Florida Making Headlines in Sustainability Budgets

Guest post by David Hancock

Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist has signed three executive orders directing cuts in Florida’s greenhouse gas emissions and put $2.1 billion into efforts to promote clean energy and protect the state’s resources.


According to the state’s 2010 budget, Florida’s primary focus appears to be on the utilization of solar power, to the tune of $44.4 million dollars, which includes solar panel installation for education facilities and tax rebates for solar energy. Other aspects of the budget’s energy initiatives were clean energy from such sources as natural gas fueling stations, providing clean energy grants, and wastewater treatment to which Florida allotted upwards of $50 million.

Wastewater treatment was of particular concern due to the survival of an ecosystem that covers nearly a quarter of the state, Florida’s Everglades region. The state is proposing spending $20 million in matching funds on projects related to wastewater management and water quality programs.

“As we continue restoring America’s Everglades and investing in renewable energy, Floridians will gain a cleaner and safer environment that will endure for generations to come,” Crist said, in a statement.

Arkansas' First Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report Released

The Center for Climate Strategies has released the first report on greenhouse gas emissions in the State of Arkansas. The study was commissioned by the Arkansas Governor's Commission on Global Warming and is based upon 2005 data. Among the findings of the report:

• 58% of emissions come from two sources: (1) electricity consumption from coal-fired power plants and (2) everyday transportation using cars and trucks.


• Arkansas forests act as a carbon sink, absorbing more greenhouse gases than they emit.


• the state accounts for 1.2% of national emissions.


• emissions increased 30% from 1990-2005 compared with a 16% increase nationwide during the same time period.


• residents emit about 31 metric tons compared to 24 metric tons per-capita nationwide; or 29% more.

The Arkansas Governor's Commission on Global Warming has developed the following recommendations:

• a statewide reduction of 20 percent below 2000 levels by the year 2020, 35 percent by 2025, and 50 percent by 2035.


• an investment of about $3.7 billion over 17 years to put these measures in place.


• establish an Arkansas Climate Change Center.


• adopt nuclear power as a cleaner alternative to coal-fired power plants.


• ban new coal-fired power plants until "sequestration" technology is available.


• require electric companies to supply a percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources.


• reduce current demand for electricity use through adoption of energy-efficiency practices.


• a sales tax exemption for purchase of energy-efficient products.


• expand biomass conversions.


• forestry management to preserve as many trees as possible.


• tax incentives and financing for renewable energy systems and net metering.


• energy audits, weatherization, and other energy-efficiency programs for low-income residents.


• rebates for purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles.

First U.S. Carbon Auction Raises $39 Million

Reuters reports that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative held it's first carbon auction Monday, raising nearly $39 million. The auction sold permits at $3.07 per ton for powerplants for greenhouse gas emissions. Over 12.5 million permits were sold to those in the energy, financial and environment sectors. The money will be shared by Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The remaining state signatories did not finalize rules in time to participate. Another auction will be held in December and quarterly therafter.

In the absence of federal regulation, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a state-led initiative to regulate carbon emissions. The RGGI consists of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Similarly, the Western Climate Initiative is a state- and province-led initiative involving Arizona, British Columbia, California, Manitoba, Montana, New Mexico, Ontario, Oregon, Quebec, Utah, and Washington.

The Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Accord is a regional agreement between Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, and the Canadian Province of Manitoba to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop a cap-and-trade system.

For more information on regional initiatives, the EPA is offering a webinar on October 23, Green Power Markets and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiatives (RGGI).

Photo by Michael Smith/Newsmakers.

The Tangled Web of Biofuels, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Food Prices

Despite goverment insistence that biofuels are not to blame for increased food prices and Sen. Grassley's claim that "the recent criticism of ethanol by foreign officials (is) “a big joke,” the evidence continues to mount against first-generation biofuels.

Research has already shown that Brazilian soy biodiesel, European rye ethanol, European rapeseed biodiesel, and US corn ethanol all have a worse life cycle impact on the environment than petrol. Now two reports have been released that connect biofuels to increased food prices.

Oxfam has released a report, Another Inconvenient Truth, stating that biofuels are responsible for 30 percent of the increase in world food prices. The report goes on to state that biofuels' contribution to increased world food prices have pushed 30 million people into poverty. According to the report,

Biofuels are presented in rich countries as a solution to two crises: the climate crisis and the oil crisis. But they may not be a solution to either, and instead are contributing to a third: the current food crisis....(T)he most serious costs of these policies – deepening poverty and hunger, environmental degradation, and accelerating climate change – are being ‘dumped’ on developing countries.

In a related report from the World Bank, Biofuels: The Promise and the Risks, they state that liquid biofuels from agriculture have pushed up feedstock prices, increased competition for land and water, and resulted in a 60% increase in the price of maize from 2005 to 2007. The report goes on to suggest that first-generation biofuels have not lived up to their promise of reduced greenhouse gas emissions and reduced reliance on oil, but second-generation biofuels (from waste) hold more potential.

Both reports urge governments to proceed with caution on biofuel mandates and strategies. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has introduced legislation that would freeze U.S. biofuel mandates at current levels. In the meantime, the British government has decided to slow the expansion of biofuels.

