Climate News Roundup: August 15 - August 21, 2008

Friday, August 15, 2008

GREEN JOBS: Oregon creates hot jobs in green energy. The green energy sector in Oregon is an economic and environmental success story in an area hard-pressed for family-wage jobs, an example of "green collar" employment blossoming in reaction to high energy costs and concerns about global warming. Portland Oregonian, Oregon. 15 August 2008.

SOLAR ENERGY: Two large solar plants planned in California. The plants will cover 12.5 square miles of central California with solar panels, and in the middle of a sunny day will generate about 800 megawatts of power, roughly equal to the size of a large coal-burning power plant or a small nuclear plant. New York Times. 15 August 2008. [Registration Required]

ALGAE: Algae could help cut coal plants' carbon emissions. With international attention focused on carbon dioxide and its role in global climate change, power companies might find a hero in humble algae. Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky. 15 August 2008.

SOLUTIONS: Portland gym will run on pedal power. People will do more than burn energy at a gym set to open Sept. 1 on Northeast Alberta Street. They'll also create it. At the Green Microgym, human energy will be harnessed from fitness bikes and converted to electricity. Portland Oregonian, Oregon. 15 August 2008.

CARBON CREDITS: Farmers earn carbon credits. It's been a year since Montana farmers cut the record wheat harvest of 2007, but carbon traders say for many there's still money to be made from a bumper crop trapped beneath the sod. Billings Gazette, Montana. 15 August 2008.

GOVERNOR'S BORDER CONFERENCE: Schwarzenegger says U.S.-Mexico border unites. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday urged fellow governors on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to cooperate on issues from water management to building a green economy. Associated Press. 15 August 2008. 

ELECTRIC CAR: San Jose in talks with Tesla for electric-car plant. City officials and Tesla executives confirmed Thursday that San Jose is on the short list of Bay Area locations for the factory that will build the silent-running, zero-emission electric cars. San Jose Mercury News, California. 15 August 2008.

ELECTRIC CAR: GM Gives First Look At Production-Ready Chevy Volt 8/15/2008 - General Motors Corp. on Thursday showed off the first images of the production version of its battery-powered Chevrolet Volt. The auto maker, racing to ready the electric Chevy for production by 2010, made significant changes to the exterior of the vehicle the company first unveiled at the 2007 Detroit auto show. Bob Boniface, GM director of advanced design, displayed sketches of the final Volt at an automotive conference in Traverse City, Mich. For more read Clean Technology Investor 8/15/08

Monday, August 18, 2008

GREEN CITIES: L.A. could learn a thing or two from Portland. The city is a veritable transit utopia where light rail goes to the airport, parking restrictions increase public transit use and free streetcar service benefits downtown businesses. Los Angeles Times, California. 18 August 2008. [Registration Required]

ALT CAR: Zero emissions drive to green fund. A Melbourne engineer who has built a zero-emissions hydrogen engine has welcomed the proposed doubling of the green car fund, which would make $1 billion available for low-carbon vehicle research by 2011. Sydney Australian, Australia. 18 August 2008.

CARBON STORAGE: Carbon storage test called key to coal's future. With a formal site groundbreaking today, researchers are preparing to test a technology that would allow carbon dioxide to be stored underground instead of released into the air. Bristol Herald Courier, Tennessee. 18 August 2008.

CARBON TRADING: Carbon trading NZ link studied. Climate change experts meeting in Auckland this week will discuss linking the Australian and New Zealand emissions trading markets to expand the range of low-cost carbon abatement options available. Sydney Australian, Australia. 18 August 2008.

CARBON CREDITS: CEZ To Buy Emissions Credits From Chinese Power Company 8/18/2008 - Czech power company CEZ AS has signed a contract to buy carbon credits from biomass power generator Hunan Liang of China, CEZ's spokeswoman Eva Novakova said at the weekend.  CEZ Chairman Martin Roman signed the contract over the weekend in China and didn't release further details except to say the Chinese bio-mass power plant would likely have an excess of 300,000 carbon credits by 2012.  As CEZ will buy the surplus credits from a non-European seller, they are likely be sold at a favorable rate, local analysts said. For more read Clean Technology Investor 8/18/08

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

FEDERAL AGENCIES: Anti-regulation aide to Cheney is up for energy post. A senior Cheney aide is the leading contender to become a top official at the Energy Dept. This would put one of the administration's most ardent opponents of environmental regulation in charge of forming department policies on climate change. Washington Post. 19 August 2008. [Registration Required]

IMPACTS: Environmental conflicts to increase. Environmental experts say that armed conflicts would rise in the future to unprecedented levels due to competition for meager natural resources which are already under pressure due to climate change. Africa Science News Service, Africa. 19 August 2008.

CARBON LABELING: Japan to label goods' carbon footprints. Japan is planning to label consumer goods to show their carbon footprints in a bid to raise public awareness about global warming, an official said Tuesday. Agence France-Presse. 19 August 2008.

CHINA - GREEN INVESTMENT: China replaces UK for green investors. China has displaced the UK in rankings of the most attractive destinations for renewable energy investment, according to Ernst & Young, the professional services firm. The UK dropped from fourth to sixth place in E&Y's index, swapping places with China. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 19 August 2008.

ELECTRIC CAR: GM set to bring Volt electric car to Europe. General Motors is planning to rebadge its Chevrolet Volt electric car as an Opel and bring it to Europe as part of the US carmaker's plans to expand the model range of its highly anticipated new vehicle. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 19 August 2008.

