Επτά χώρες-μέλη της ΕΕ -Αυστρία, Βέλγιο, Δανία, Ιταλία, Πορτογαλία, Ισπανία- θα υπερβούν τα όρια που θέτει το Πρωτόκολλο του Κιότο για τις εκπομπές αερίων του θερμοκηπίου, ανακοίνωσε την Παρασκευή η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή.
Οι προβολές στην τελευταία έκθεση της Ευρωπαϊκής Περιβαλλοντικής Υπηρεσίας, που δημοσιεύεται από την Επιτροπή, δείχνουν ότι οι «15» της ΕΕ θα μπορέσουν να πετύχουν τον κοινό στόχο μόνο αν εφαρμόσουν στο ακέραιο τα σχέδια για μείωση των εκπομπών.
«Οι προβολές αυτές δείχνουν ότι δεν υπάρχει περιθώριο για εφησυχασμό ή λάθη» δήλωσε ο επίτροπος Περιβάλλοντος Σταύρος Δήμας.
Σύμφωνα με το Πρωτόκολλο του Κιότο, οι «15» της ΕΕ πρέπει έως το 2012 να έχουν μειώσει τις συνολικές εκπομπές τους κατά 8%, σε σχέση με τα επίπεδα του 1990.
Όπως αναφέρει από τις Βρυξέλλες το Γαλλικό Πρακτορείο Ειδήσεων, με τις υπάρχουσες πολιτικές και μέτρα, οι «15» θα μειώσουν τις εκπομπές κατά μόλις 0,6%. Απαιτούνται επομένως δέσμες νέων μέτρων, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της αγοραπωλησίας πιστώσεων εκπομπής, μέσω της αγοράς ρύπων που δημιουργήθηκε με βάση το Κιότο.
«Όσοι δεν βρίσκονται στη σωστή πορεία πρέπει επειγόντως να εντείνουν τις προσπάθειες ώστε να πετύχουν τους στόχους, λαμβάνοντας αν είναι απαραίτητο περαιτέρω μέτρα σε εθνικό επίπεδο» δήλωσε ο Σταύρος Δήμας.
πηγή www.in.gr
Δευτέρα, Οκτωβρίου 30, 2006
Έκθεση στη Βρετανία
Αν η διεθνής κοινότητα δεν λάβει θαρραλέα μέτρα κατά του φαινομένου του θερμοκηπίου, οι συνέπειες της κλιματικής αλλαγής στην οικονομία θα είναι συγκρίσιμες με τις επιπτώσεις ενός παγκοσμίου πολέμου, προειδοποιεί έκθεση για λογαριασμό της βρετανικής κυβέρνησης.
Η έκθεση του Νίκολας Στερν, πρώην οικονομολόγου της Παγκόσμιας Τράπεζας, εκτιμά ότι η αντιμετώπιση της κλιματικής αλλαγής θα απαιτήσει το 1% του παγκόσμιου ακαθάριστου προϊόντος. Αν όμως δεν ληφθούν μέτρα, οι επιπτώσεις θα κοστίσουν από 5 έως 20 φορές περισσότερο και το τίμημα θα μπορούσε έτσι να φτάσει τα 5,48 τρισ. ευρώ.
περισσότερα...
Η έκθεση του Νίκολας Στερν, πρώην οικονομολόγου της Παγκόσμιας Τράπεζας, εκτιμά ότι η αντιμετώπιση της κλιματικής αλλαγής θα απαιτήσει το 1% του παγκόσμιου ακαθάριστου προϊόντος. Αν όμως δεν ληφθούν μέτρα, οι επιπτώσεις θα κοστίσουν από 5 έως 20 φορές περισσότερο και το τίμημα θα μπορούσε έτσι να φτάσει τα 5,48 τρισ. ευρώ.
περισσότερα...
Κυριακή, Οκτωβρίου 29, 2006
How Close to Catastrophe
How Close to Catastrophe?
By Bill McKibben
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— "hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is," he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is "a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system" and striving to "regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life."
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and will (beloved as they were by an early wave of New Age Gaia acolytes), the theory may help us understand how the earth has managed to remain hospitable for life over billions of years even as the sun, because of its own stellar evolution, has become significantly hotter. Through a series of processes involving, among others, ice ages, ocean algae, and weathering rock, the earth has managed to keep the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and hence the temperature, at a relatively stable level.
By Bill McKibben
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— "hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is," he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is "a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system" and striving to "regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life."
