Green Counsel

Help Push GreenMap to Top 10 in Parade Mag Contest

I just received this email from Wendy Brawer -- one of my favorite people who runs one of the most exciting local green non-profits, Greenmap, that promotes the environment and sustainability in communities all over the world. I strongly encourage you to check them out, then click on the link, and give $10 or more.

"Uh-oh - this is totally tacky!

Please forgive me, but I am resending this request because this is a really good way to extend the concept of community sustainability to new audiences, especially in Parade magazine's not-so-green middle America.

Here's a chance to give to one

Green Map System - the nonprofit I direct - now supports locally-led Green Map projects in 445 communities in 50 countries. Green Maps connect everyone with local green living, nature, social and cultural resources, guiding people to better choices for shopping, dining, getting around, working, etc, and a more sustainable, climate- and biodiversity-protecting future for all, as seen at GreenMap.org. You may have used our own NYC Green Apple Maps - 350,000 free copies are in use - or some of the other 330 wonderful published Green Maps on your travels around the world.

Right now, our movement is in the Top 11 for America's Giving Challenge - we compete by getting the most people to donate $10 online by 3pm (EST) on January 31. There's all kinds of prizes (including a special one for the most donations in the last 72 hours, which is now!) and the winners will get big press in several national newspapers & magazines, including Parade (co-sponsors with Case Foundation, Global Giving & Newtork for Good). We'd really like to see that coverage highlight sustainability & local leadership in all communities, something no other contestant near the top offers.

You can make a great investment in our common future (and in the open interactive Global Green Map we're building with this income) by donating $10 today online at this specific webpage:

http://tinyurl.com/2j9eym

or by clicking the big Give Now at GreenMap.org

Donate $10 today. Each $10 must be unique, given by a different person & credit card to count.

All donors will receive an invitation to our party in Spring, and your donation is even tax-deductible.

Please forward this message and ask your family, friends and co-workers to donate, too, and help put more green on the map!

thank you so much from Wendy and everyone at Green Map System

"

Federal Renewable Portfolio Standard Needs Support

Just got this important information from the Appalachian Mountain Club regarding the federal renewable portfolio standard that needs support in the House of Representatives:

Renewable energy standards are among the most important components of climate change legislation, ensuring that an increasing percentage of our energy demand comes from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering an amendment to the proposed energy bill that would require that 20% of U.S. electricity demand come from renewable energy sources. The Udall-Platts Amendment, HR 969, will come up for a vote next Tuesday, July 31. A similar amendment was already struck down in the Senate, meaning that the passage of the Udall-Platt Amendment is the only way to keep the issue of renewable electricity standards alive in this energy bill.

The effort to pass the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) amendment got a boost this week when 19 Democrats, lead by Rep. John Hall of New York and Paul Hodes of New Hampshire, sent a letter (PDF) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to include a renewables standard in this summer’s bill. To see the signers, go here (PDF).

You can help by calling or emailing your U.S. Representative and asking him or her to support HR 969. If your member is one of the folks who sent the support letter to Speaker Pelosi, please call and thank them for their leadership in the fight against climate change. To find out the phone number of your Representative, go to www.lcv.org and enter your zip code. You can also send an e-mail to your Representative by going to the Union of Concerned Scientists’ RES Campaign Individual Action page and clicking the link to e-mail your member of Congress. Some points you might want to make on the phone or in your e-mail include:

* HR 969 creates a growing market for clean, renewable energy that increases gradually to 20% by 2020.
* It is a solution to global warming that creates good-paying jobs and increases farm income.
* It’s a way to save consumers money on their utility bills by increasing the competition from renewable energy sources and reducing the demand for natural gas.
* A national renewable standard is needed because, while 21 states and the District of Columbia have renewable standards, a national standard is needed to harness the price stability, energy security, economic development, and environmental benefits of renewable energy for the entire country.
* Renewable standards give utilities options. Through a nationwide trading system of renewable energy credits (RECs), energy producers can purchase renewable energy credits from the lowest-cost producer anywhere in the country.

* To see further points, go to the Union of Concerned Scientists’ RES campaign talking points document.

It is crucial that the United States respond to the reality of climate change as soon as possible. The sooner we start making changes to the way we consume energy, the lesser the impact of climate change will be on our lives and our planet. Please call your Representative today and tell him or her how important it is for you, your family, and the Appalachian region that we start making substantive energy changes!

Spitzer Announces Major Energy Reduction Plan: 15% by 2015

New York's Governor Spitzer announced today a major plan to cut New York's energy consumption 15% from levels predicted by 2015 -- an energy reduction level that is reportedly more aggressive than any other state's plan to reduce global warming. Specifically, the plan will meet increased demand by implementing aggressive peak energy load reductions rather than by building new plants. Elements of the plan include:

1) More efficient buildings and appliances with new legislation setting standards for inefficient appliances.

2) State agency approval of 21 contracts for renewable energy power plants delivering 800 MW of electricity that will replace heavily polluting plants (expected to be completed by 2008).

3) Breaking the gridlock on passage of Article X, New York's power plant siting law, that will speed construction of clean plants.

4) Supporting long term contracts between developers of power plants and utilities, that hopefully will provide enough expected revenues for investors to support new plant construction.

5) New York Public Service Commission agrees to the concept of decoupling that will allow utilities to make money even when utilities impose energy conservation mechanisms.

Read more here.

New York to De-Couple Electricity Use from Utility Profits

Currently, energy utilities do not have incentive to reduce energy use because the more energy they sell, the more profits they make. One way to change the incentive is to "de-couple" a utility's profits from sales -- so they make more money by selling less.