STATE POLICY (WI): Wisconsin Panel Approves Climate Change Plan 8/19/2008 - A task force appointed by Wisconsin's governor is recommending increased investment in renewable resources and a series of targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to 75% of 2005 levels by 2050. The investment and proposed emission cuts are among several recommendations made by the Task Force on Global Warming, a panel that includes representatives from industry, agriculture, environmental and tribal groups, appointed on April 5, 2007 by Gov. Jim Doyle.  Doyle established the panel to seek policy initiatives on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The task force's report will be reviewed by the governor, who has the authority to implement some of the recommendations without legislative approval.

JAPAN - CARBON CAPTURE: Japan To Launch Carbon Capture And Storage Initiative  8/19/2008 - The government plans to team up with power utilities, oil companies and other businesses to carry out large-scale testing of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, The Nikkei learned. The Nikkei reported in its Tuesday morning edition that under the plan Japan CCS Co., a joint venture among 29 companies, is to work toward commercializing a CCS technology in around fiscal 2011 by using a coal power plant in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, as a pilot project. The power plant is operated by Clean Coal Power R&D Co., a joint venture established by the 10 major power utilities. The 250,000kw facility discharges roughly 1 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Wednesday August 20, 2008

GREEN INVESTMENT - GEOTHERMAL: Google puts US$10 mln into new geothermal technology. Google Inc Tuesday said it would invest more than US$10 million in an emerging geothermal energy technology as part of its effort to lower the cost of electricity from renewable sources. Reuters. 20 August 2008.

Thursday, August, 14, 2008

GEOTHERMAL: Australian "hot rocks" offer 26,000 yrs of power. Barely one percent of Australia's untapped geothermal energy could produce 26,000 years worth of clean electricity, scientists said, as the government announced a a A$50 million (US$43 million) project to help develop the technology. Reuters. 21 August 2008.

FORESTS: Paying to save the forests. Climate change has added new impetus to forest conservation efforts as we increasingly appreciate how efficiently forests sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Discover. 21 August 2008.

SHAREHOLDER RESOLUTION: Climate resolutions 'having big impact.' Climate change-related shareholder resolutions have achieved breakthrough resultsin the U.S., reflecting growing investor concerns over global warming, according to a coalition of investors. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 21 August 2008.

GEOTHERMAL: Drilling for hot rocks. For $1 billion over the next 40 years, the U.S. could develop 100 gigawatts of electricity generation that emits no air pollution and pumps out power to the grid even more reliably than coal-fired power plants, according to scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Scientific American. 21 August 2008.

GREEN CITIES: Bloomberg calls for alternative energy. Outlining his vision for a dramatic reconfiguration of urban energy sources, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg says he is exploring potential for installing turbines and other alternative energy generators throughout New York City, in the water and on bridges and skyscrapers. Washington Post. 21 August 2008. [Registration Required]

IMPACTS - ECONOMY: Scientists urge US to protect economy from climate. Eight scientific organizations urged the next U.S. president to help protect the country from climate change by pushing for increased funding for research and forecasting, saying about $2 trillion of U.S. economic output could be hurt by storms, floods and droughts. Reuters. 21 August 2008.

POST-KYOTO: Climate negotiators reconvene this week in Ghana. Negotiators meet in Ghana this week to resume work on a new climate change treaty and discuss ways to prod developing countries to join the fight against global warming. Associated Press. 21 August 2008.

POST-KYOTO: Africa meeting key step in climate talks: UN climate chief. Rich nations will come under pressure at climate talks in Africa this week to get specific about how quickly and by how much they intend to cut their carbon footprints, said the UN climate chief. Agence France-Presse. 21 August 2008.

HYDROGEN: Tucson man uses hydrogen to increase fuel efficiency. We're all concerned about how much it costs to fill our gas tanks these days, but one local man has taken matters into his own hands to get more out of each tank - he uses hydrogen. Tucson KMSB TV, Arizona. 21 August 2008.

CHINA - E-WASTE: China to regulate recycling of electronic waste. China on Wednesday approved a draft law on the management of electronic waste, aiming to reduce the pollution it causes. Xinhua News Agency, China. 21 August 2008.

FEDERAL POLICY - EMISSIONS: US court says states can lift emission monitor bar. A US federal court on Tuesday overturned an EPA rule that prevented state and local authorities from raising emissions monitoring requirements for polluting units such as chemical plants and oil refineries. Reuters. 21 August 2008.

GREEN CITIES: NYC mayor spins back his turbine idea for city. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is backing off his suggestion to put windmills on city bridges and rooftops after newspapers mocked the idea with photo illustrations of turbines on the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Associated Press. 21 August 2008.

COAL-TO-LIQUID: Crow coal-to-liquid plant may use too much water. "One of the most technologically advanced, sophisticated energy projects on the planet" is what Gov. Brian Schweitzer called a proposal to build a coal-to-liquid plant somewhere on the 2.2 million acre Crow Reservation in southeast Montana. Billings Outpost, Montana. Opinion, 21 August 2008.

STATE POLICY (ND): Going backwards: Building an oil refinery in South Dakota. In South Dakota, politicians and business leaders are cheering a massive oil refinery planned for the state's southeast corner. If built, it will be the first oil refinery constructed in the United States in more than 30 years. High Country News. Opinion, 21 August 2008.

GREEN CITIES: Lighting Science To Install LED Street Lights In NYC Pilot 8/21/2008 - The Big Apple and a city-based architectural firm have shined some light on Lighting Science Group Corp., which is the only company selected to provide LED lights for a street-light pilot project in New York City .  New York-based architectural lighting design firm Office for Visual Interaction Inc. and Lighting Science have signed a contract with the city for six lights, and if successful, they could potentially replace the city's 300,000 street lights or supply new lights. OVI designed the light poles and New York-based Lighting Science is making a new light emitting diode product for this use. For more read Clean Technology Investor 8/21/08