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and will (beloved as they were by an early wave of New Age Gaia acolytes), the theory may help us understand how the earth has managed to remain hospitable for life over billions of years even as the sun, because of its own stellar evolution, has become significantly hotter. Through a series of processes involving, among others, ice ages, ocean algae, and weathering rock, the earth has managed to keep the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and hence the temperature, at a relatively stable level.
The New York Review of Books: How Close to Catastrophe?
The New York Review of Books: How Close to Catastrophe?: "How Close to Catastrophe?
By Bill McKibben
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— 'hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is,' he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is 'a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system' and striving to 'regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life.'
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and wil"
By Bill McKibben
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— 'hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is,' he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is 'a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system' and striving to 'regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life.'
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and wil"
The New York Review of Books: How Close to Catastrophe?
The New York Review of Books: How Close to Catastrophe?: "By Bill McKibben
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— 'hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is,' he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is 'a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system' and striving to 'regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life.'
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and will (beloved as they were by "
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— 'hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is,' he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is 'a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system' and striving to 'regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life.'
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and will (beloved as they were by "
The New York Review of Books: How Close to Catastrophe?
The New York Review of Books: How Close to Catastrophe?
By Bill McKibben
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity
by James Lovelock
Basic Books, 177 pp., $25.00
China Shifts Gears: Automakers, Oil, Pollution, and Development
by Kelly Sims Gallagher
MIT Press, 219 pp., $52.00;$21.00 (paper)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
by Travis Bradford
MIT Press, 238 pp., $24.95
WorldChanging:A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams, 596 pp., $37.50
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
edited by Architecture for Humanity
Metropolis, 336 pp., $35.00 (paper)
James Lovelock is among the planet's most interesting and productive scientists. His invention of an electron capture device that was able to detect tiny amounts of chemicals enabled other scientists both to understand the dangers of DDT to the eggshells of birds and to figure out the ways in which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eroding the ozone layer. He's best known, though, not for a gadget but for a metaphor: the idea that the earth might usefully be considered as a single organism (for which he used the name of the Greek earth goddess Gaia) struggling to keep itself stable.
In fact, his so-called Gaia hypothesis was at first less clear than that— "hardly anyone, and that included me for the first ten years after the concept was born, seems to know what Gaia is," he has written. But the hypothesis has turned into a theory, still not fully accepted by other scientists but not scorned either. It holds that the earth is "a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system" and striving to "regulate surface conditions so as always to be as favourable as possible for contemporary life."
Putting aside questions of planetary consciousness and will (beloved as they were by an early wave of New Age Gaia acolytes), the theory may help us understand how the earth has managed to remain hospitable for life over billions of years even as the sun, because of its own stellar evolution, has become significantly hotter. Through a series of processes involving, among others, ice ages, ocean algae, and weathering rock, the earth has managed to keep the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and hence the temperature, at a relatively stable level....
Τρίτη, Οκτωβρίου 24, 2006
CSRwire.com - Press Release from EI Solutions: EI Solutions to Build Largest US Corporate Solar Installation for Google
CSRwire.com - Press Release from EI Solutions: EI Solutions to Build Largest US Corporate Solar Installation for Google
(CSRwire)
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5250817
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-EI Solutions, the systems integration arm of Energy Innovations, Inc., today announced that it will begin constructing a solar electricity system for Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters campus. With a total capacity of 1.6 megawatts - enough to supply 1,000 average California homes - the Google system will be the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the United States and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world. The project will involve 9,212 solar panels provided by Sharp Electronics. A majority will be placed on the rooftops of some of the buildings in the Googleplex and others will provide shaded parking as part of newly constructed solar panel support structures on existing Google parking lots. The solar energy will be used to power several of Google's Mountain View office facilities.
"We are pleased to be working with EI Solutions to undertake this major initiative to bring green energy to the Google campus," said David Radcliffe, vice president of real estate at Google. "When the project is completed this spring, Google employees, shareholders and the community around us will begin to enjoy the environmental as well as economic benefits of clean, renewable energy generated on-site."
"It is a distinct pleasure to be involved with a company such as Google, which is committed to investing in alternatives to traditional fuel sources," said Andrew Beebe, president of EI Solutions. "Their understanding that solar electricity can provide tangible environmental benefits in an economically sound manner should be a model for other companies in California and throughout the US."
