2nd Green Revolution

• I will be smarter than bottled water companies and drink for free what they are trying to sell me. Last year we consumed about 50 billion plastic water bottles. Several bottled water brands use the same H₂0 that’s available from your faucet. Use a water bottle and refill it throughout the day — for free.

• If I can remember to TiVo “Lost,” I can remember to bring my own bags to the grocery store. Plastic bags are made from petroleum and only about 1 percent of the estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags consumed worldwide are recycled each year. Most end up in landfills (where they take perhaps 1000 years to decompose) or in the sea.

• I will take a day off from road rage and take mass transit or car-pool one day a week. If you have public transportation options available to you, try switching to the train or bus one day a week. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation use saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline each year, and can reduce household expenses by $6,200. If you don’t live near public transportation, try organizing a once-a-week carpool with your neighbors or coworkers. You’ll save on fuel, tolls, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by removing cars from the road. As a bonus, you’ll gain access to that exclusive carpool lane.

• I Will Connect with Congress. Send your senator or representative a letter that you support green business, clean technology, and action against climate change. Congressional leaders are pretty easy to find these days on the Internet. Congress.org helps you connect. Just type in your zip code and voile!

• I Will Buy in Bulk. This reduces packaging and can make shipping easier and more efficient.

Sources: #1-3, The Daily Green; #4-5, GreenRightNow

Last Friday, June 26th, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the “American Clean Energy and Security Act” (H.R. 2998). Though far from becoming law, the 219-212 vote in favor is the first step toward placing a cap on the amount of green house gases industry and businesses can emit. It also sets up a market allowing entities that pollute less to sell their carbon credits to businesses that pollute more. It is a major, if imperfect, first step towards moving America in the direction of a clean energy future. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces an even tougher path to becoming law and may not even come up for vote before the Copenhagen climate conference in December. Without at least 60 votes in favor of the legislation, the bill will surely face a filibuster and may never come to vote. Read the rest of this entry »

The long awaited “Cash for Clunkers” bill recently passed through the upper house of Congress as an attachment to a war spending bill. As written, the bill will provide vouchers to car owners who turn in a vehicle that gets less than 18 miles per gallon for one that achieves at least 22 mpg, according to the mileage efficiency ratings that were determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Business Week carried an article stating that the legislation would cost $1 billion dollars and may have the unintended side effect of spurring purchases of gas guzzling SUVs. For those cars or trucks (with a model year of 1984 or later) turned in that satisfy the requirement stated above, owners will receive a $3,500 voucher. The amount increases to $4,500 if the new vehicle being purchased has a mileage efficiency of at least 10 mpg greater than the “clunker”. Read the rest of this entry »

2nd Green Revolution has written about the regenerative economy and cradle to cradle design numerous times. This morning NPR reported on a story that reiterated the need to move toward an economy that manufactures objects with the end of their life cycle in mind. Many of the cheap materials that go into houses, for example, are produced with only their price in mind and can actually be harmful. Apparently, toxic chemicals from drywall is making some people ill. The material believed to be responsible is imported Chinese drywall that contains sulfur — a chemical not found in the American version of the product. According to NPR, Chinese sheet rock was imported during the post-Katrina reconstruction boom, as American supplies dried up. As a result of the illnesses, the United States Congress is requesting an investigation into the impact of potentially toxic drywall on inhabitants throughout the gulf coast region as well as Rhode Island.

Often the most inexpensive materials carry hidden costs. In the case of the Chinese sheet rock, respiratory illnesses, nosebleeds, and headaches have been linked to the drywall. In conjunction with the health care costs resulting from these and other infirmities, there is an enormous cost to replace the sheet rock. Neither of these additional expenditures are reflected in the purchase price of such materials, but they increase the true cost of the products. Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), is an expanding alliance of major businesses and leading climate and environmental groups that have come together to call on the federal government to enact legislation requiring significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. According to their website, the group believes that “swift legislative action on the USCAP solutions-based proposal, entitled A Call for Action, would encourage innovation, enhance America’s energy security, foster economic growth, improve our balance of trade and provide critically needed U.S. leadership on this vital global challenge.”Here is the pledge found on their website:

“We, the members of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, pledge to work with the President, the Congress, and all other stakeholders to enact an environmentally effective, economically sustainable, and fair climate change program consistent with our principles at the earliest practicable date.”

Testimony:Former Vice President Al Gore

At a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing last Friday, Mr. Gore testified to the urgent nature and prime importance of the clean energy and security bill being debated in Congress. Mr. Gore focused on three main areas in calling on representatives to pass “one of the most important pieces of legislation ever introduced in Congress.” Security concerns stemming from dependence on foreign oil, a push to restart the economic growth by laying infrastructure for a modern energy economy, and the real threat of major implications of climate change are all coming together to make addressing energy policy a priority. There are three main provisions in the bill that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and position the U.S. to lead in the next energy revolution.

1)     Promoting the rapid introduction of clean technology

2)     Efficient use of energy through a revamped and modernized digital smart grid

3)     Significant investment into continued research and development into technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

During the question and answer session, Mr. Gore was asked by Texas Representative Joe Barton (R) about the costs of implementing the bill, specifically with regards to a cap and trade system. Even if Congress gave away half of the allowances and the tax on emissions were the $20 per ton that the EPA estimates (considered conservative), the 7 billion metric tons of man made CO2  emissions the U.S. produces annually would amount to a $70 billion fee for the American economy. Mr. Barton explained this and then asked Mr. Gore what the U.S. can do to avoid or minimize the impact of this expense on businesses and families.  Mr. Gore did not provide a response to the congressman’s question or to his more direct follow-up. Mr. Barton, on the other hand, didn’t acknowledge several of Mr. Gore’s points. This little vignette speaks to the contentiousness of the issue. Read the rest of this entry »

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a think tank in Washington DC whose “mission arises from the belief that America is ill-served by an obsolete left-right debate that is out of step with the powerful forces re-shaping our society and economy.” PPI releases a Trade Fact of the Week, the most recent of which describes the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) goal that “governments launch an aggregate ‘fiscal stimulus’ program of 2 percent of world GDP. Read the rest of this entry »