UNH To Get 85% Of Energy From Landfill Methane

From Environmental Leader, June 2, 2008

Tom Kelly, Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of New Hampshire, says that a landfill methane project will provide 85 percent of the UNH’s energy needs and cut its greenhouse gas emissions 57 percent below 1990 levels.

McCain Pledges to Combat Climate Change

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Republican John McCain pledged to take the lead in combating global climate change if elected president in a speech that set him apart from the policies of President George W. Bush.

In remarks he prepared to give at a wind technology firm in Portland, Oregon, on Monday, the Arizona senator said he would seek international accords to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and would offer an incentive system to make businesses in the United States cleaner.

He planned to present a so-called cap and trade system to Congress that sets clear limits on all greenhouse gas emissions for U.S. businesses, while also allowing the sale of rights to excess emissions, so as to "change the dynamic" of the U.S. energy economy.

Read the full story here.

Wal-Mart Seeks Cleantech Vendors & Green State Capitols

At today's Cleantech Forum XVI, Wal-Mart announced "The Cleantech Accelerator," a request for proposals from vendors who can offer cleantech solutions. Wal-Mart is seeking new vendors that can provide innovations at lower costs than what is currently available. They have specifically targeted the following areas:

• Sustainable management of organic waste


• Sustainable management of oil-based waste


• Sustainable management of household hazardous waste


• Alternative battery technologies for forklifts


• Wind harvesting


• Sustainable building materials


• Closed-loop water processing

Working with Cleantech, they have created a web site for companies to submit their proposals.

In other Wal-Mart news today, the company also announced a partnership with the National Governor's Association to launch "Greening State Capitols." The partnership will offer two-day energy audits of capitol complexes and will make recommendations for efficiency improvements in the areas of lighting, HVAC, refrigeration and other equipment, technologies, and building structure.

Save the World: Legalize Alcohol

Some residents of Sharp County, Arkansas have a novel idea to curb greenhouse emissions: legalize alcohol. The group Save Energy Reap Taxes (SERT) argues that residents of this dry county in northeast Arkansas can travel 70 miles round-trip to legally purchase alcohol, emitting 22 pounds of carbon dioxide for every gallon of gas burned; they argue that a vote to legalize local alcohol sales would help the environment. According to the SERT website, "Legalizing local alcohol sales and other government policies that encourage energy conservation will help save the world from possible catastrophic climate change."

California First in U.S. to Require Emissions Reporting

In a move many expected would soon come to the U.S., the first requirements have now been established for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. Last week, the state of California announced that mandatory reporting will be required from "oil refineries, electricity generating plants, cement kilns and other major polluters. Under the new mandate, businesses will begin tracking their carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane emissions next year with the first report due to the state in 2009."

Read the full story here.

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fall

The Energy Information Association has released their report, "Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006." Among the key findings published in the report:

• Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 were 1.5 percent below the 2005 total—the first annual drop since 2001 and only the third since 1990 (largely a result of reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions)
• Relatively robust economic growth in 2006, at 2.9 percent, coupled with a 1.5-percent drop in total greenhouse gas emissions, led to the decrease in greenhouse gas intensity
• Some of the factors that led to the decrease (such as weather) are variable; others (such as increased use of renewable energy for electricity generation) may indicate trends that are likely to continue.
• The steady decrease in carbon intensity (carbon/GDP) has resulted mainly from reductions in energy use per unit of GDP (energy/GDP) rather than increased use of low-carbon fuels
• The important factors that contributed to a drop in carbon dioxide emissions in 2006 included: total energy consumption in 2006 that was 0.5 percent below the 2005 total—due in part to favorable weather conditions (both heating and cooling degree-days were below 2005 levels) and in part to higher energy prices that helped to dampen energy demand. A decline in the carbon intensity of electric power generation that resulted from increased use of natural gas, the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel, and greater reliance on non-fossil energy sources also contributed to the decrease.

According to a statement issued by President Bush today:
"I was pleased to receive the Energy Information Administration's final report today, which includes U.S. greenhouse gas emissions for 2006. The final report shows that emissions declined 1.5 percent from the 2005 level, while our economy grew 2.9 percent. That means greenhouse gas intensity - how much we emit per unit of economic activity - decreased by 4.2 percent, the largest annual improvement since 1985. This puts us well ahead of the goal I set in 2002 to reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent by 2012."

One-Third of All Species 'At Risk'

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the U.N. plans to release a report this weekend which declares that "Almost one-third of the world's species will face extinction if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise."

The newspaper goes on to report, "A draft circulated ahead of the conference blames human activities for rising temperatures and says cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, are needed to avert heat waves, melting glaciers and rising seas. The Synthesis Report, the fourth from the climate panel this year, is intended to inform negotiations on a new climate change treaty next month in Bali."

"The scientists will say that it is possible to halt global warming if the world's greenhouse gas emissions start to decline before 2015. This is highly unlikely. Emissions are projected to increase by up to 90 per cent by 2030 on present estimates, the report says."

"The study, to be published on Saturday, will warn that if emissions continue to rise without action being taken until 2050, then global average temperatures would rise by up to five degrees."

"Such an average rise would cause "significant extinctions", a decrease in cereal harvests everywhere and the flooding of 30 per cent of coastal wetlands."

Read the full story here.