"We are particularly delighted with the extensive use of Sharp's cutting-edge technologies in this project as they're a natural match for companies looking to effectively generate green energy," noted Ron Kenedi, vice president, Solar Energy Solutions Group, Sharp Electronics.
A three-dimensional representation of how the project may look once completed can be viewed online at www.eispv.com. Visitors to the Solar Power 2006 conference and exhibition in San Jose, October 16-19, 2006, can also view these renderings and discuss the project with EI Solutions management at Booth 517.
About EI Solutions
EI Solutions is one of California's fastest-growing providers of large-scale solar power systems. The company has completed projects for a wide variety of public agencies and private companies, including the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District in San Rafael, California; Berlex's Richmond California campus; Swinerton Property Services'California offices in Concord and Irvine; Seghesio Family Vineyards; Sonoma State University; and the Marin County General Services Building. EI Solutions is a division of Energy Innovations, Inc. of Pasadena. Energy Innovations is building the world's first rooftop tracking solar concentrator, designed to drive down the cost of solar energy below the price of utility-supplied electricity. More information can be found at www.eispv.com.
For free video content, please log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/google to preview and request video. You can receive broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape from this site. Registration and video is free to the media.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners (C)
2006 EI Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5250817
EI Solutions to Build Largest US Corporate Solar Installation for Google
1.6MW Project Combines Rooftop and Parking-Lot Panels to Provide Googleplex with Green Energy
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5250817
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-EI Solutions, the systems integration arm of Energy Innovations, Inc., today announced that it will begin constructing a solar electricity system for Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters campus. With a total capacity of 1.6 megawatts - enough to supply 1,000 average California homes - the Google system will be the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the United States and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world. The project will involve 9,212 solar panels provided by Sharp Electronics. A majority will be placed on the rooftops of some of the buildings in the Googleplex and others will provide shaded parking as part of newly constructed solar panel support structures on existing Google parking lots. The solar energy will be used to power several of Google's Mountain View office facilities.
"We are pleased to be working with EI Solutions to undertake this major initiative to bring green energy to the Google campus," said David Radcliffe, vice president of real estate at Google. "When the project is completed this spring, Google employees, shareholders and the community around us will begin to enjoy the environmental as well as economic benefits of clean, renewable energy generated on-site."
"It is a distinct pleasure to be involved with a company such as Google, which is committed to investing in alternatives to traditional fuel sources," said Andrew Beebe, president of EI Solutions. "Their understanding that solar electricity can provide tangible environmental benefits in an economically sound manner should be a model for other companies in California and throughout the US."
"We are particularly delighted with the extensive use of Sharp's cutting-edge technologies in this project as they're a natural match for companies looking to effectively generate green energy," noted Ron Kenedi, vice president, Solar Energy Solutions Group, Sharp Electronics.
A three-dimensional representation of how the project may look once completed can be viewed online at www.eispv.com. Visitors to the Solar Power 2006 conference and exhibition in San Jose, October 16-19, 2006, can also view these renderings and discuss the project with EI Solutions management at Booth 517.
About EI Solutions
EI Solutions is one of California's fastest-growing providers of large-scale solar power systems. The company has completed projects for a wide variety of public agencies and private companies, including the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District in San Rafael, California; Berlex's Richmond California campus; Swinerton Property Services'California offices in Concord and Irvine; Seghesio Family Vineyards; Sonoma State University; and the Marin County General Services Building. EI Solutions is a division of Energy Innovations, Inc. of Pasadena. Energy Innovations is building the world's first rooftop tracking solar concentrator, designed to drive down the cost of solar energy below the price of utility-supplied electricity. More information can be found at www.eispv.com.
For free video content, please log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/google to preview and request video. You can receive broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape from this site. Registration and video is free to the media.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners (C)
2006 EI Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5250817
Δευτέρα, Οκτωβρίου 09, 2006
The Oil Drum | The End of Fossil Energy
The Oil Drum | The End of Fossil Energy
A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from John Howe, author of the book The End of Fossil Energy and the Last Chance for Survival. He indicated his concern that the public is not getting the message on Peak Oil, and he asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy of his book and helping him post some of his ideas to TOD. I accepted his gracious offer, and I received his book in the mail a few days later. A couple of weeks later, I read the book on a flight to San Francisco.
