Environment

Going to try and blog the occasional easy piece while on vacation. Have a couple of big stories I will handle when I get back, but until then, probably just a handful of entries.

Since I will forget by the time I get back, I want to post the list of endorsements from the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. I should note that this is not a vetted list so I am not personally endorsing them (other than Jeff Merkley, who is excellent) but I consider the Oregon League of Conservation Voters pretty good so it is worth putting their endorsement list out there. Anyone who agrees or disagrees is free to post their comments here.

United States Senate

Jeff Merkley (I also have my own opinion of Merkley here)

United States House of Representatives

Kurt Schrader

Statewide

Attorney General - John Kroger

Secretary of State - Kate Brown

Treasurer – Ben Westlund

Oregon Senate

Senate District 14 – Mark Hass

Senate District 17 – Suzanne Bonamici

Senate District 18 – Ginny Burdick

Senate District 21 – Diane Rosenbaum

Senate District 23 – Jackie Dingfelder

I am sure many readers read with disgust the Supreme Court's decision to let Exxon/Mobil off the hook for the Valdez oil disaster, which devastated Alaska's coastline. This just reminds us YET AGAIN that America doesn't matter to the right wing Republicans. Only big oil companies, Halliburton and cronyism matters to these fools.

Here is a video of Alaska's Democratic Congressional Candidate, Diane Benson's, response to the recent Exxon/Valdez decision:

And here is a statement from Alaska's Democratic Senate Candidate, Mark Begich:

“The thousands of Alaskans whose lives were devastated by this disaster are hurt, once again, by this ruling," Begich said. "What we’re seeing today is another example of how Washington is out of touch with real people. The justices have sided with corporate America rather than with Alaska families who have suffered for nearly 20 years.”

Global warming is hitting us already. It is no coincidence that some of the biggest storms and an unexpected number of storms are hitting us now. Nor are food shortages coincidence...nor are they caused primarily by biofuels. Extreme weather, an expected part of global warming, is hitting us hard, damaging crops around the world. Crops are established based on a particular climate. That climate has changed and it will take time for agriculture to adapt and infrastructure to be put into place. Time and money.

Global warming isn't our future. It is our now.

I have covered how the more optimistic scientists think we have 10 years (now more like 8) to deal with global warming before we are hit with the full brunt of it. Essentially that means we have that period to mitigate the eventual effects. Keep in mind that there will be some delay before the worst happens. That relative optimism is fading. Now even some of the most optimistic scietists are realizing that the models were wrong. Global warming is hitting harder and faster than predicted. Things are WORSE than the models predicted. Jim Hansen, possibly the top global warming scientist and the head of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Sciences (where my wife works), has revised the estimate of how long we have to act to mitigate global warming down to one year. This is our last chance right now. Time has run out to act.

08/21/2008 - 08/23/2008: Great Lakes Green 2008: Residential Green Building Conference

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan- Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Cost: $65.00 and up

Great Lakes Green is a partnership between Green Built Michigan, Inc. and the Michigan Association of Home Builders (MAHB). Great Lakes Green is intended to be an educational show that will generate greater awareness (among the building industry and the general public) about residential green building programs and technologies. More info here.

06/24/2008 - 06/25/2008: Embracing a Green Future – a conference for manufacturers
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan- GVSU Eberhard Center
Cost: $445

Embracing a Green Future will teach manufacturers sustainable business practices to help them achieve triple bottom line results like these:
· A 50% reduction in energy costs - Rapid-Line, Inc.
· A 10% reduction in operating costs-H&L Advantage
· A 16-million-gallon reduction in water use, saving more than $30,000 each year-Metalworks
· A 35% reduction in metal scrap-Whirlpool, Corp.

More info here. Register for this event by Friday June 13, 2008. Please contact Natalia Powers at 616-771-0327 if you have additional questions.

Eco Build America
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Anaheim Convention Center
800 W. Katella Ave.
Anaheim , CA 92803

Whether you are an Architect, Engineer, Contractor, Facility Manager, Gov't employee, Contractor, Specifier, IT Professional, Building Owner, or just an interested consumer, come learn about the latest products and technologies for green building.

Ecobuild America
Sustainable, Green, and High-Performance Solutions for the Built Environment

Ecobuild America represents your best opportunity to capitalize on the most comprehensive offerings of built environment resources under one roof:

- Explore the latest in sustainability, spanning local to global perspectives
- Uncover best practices in environmental design
- Review new advances in green building products and techniques
- Meet officials representing Building & Construction budgets and projects
- Discover how to apply your expertise to government projects and expand your client base
- See and hear from world-renown and industry experts in Keynote Presentations and in 100+ educational sessions
- Network with product manufacturers and service providers
- Benefit from your whole building team assembling in one location

Eco Build America openly invites all industry organizations, experts and career professionals to provide you and your building team with comprehensive exposure to all aspects of:

Live Interactive webinar & roundtable

March 25, 2008 1 pm ET, Noon CST, 11am MST, 10am PT

Green City Webinar Featuring . . .
Austin's Climate Plan & Energy Solutions . . .
Plus . . . PV Windows - Hydro Energy from Water Pipes -
Solar Thermal Electricity

