon Herrick, The Advocate. April 24, 2014.
“Not-so-fun fact: Louisiana loses about a football field’s worth of wetlands every hour…” (read more)

4 years after BP spill, FL leaders kayak seashore
By Melissa Nelson-Gabriel, Associated Press. April 25, 2014.
“For Dan Brown, seeing the globs of orange and brown oil that washed up along the Florida Panhandle's…” (read more)

Oil Spill Still Impacts Wildlife
By The Weather Channel. April 24, 2014.
“Oil spill leaves lasting impacts on the Mississippi; damage to both plants and animals remain…” (read more)

The Listening Post Answers: Your Questions About Coastal Erosion
By Kate Richardson, WWNO (New Orleans, La.). April 24, 2014.
“A month ago we ran a segment about coastal erosion. And you, our loyal Listening Posters, were kind enough to share questions you had on the topic…” (read more)

How Private Capital Is Restoring U.S. Wetlands
By Logan Yonajak, Forbes. April 25, 2014.
“Wetlands are vibrant ecosystems that provide critical wildlife habitat, storm protection and water filtration…” (read more)

From wetlands education to the Vegan Village, there’s something for everyone at Earth Day
By Langdon Herrick, The Advocate. April 24, 2014.
“Not-so-fun fact: Louisiana loses about a football field’s worth of wetlands every hour…” (read more)

4 years after BP spill, FL leaders kayak seashore
By Melissa Nelson-Gabriel, Associated Press. April 25, 2014.
“For Dan Brown, seeing the globs of orange and brown oil that washed up along the Florida Panhandle's…” (read more)

By Marcelo Norsworthy

Source: Texas Tribune Haze over Dallas Area

Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.  

As bluebonnets dot the Texas highways signaling the arrival of spring and summer, concerns about ozone pollution also begin to surface. March 1 marks the official start of ozone season in the Dallas Metroplex and in Greater Houston. Other metro areas, including Austin and San Antonio, mark April 1 as their start date. Ozone forecast season ends for most areas on October 31, but in Houston it lasts through November 30. Ozone season is nothing to celebrate, but this primer can help get you up to speed on the basics of ozone pollution and what you can do to improve air quality and protect the health of your family.

What is ozone? Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog and is the single most widespread air pollutant in the United States. Ozone pollution forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (primarily released from combustion of fossil fuels, like car exhaust) react with heat and sunlight. Texas’ combination of heavy industrial activity, hot summers, and millions of cars on the road increases the potential for generation of harmful levels of ozone.

How is it harmful to my health? Ozone is linked to premature deaths, increased asthma attacks and other respiratory illnesses, as well as increased emergency room and hospital admissions. This pollutant poses an especially serious risk to children, seniors, and those with lung diseases like asthma and bronchitis. Just a short period of moderate ozone exposure can push breathing problems over the edge; a 2010 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported a 19 percent increase in Intensive Care Unit admissions on higher ozone days.

What are the risks in Texas? Ozone is a concern across the state, but Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas are the cities with the highest number of days in which ozone levels exceeded levels considered healthy. Last year, Houston saw 23 days of high ozone, including “very unhealthy” and “unhealthy” days, which signify that the entire population may experience adverse health effects.

What can I do about it? In the short term, limit outdoor activity during high ozone days. Visit the Houston Clean Air Network or TCEQ’s ozone alerts for information about high ozone days in your area.

In the long term, smart policies are needed to drive down emissions that cause ozone. One easy way to mitigate ozone pollution is to reduce energy consumption at your home and workplace. This can be achieved through energy efficiency and conservation. Lend your voice to support stronger national ozone standards and stronger engine and fuel standards that build upon existing commonsense measures.

As Texans hit the road for the beach, the mountains, or their favorite swimming holes, remember that there are steps you can take to protect your family from ozone this season. And with your help, we can improve Texas air quality so everybody will breathe easier.

Written by Wendy Bredhold

My local newspaper in Evansville, Indiana, recently published two letters on the editorial page denying that climate change is caused by human activity. After those letters ran, a friend of mine found herself in a discussion with a woman who said there are respected scientists on “both sides” of the issue – using the letters she’d read in the Evansville Courier & Press to back up her argument.

Evansville isn’t the only place this phony “debate” is being carried on in the editorial pages. And knowing the stakes, it’s frustrating to continue to see column space devoted to denying the reality of climate change.

We just don’t have time for this nonsense anymore.

The Los Angeles Times announced last fall that it would no longer print letters claiming that humans are not causing climate change. Editor Paul Thornton wrote, “I do my best to keep errors of fact off the letters page; when one does run, a correction is published. Saying ‘there’s no sign humans have caused climate change’ is not stating an opinion, it’s asserting a factual inaccuracy.”

In a yet-to-be-published letter to the Courier & Press, I asked their editors to consider the same. To paraphrase the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), “You’re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.”

Michel Jarraud, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, said the recently-released UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report – a seven-year effort based on more than 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies – is “the most solid evidence you can get in any scientific discipline.”