A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from John Howe, author of the book The End of Fossil Energy and the Last Chance for Survival. He indicated his concern that the public is not getting the message on Peak Oil, and he asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy of his book and helping him post some of his ideas to TOD. I accepted his gracious offer, and I received his book in the mail a few days later. A couple of weeks later, I read the book on a flight to San Francisco.
There's more… (2522 words) | Comments (233) | Permalink
There is something in the book for just about everyone, but I would especially recommend it as an introduction to the topic of Peak Oil. I told John I would post an essay here in order to help get his ideas out there. He has a 20-page White Paper that you can download here. I will post some excerpts from his White Paper below, but first I wanted to make a few observations.There were a couple of things that really impressed me about John. First, he has laid out a plan for transitioning to a sustainable energy future. He calls this plan "The Five Percent Plan to Energy Sustainability", and he covers the details in Chapter 5. By actually committing a plan to writing, John is probably ahead of the vast majority of us in this debate. Most of us have various ideas for what we need to do to achieve sustainability, but I am sure that few of us have put as much thought into it as John has.
The other thing that really impressed me is that John practices what he preaches. He has built three completely solar-powered vehicles, including a 1962 MG Midget and a tractor he uses on his farm. He goes over some of the technical details in one of the appendices of the book. The experience John is gaining with his solar-powered vehicles can be a valuable asset to the world if we will learn from him. If the world had more John Howes out there, I wouldn't be nearly as concerned about the challenges facing us.
Delusions That Will Not Save Us
(But waste valuable time and dollars while we chase them down)
With the onset of peak oil and higher energy prices, there is a flurry of new and, in many cases, revived old panaceas. Some have a touch of legitimacy. Some are pure snake oil, some are only a way to profit either from selling books or from ill-directed research grants and tax incentives. Not necessarily in order:
- Hydrogen-Hype: Now quieting down. Most people understand it has to come from fossil fuels, or if from renewables, is a terribly inefficient way to use precious non-fossil-sourced electricity. In addition, it is very dangerous and technically difficult to handle and store in compressed or cryogenic form.
- Biofuels (exclusive of wood): Sunlight is very dilute and sporadic. Expecting the annual solar energy to replace the millions of years of concentrated solar energy in fossil fuels is impossible. As the fossil fuel base (nitrogen fertilizer, diesel fuel, irrigation- energy, etc.) for our food supply winds down, we will need ALL the biomass energy we can find just to feed ourselves. Also, biofuel production (esp. ethanol from corn) requires about as much fossil energy input as the resultant energy yield. The energy returned on energy invested (EROEI) is too close to unity to be worthwhile. Finally the intensive monoculture of crop land is not sustainable.
- Wood: Somewhere between dilute annual sunlight-energy and concentrated fossil fuels is wonderful wood. But, it takes 50 to 100 years to grow a reasonable tree. Harvest at a quicker rate only depletes the forest, soils, and ecological balance. This signals the end of a civilization and is happening the world over and exacerbated; by increasing population and fossil-fuel powered harvesting equipment.
- There's Plenty Left: We are now using about 6 barrels of oil (at one billion barrels, worldwide, every 12 days) for every single new barrel discovered. Natural gas is not far behind and can't be shipped overseas except as liquid natural gas (LNG). Coal and tar sands are more plentiful but contribute heavily to eco devastation and will soon approach an EROEI of unity, especially as oil runs down and the harder-to-reach, dirtier sources are mined.
- Efficiency Will Save Us: Only if we concurrently reduce consumption (reverse growth and population). In most cases improved efficiency increases consumption due to increased value and numbers of consumers. ("Jevon's Paradox") In the long run, we must survive with no fossil energy at all.
- Other Sources: Nuclear, hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind are all legitimate. But, except for solar and wind, all are limited by site availability or in the case of nuclear, finite fuel and waste problems. Total energy will be much less without fossil-fuels.
- "Pie in the Sky": Abiotic oil, nuclear fusion, methyl hydrates, shale oil, perpetual motion machines, etc. None are proved.
Non-fossil Energy Sources
The Three fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) represent a non-renewable "bank account" being drawn down at an annual rate leading to complete depletion or the point of negative energy return on investment (EROEI) in less than one lifetime. This prediction can be challenged but more optimism will, in no way, change the obvious threat of the "Triple-Crisis." New unexpected discoveries might provide extra time and a better chance to effect a transition protocol to less population and a much lower-energy future. However, the desperate consumption of additional fossil fuels will only exacerbate the global warming component. A sustainable future can only come from sustainable, clean energy.
