2nd Green Revolution

Earlier this week I purchased a Hewlett-Packard Printer (HP Officejet Pro 8500). After seeing HP receive the number one ranking in Newsweek’s inaugural Greenest Big Companies in America issue, combined with an instant $50 rebate offered by HP toward this model when recycling an older printer (from any company) at Staples, I decided to take the plunge. Researching the product online I found that it is Energy Star rated and has Staples’ “Eco Easy” designation. This label indicates products that consume less energy when in use and have been shipped in less packaging than comparable units. Furthermore, the free recycling of an old printer, 2-sided printing, and a donation to CarbonFund.org to help offset emissions from the first three years of printing (based on average usage) are features that earned the HP the Eco Easy tag. In addition, this model purports to use approximately 50% less energy versus a comparable laser jet and it further reduces energy use by entering standby mode after a few minutes of inactivity. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the past century, the number of Americans living on farms has fallen from nearly 40% to less than 2%. As large agribusiness and monoculture farms take over, smaller farmers have had difficulty finding ways to compete. Michael Pollan featured Polyface Farms in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, his treatise on food. By making sure that the land was cared for, the owners and operators of Polyface ensured its long term viability. They engaged in management intensive grazing, where the animals are rotated through a plot of land to ensure that the right mix of consumers and decomposers scour the land and that the producers are given time to regenerate.

With the passage of the cap-and-trade bill by the House of Representatives at the end of June, more opportunities may arise for small farmers who practice no-till farming, a technique in which they do not turn over the soil, releasing carbon dioxide that has been fixed in the ground. This has the ultimate effect of fixing, or sequestering carbon in the roots of plants. In this story from Colorado Public Radio’s KCFR, farmers may earn money in the future via the Colorado Climate Action Plan. The program may resemble the Chicago Climate Exchange, with a local focus. Proponents of the program hope that Colorado farmers would earn more than $1 per acre (presumably per year), which according to KCFR’s report is the going rate for offsetting the emissions of one ton of carbon on the Chicago exchange. Companies would be able to purchase offsets from Colorado farmers, instead of national or international projects. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Thursday’s post about New Belgium and the triple bottom line provided background information on the brewery’s sustainability efforts. Today’s post focuses on their energy policy.

As mentioned in an earlier post, New Belgium Brewery has an anaerobic digestor on their property. This piece of equipment cleanses water and produces methane as a by-product, which they then burn to generate energy. Approximately 12-15% of the electricity consumed by the brewery is derived from this process. Their on-site water processing facility also decreases overall energy consumption. Ms. Wallace stated that the payback for the digestor was a mere 18 months. In addition to the methane-to energy-system, New Belgium has plans to install a 200 kilowatt photovoltaic system (pv) over the next few years. This pv project is part of their collaboration in Fort ZED. Ms. Wallace stressed the collaborative effort and nature of sustainability, which is readily apparent in Fort ZED.

Producing clean energy on their grounds represents one of the foundations of New Belgium’s “energy philosophy”. Read the rest of this entry »

Local utilities across the nation offer customers the option to purchase renewable energy instead of electricity generated from nonrenewable sources. Essentially acting as an offset, the company will purchase green electricity equal to the amount consumed by the customer. For instance, homes that use 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy a month can purchase renewable energy equivalents from their provider. These offsets typically invest in local energy generation in the form of wind farms, solar (photovoltaic) plants, biogas or other renewable energy programs. In previous posts, the issue of offsets has been discussed, but these programs purchase renewable energy from local producers, avoiding some of the concerns (i.e non local projects) broached by 2nd Green Revolution.
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Many ski resorts tout their “green credentials” these days. To offset their energy consumption they purchase wind power or other renewable energy from utilities. A few years ago National Geographic reported on the migration toward wind power on behalf of ski resorts. They pointed out the obvious connection between climate change and the potential decrease in snowfall for many ski areas. More recently, USA Today reported on Western ski destinations’ move toward a more environmentally conscious way of business. A resort in Massachusetts has gone one step further by installing their own 1.5 megawatt wind turbine from General Electric. Jiminy Peak, in Hancock, Massachusetts, has installed a single turbine on the top of one of their peaks. During the winter the resort consumes a 60% of its total annual energy usage, much of which is used to make snow. According to an article on CNN.com, the turbine cost $4 million and generates a third of the electricity that the resort needs. As a result of the turbine, the resort saves $450,000 annually on their electricity bill. During the summer months Jiminy Peak’s wind turbine generates more electricity than the resort consumes. In these instances they are able to sell energy back to the utility. Based on current consumption and utility rates, the payback time is approximately nine years.

Despite the potential negative impacts of installing wind turbines, such as effect on bird migration and soil erosion, the need for local production of clean energy remains a priority for the clean energy economy. The sizable upfront investment pays off in a multitude of ways. Jiminy Peak has a recognizable, marketable advantage over other ski destinations. They become self-sufficient and a boon to the community by selling back excess power and bringing in jobs. Those resorts that purchase renewable energy offsets do help support the burgeoning industry, but Jiminy Peak stands out as a leader in the field.

- Eric Wilson

Last year, the website MakeEarthDayEveryday.com debuted. The site was marketed on oval shaped stickers that said “WIND” with a wind turbine for the “I”. Today, however, the URL appears to be invalid. The company behind the site, Renewable Choice Energy, offers carbon offsets through wind farm projects. Last week I included a post that touched on offsets. 2nd Green Revolution does not tend to support offsets, as they do not address the root the problem: excessive consumption. The approach of Renewable Choice Energy is unique Read the rest of this entry »

I attended the inaugural Sustainability Lecture Series at Wynkoop Brewery in downtown Denver tonight. Susan Innis, from the Governor’s Energy Office spoke about the Colorado Carbon Fund, which is an offset program for carbon emissions. We here at 2nd Green Revolution tend to be skeptical of offsets for a number of reasons. Read the rest of this entry »