The report states: “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, human influence on the climate system is clear, and limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.”

As each year passes, the chance of avoiding those consequences grows more remote. Climate change is already having “widespread and consequential” effects on the world, according to the IPCC, and even if we begin to reduce emissions now, we’ll continue to suffer the effects.

Thomas Stocker, a co-chair of an IPCC working group, said, “As a result of our past, present and expected future emissions of CO2, we are committed to climate change, and effects will persist for many centuries even if emissions of CO2 stop.”

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, holding up a photo of my daughter.

In March, I had the opportunity to meet with Gina McCarthy, administrator of the EPA, through my work as Indiana field manager for Moms Clean Air Force. Meeting with other “Clean Air Moms” and kids in McCarthy’s Washington, DC office, I talked about the impact of the many coal-fired power plants that surround us here in Evansville, and the threat they present to our health and our future.

I told her that on the previous Friday – the first spring-like day of the year – my daughter and her friends couldn’t play outside because the air was unhealthy to breathe. Administrator McCarthy was visibly moved by my description of the air quality issues we deal with here, and is committed to regulating carbon pollution from power plants. It has to happen if we care at all for the future of life as we know it.

Again I say: Let us move beyond this phony debate and act.


TELL EPA YOU SUPPORT NEW LIMITS ON CARBON POLLUTION


By EDF Blogs

By: Matt Golden, Senior Energy Finance Consultant

The Investor Confidence Project (ICP) is pleased to announce the release of a new series of Multifamily Energy Performance Protocols (EPP) that build on ICP’s successful commercial protocols to bring the benefits of standardization to a broader array of project types. This suite of three protocols include Large Multifamily for whole building projects over $1M, Standard Multifamily for smaller whole building projects typically less than $1M, and Targeted Multifamily for single measures.

The multifamily protocols were developed with the collaboration of industry experts including participating members of the ICP Multifamily Development Team and the ICP Ally Network. The bulk of the protocols are comprised of the same market tested methodologies that can be found in all of ICP’s Energy Performance Protocols. However, the multifamily versions have been designed to address considerations that apply to the multifamily sector including the issues of split incentives and tenant privacy.   

As with all of ICP’s Energy Performance Protocols, the goal is to standardize how projects are baselined, engineered, installed, operated, and measured. This allows investors and building owners to gain confidence in the long-term return on their energy efficiency investments as well as reduce the transaction costs associated with developing projects. The protocols form the backbone of the ICP workflow that streamlines the development process and results in ICP Investment Ready Projects by leveraging ICP’s network of designated project developers, software providers, and quality assurance engineers. Investors of all types, especially building owners, can be confident that ICP Investor Ready Energy Efficiency projects have been developed using industry best practices to provide reliable returns and reduced performance risk.

The Investor Confidence Project thanks all of its contributors and supporters, especially the Multifamily Technical Forum, that make continued development of our protocols possible. We welcome any additional feedback that the industry can provide via the Technical Development Forums of our website. Lastly, the Investor Confidence Project seeks your help in achieving critical mass and encourages organizations who support industry standardization to sign up for membership in our no-cost Ally Network.

By EDF Blogs

By: Matt Golden, Senior Energy Finance Consultant

The Investor Confidence Project (ICP) is pleased to announce the release of a new series of Multifamily Energy Performance Protocols (EPP) that build on ICP’s successful commercial protocols to bring the benefits of standardization to a broader array of project types. This suite of three protocols include Large Multifamily for whole building projects over $1M, Standard Multifamily for smaller whole building projects typically less than $1M, and Targeted Multifamily for single measures.

The multifamily protocols were developed with the collaboration of industry experts including participating members of the ICP Multifamily Development Team and the ICP Ally Network. The bulk of the protocols are comprised of the same market tested methodologies that can be found in all of ICP’s Energy Performance Protocols. However, the multifamily versions have been designed to address considerations that apply to the multifamily sector including the issues of split incentives and tenant privacy.   

As with all of ICP’s Energy Performance Protocols, the goal is to standardize how projects are baselined, engineered, installed, operated, and measured. This allows investors and building owners to gain confidence in the long-term return on their energy efficiency investments as well as reduce the transaction costs associated with developing projects. The protocols form the backbone of the ICP workflow that streamlines the development process and results in ICP Investment Ready Projects by leveraging ICP’s network of designated project developers, software providers, and quality assurance engineers. Investors of all types, especially building owners, can be confident that ICP Investor Ready Energy Efficiency projects have been developed using industry best practices to provide reliable returns and reduced performance risk.

The Investor Confidence Project thanks all of its contributors and supporters, especially the Multifamily Technical Forum, that make continued development of our protocols possible. We welcome any additional feedback that the industry can provide via the Technical Development Forums of our website. Lastly, the Investor Confidence Project seeks your help in achieving critical mass and encourages organizations who support industry standardization to sign up for membership in our no-cost Ally Network.