Join us in a live interactive webinar and roundtable hosted by Challenge International. Just turn on your computer to hear, view and interact during this presentation. Topics include:

Case Study: "Austin Climate Protection Plan & Dell Childrens Hospital's High Tech Energy Systems"

The City of Austin is progressive in leading the Nation in environmental stewardship. Join us to hear Cliff Braddock, Director of Energy Business Development describe the Austin's Climate Protection Plan. Then learn about an innovative on-site energy system that the City's electric utility, Austin Enegy, provided at one of its customer's sites, the new Dell Children's Hospital. Austin Energy and this new healthcare customer, have set a new standard in energy performance and environmental stewardship, with the hosptial on track to be the first LEED Platinum healtcare in the world, thanks in large measure to the Austin Energy on-site energy system.

Presented by Cliff Braddock, Director Energy Business Development, Austin Energy

Green Technology Breakthroughs . . .

§ Hydro Energy from Water Pipelines - Boulder, Colorado has incorporated eight hydroelectric generators with a combined rated capacity of 20.1 megawatts into the city’s municipal water system with minimal environmental impact since the water supply infrastructure was already in place. These small hydro plants convert the water pressure developed within water transmission pipelines as Boulder’s municipal water supplies are delivered down into the city from their source in the mountains high above Boulder. The turbine-generators were installed adjacent to pressure reducing valves that are necessary for proper water supply operations, but that waste this source of energy. The hydro plants generate about 45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year that is sold to Xcel Energy for about $2 million per year. Presenter: Carol Ellinghouse - Water Resources Coordinator, Boulder Colorado

THERE ARE MANY POSTS I almost make, many I mean to make, and a few that I actually say I will make, but don't get around to. One of the latter category was when a friend of mine (one I made when I first visited Oregon in 2002-ish, let's refer to this friend as "Mariana") actually rescued a sea lion. Here is text from one of Mariana's emails:

so i climb over rocks for about 20 feet through water trying not to get slammed into the wall by waves at the deep part. i get to the sandy part where the waves only occasionally got my feet wet and was at the cove FINALLY. there's the sea lion, looks emaciated and has an almost perfecly round wound on his flipper where you can see tendon and bone exposed (from a cookie cutter shark.) i only had a couple towels on me because the kennel carrier weighs 45lbs and we couldnt trek it all this way from the truck. i had to towel over his head with him trying to bite the towel (or me if i got close enough) until i got it over his head and pinned him down (he tried to get away, i had to grab his tail flippers while a life guard helped get the towel back on him.) so then i pick him up, he's heavier than he looks, about 50-70lbs and compact. i had to then carry him back through the rocks and the water, and manage to climb up the rocks i jumped down in the first place.

This "inside source" of mine works at Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC), an organization dedicated to rescuing and helping marine animals in need. I was speaking to Mariana and got a lot of inside details on this story, for example. That was another post I meant to write up, but didn't get to.

The picture up top is a shot Mariana sent me of the sea lion described in the passage above. And this is the crazy stuff PMMC does on the regular!

I have to say I have mad respect for those people and organizations who are in it for the Good of it. From volunteer fireman to nurses to sea lion rescuers to peace corps members to activists of many stripes to volunteer poll workers... and so on.

As is the case when people are more motivated by a principle than a profit, they often need help from the rest of us, be it monetarily or with a simple online signature or vote. I write here now because PMMC is up for a small grant that will help them do what they do. Requires nothing from us but an electronic vote. No rock-scrambling, no towel wrapping, no sea lion cajoling. If you have the time and the energy, I ask you to please vote for their receiving this grant.

The Sierra Club sent out an email today highlighting the efforts of another environmental organization, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). LCV just put out their annual Congressional Scorecard, and the Sierra Club wants everyone to notice that John McCain received a big fat zero. McCain scored as low as anyone could on environmental issues.

Here is the email from the Sierra Club:

Two weeks ago John McCain was the only Senator to duck a crucial vote on the future of clean energy in America -- dooming to failure the measure that would have helped make renewable energy more affordable and accessible. Now it turns out this missed vote is part of a pattern.

Last week, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the 2007 National Environmental Scorecard giving Senator McCain a score of ZERO. According to the scorecard, McCain was the only member of Congress to skip all 15 crucial environmental votes scored by LCV.

Can you help spread the word about McCain's 0% environmental voting record and write a letter to the editor? The opinion page is widely read in most communities -- and a well-placed letter can reach a broad audience. We've included sample text to get you started.

Colorado Renewable Energy Conference
"Renewable Energy: Fueling Prosperity"
Weekend, June 6 - 8, 2008
Pueblo Convention Center
320 Central Main St.
Pueblo, CO

With Tracks Focusing on
* Community,
* Technology, and
* Transportation

Keynote Speaker:
Congressman Mark Udall
(CO - 2)

CRES has reserved a block of rooms at the Pueblo Marriott
(110 West First St., connected to the Conference venue)
for a special rate of only $89/night ...
RESERVE YOURS NOW!

For more info, call: 303-806-5317 or email here: info_at_cres-energy.org