Decoupling is currently rare, but according to a representative of the Spitzer administration, the New York Public Service Commission will make an historic announcement on decoupling next Wednesday.

For more information on decouping, see this NRDC article here.

US Solar Tax Credit Needs Help

The Securing America’s Energy Independence Act (SAEI)(H.R. 550, S. 590) currently has 54 cosponsors in the House and 13 in the Senate. To see the current list of cosponsors, go here. But for the bill to become law, it needs help! To help, copy and paste the text below into an email to your colleagues, family and friends.

Re: Ask Congress to Support Solar Energy!

Dear colleagues and friends,

With clean energy becoming a central issue for the Congress and our country, we have the biggest opportunity yet to jumpstart solar – but we need your help to make it happen. The newly introduced "Securing America's Energy Independence Act" is the largest, most important solar energy legislation ever introduced in this country.

The bi-partisan legislation (introduced in the House as HR. 550 and the Senate as S. 590) would make America's energy future a lot brighter by making solar energy more affordable across the country. In many states, solar would be cheaper than buying electricity from the grid.

Specifically, the bill extends the 30% federal solar investment tax credit (currently set to expire at the end of 2008) for another 8 years, modifies the photovoltaics incentive to $1500 per half-kW of capacity and removes the $2000 residential cap.

Solar energy has the potential to provide much of the electricity our country needs. Temporary financial incentives are necessary to build economies of scale—and extending the tax credits over a longer period gives the solar industry the market certainty necessary to make long-term investments.

Use the link below to email your elected representatives, tell them how important building a clean, renewable energy future is to you, and ask them to co-sponsor the "Securing America's Energy Independence Act.”

Please forward this email on to family, friends and colleagues who support solar energy development in the United States.

http://seia.org/cosponsors.php

Thank you.

E.O. Wilson online at TED

E.O. Wilson, coiner of the term biodiversity and one of the great lovers of all beings on the Earth (as well as any that exist elsewhere) can be seen on the Internet giving a talk in March at TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) here.

While you're there, check out many other wonderful talks on the TED website.

And if you're looking for something inspiring to read by Wilson, try the inspiring Future of Life.

Supreme Court Rules EPA Can Regulate Greenhouse Gases

Big news from Washington today: the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Court ruled that the states had the right to sue the EPA to challenge its decision, and that the Clear Air Act gave the EPA authority to regulate tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases.

Additionally, the Court ruled that the EPA had to re-examine the EPA's position that it had discretion not to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The Court said the agency has so far provided a "laundry list" of reasons that include foreign policy considerations, but it must tie its rationale more closely to the Clean Air Act.

As the Court said, the "EPA has offered no reasoned explanation for its refusal to decide whether greenhouse gases cause or contribute to climate change."

See full story here.

San Francisco Bans Plastic Bags

San Francisco just passed a law -- the first in the United States -- that bans petroleum-based plastic bags by large grocery and drug chains. According to the city, plastic bags litter the streets and are responsible for choking marine life. As an alternative, stores may offer paper bags or compostable plastic.

According to Craig Noble, a San Francisco-based spokesperson for NRDC, "America consumes 30 billion plastic bags and 10 billion papers ones each year," he says, which use up 14 million trees and 12 million barrels of oil. The biodegradable bags, he says, "give consumers a way out of making this false 'paper or plastic' choice."

The California Grocers Association opposed the ban, partly because of cost, and supported recycling. They argued that plastic bags cost pennies, while paper bags cost 4 to 5 cents, and compostable plastic bags run from 6 to 10 cents; and these costs will have to be passed on to consumers.

For more info, go here.

Bringing Sustainable Energy Infrastructure to the Hudson Valley

Just received notice of this exciting panel in April 12 from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m in Harriman, New York.

A forum related to energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities in the Hudson Valley. Topics include:

* Current status of energy efficiency and renewable energy infrastructure in the region
* Models of successful energy efficiency and renewable energy programs
* New Energy for Cities
* Funding Mechanisms/Strategies: Beyond SBC/RPS and RGGI: Tax Shifting, Carbon Tax vs. Cap
* Regional Planning to bring Sustainable Energy Infrastructure into Hudson Valley
* Next steps: Interactive roundtable discussion with panel of speakers

The roundtable is sponsored by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Hudson Valley Labor Federation, Hudson Valley Regional Council, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 363, NY Planning Federation, NYS Apollo Alliance, Sustainable Hudson Valley, and many others.

For further information or to RSVP, please contact Katy Dunlap at (845) 454-7673 ext. 116 or katy at clearwater.org, or visit Clearwater website.

U.S. Taxpayers Owe Billions for Delays in Nuclear Dump

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US taxpayers will owe $7 billion in damages for delays in opening the nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain (seen above) if the repository opens in 2017 -- the earliest date now possible -- and any further delays will raise the price $500 million per year.

Although it's not entirely clear from the story, apparently we (thanks to the federal government) have assumed financial obligations for permanent storage of nuclear waste, which turns into a tremendous taxpayer subsidy to the nuclear industry.

Why, when and how were these obligations assumed and how long do they last? The article says "the money would reimburse current and former nuclear plant operators who signed contracts under which the federal government agreed to begin accepting their wastes in 1998."

Why can't the feds terminate those obligations for waste created in the future, and place the financial burden where it belongs, on the industry creating the waste?

Photo Credit: www.whitehouse.gov