Nuclear
The best bet for continued, clean electricity on a large scale. But, sources of finite, fissionable uranium must be found and ultimately mined without cheap fossil energy. This scenario also assumes that acceptable waste disposal and protection from terrorism can be assured. Also, nuclear, like all other non-fossil energy sources except biofuels, produces only direct electricity. No matter what energy sources we use we will need a complete rethinking of our transportation system.
Hydro
Limited to acceptable sites nearly all of which have been used. Global warming has reduced water flow and electrical output in the last decade. Considerable fossil energy is required to replace dams, which ultimately fill with silt. Reversible pumped hydro at 85% efficiency (as well as nuclear) can be used to smooth the sporadic output of solar and wind.
Biofuels
Only for absolutely essential needs as liquid fuels, lubricants, etc. and with full understanding of the required energy input and the deleterious effect on crop land and food supply. See pages 7 and 12 for more details. Waste products will decline as a source of fuel because the original energy sources are finite and depleting.
Geothermal, Tidal, Wave, etc.
All are site specific and cannot be scaled up to be of importance.
Wind
A true, clean source that can be scaled up extensively especially while fossil fuels are still available for manufacture and installation. Sporadic electrical output could be smoothed by working in concert with solar PV and other available sources.
Solar PV (photovoltaic)
The best modern technology providing direct electricity on a local or centralized basis. Very dilute and sporadic but infinitely scalable and especially applicable to residential use as well as direct solar-powered tractors and cars. In all cases, the weak output needs to be coupled with battery storage and/or other sources. This is our best bet for a long, clean future including agricultural power and transportation. Small urban and suburban farms could use approximately 100 volt tractors with integral solar-panel arrays and large battery-packs. Huge commercial farms might better use a large portable separate array of 4 to 8 kilowatts peak power (300 to 600 square feet). With a 200 ft. #8 cable, this concept would allow working up to 3 acres almost on a one to one energy basis as long as there is direct sunlight. The portable central array could be moved to a new location or brought to the farm buildings in off-season. The high cost and availability of PV will require a 50 year scale-up from present minuscule levels. We need massive investment in solar PV and lead/acid battery recycling facilities.
Έφυγε ο «παππούς» των Οικολόγων
Πατέρας της Κοινωνικής Οικολογίας, ο πρώτος που έγινε Καθηγητής Πανεπιστημίου χωρίς να έχει Διδακτορικό, προφητικός για όλα σχεδόν τα σημερινά περιβαλλοντικά προβλήματα, ο στοχαστής οικολόγος Μάρεϊ Μπούκτσιν άφησε την τελευταία του πνοή στα 85 του χρόνια.
"... Tα οικολογικά μας προβλήματα πηγάζουν από τα κοινωνικά. Η μακροπρόθεσμη λύση στην οικολογική κρίση είναι η θεμελιώδης αλλαγή του τρόπου οργάνωσης της κοινωνίας, μια νέα πολιτική βασισμένη στην άμεση δημοκρατία, στην αναβίωση της γειτονιάς και την «διάλυση» της ιεραρχίας». Αυτά αποτελούσαν τον πυρήνα της σκέψης του Μάρεϊ Μπούκτσιν, του μεγάλου στοχαστή της Πολιτικής Οικολογίας, που πριν από ένα μήνα έφυγε από τη ζωή, στα 85 του χρόνια, αφού είχε δημιουργήσει μια σχολή σκέψης που βρήκε υποστηρικτές αλλά και αντιπάλους ..."
Περισσότερα...
"... Tα οικολογικά μας προβλήματα πηγάζουν από τα κοινωνικά. Η μακροπρόθεσμη λύση στην οικολογική κρίση είναι η θεμελιώδης αλλαγή του τρόπου οργάνωσης της κοινωνίας, μια νέα πολιτική βασισμένη στην άμεση δημοκρατία, στην αναβίωση της γειτονιάς και την «διάλυση» της ιεραρχίας». Αυτά αποτελούσαν τον πυρήνα της σκέψης του Μάρεϊ Μπούκτσιν, του μεγάλου στοχαστή της Πολιτικής Οικολογίας, που πριν από ένα μήνα έφυγε από τη ζωή, στα 85 του χρόνια, αφού είχε δημιουργήσει μια σχολή σκέψης που βρήκε υποστηρικτές αλλά και αντιπάλους ..."
Περισσότερα...
Τρίτη, Οκτωβρίου 03, 2006
Εγκυκλοπαίδεια της Γης
Colleagues;
I am forwarding (below) a letter from Cutler Cleveland (Boston
University) the editor of the on line Encyclopedia of Earth
(http://www.eoearth.org/) inviting you to contribute articles to this Wiki encyclopedia.
Because I think this may be a good means of getting information about our field out to the general public, I have agreed to serve as one of the topic editors in environmental economics and have written several articles for it about topics close to my own research interests.
I would hope that some of you may find this a sufficiently worthwhile venture to commit some time to it. Cutler's letter spells out how to participate.
Tom Tietenberg
Mitchell Family Professor of Economics
Colby College
Waterville, Maine 04330
*****
Dear Colleague,
I invite you to help build what is fast becoming a seminal reference on understanding and managing the environment. With the recent public release of the Encyclopedia of Earth (http://www.eoearth.org/), scientists from around the world are joining to create a comprehensive, authoritative source of information about the environments of Earth and their interactions with society. The Encyclopedia is written and governed by experts working in a unique collaborative environment, and it has been released through the initial work of about 300 Authors and 100 Topic Editors. The Encyclopedia's oversight comes from an outstanding group of international scholars, our International Advisory Board (see below).
You can write on or edit any topic that interests you and that falls within the scope of Encyclopedia. Entries are from 250 to 5,000 words, geared to a general audience. Your articles can be drawn directly from existing material you have written, subject to any copyright restrictions. The Encyclopedia is built, maintained, and governed by experts like you via a specially adapted "wiki," an online resource that allows users to add and edit content collectively. Significantly, unlike other wikis, access to the Encyclopedia wiki is restricted to approved experts, and all content is peer reviewed and approved prior to being published at the free public site.
Contributing is easy: visit http://www.eoearth.org/, click on CONTRIBUTE TO THE EOE, and follow the guidelines there. The site also contains additional information about the project.
I encourage you to circulate this invitation widely among your colleagues.
Contact me or editorial assistants Alejandra Roman or Ida Kubiszewski with questions.
Thanks for your consideration.
With best regards,
Cutler J. Cleveland
Editor-in-Chief
Encyclopedia of Earth
Professor
Department of Geography and Environment
and
Center for Energy and Environmental Studies Boston University
I am forwarding (below) a letter from Cutler Cleveland (Boston
University) the editor of the on line Encyclopedia of Earth
(http://www.eoearth.org/) inviting you to contribute articles to this Wiki encyclopedia.
Because I think this may be a good means of getting information about our field out to the general public, I have agreed to serve as one of the topic editors in environmental economics and have written several articles for it about topics close to my own research interests.
I would hope that some of you may find this a sufficiently worthwhile venture to commit some time to it. Cutler's letter spells out how to participate.
Tom Tietenberg
Mitchell Family Professor of Economics
Colby College
Waterville, Maine 04330
*****
Dear Colleague,
I invite you to help build what is fast becoming a seminal reference on understanding and managing the environment. With the recent public release of the Encyclopedia of Earth (http://www.eoearth.org/), scientists from around the world are joining to create a comprehensive, authoritative source of information about the environments of Earth and their interactions with society. The Encyclopedia is written and governed by experts working in a unique collaborative environment, and it has been released through the initial work of about 300 Authors and 100 Topic Editors. The Encyclopedia's oversight comes from an outstanding group of international scholars, our International Advisory Board (see below).
You can write on or edit any topic that interests you and that falls within the scope of Encyclopedia. Entries are from 250 to 5,000 words, geared to a general audience. Your articles can be drawn directly from existing material you have written, subject to any copyright restrictions. The Encyclopedia is built, maintained, and governed by experts like you via a specially adapted "wiki," an online resource that allows users to add and edit content collectively. Significantly, unlike other wikis, access to the Encyclopedia wiki is restricted to approved experts, and all content is peer reviewed and approved prior to being published at the free public site.
Contributing is easy: visit http://www.eoearth.org/, click on CONTRIBUTE TO THE EOE, and follow the guidelines there. The site also contains additional information about the project.
I encourage you to circulate this invitation widely among your colleagues.
Contact me or editorial assistants Alejandra Roman
Thanks for your consideration.
With best regards,
Cutler J. Cleveland
Editor-in-Chief
Encyclopedia of Earth
Professor
Department of Geography and Environment
and
Center for Energy and Environmental Studies Boston University
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