Carbon offsets are to the generation of electricity and personal transportation (airplanes and cars) what BioDiesel is to trucking. They are an imperfect solution yet must play a vital interim role in our quest to produce power and locomotion without pollution, such as through hydrogen which is produced cleanly and sustainably (more on that in a future thread).

To that end, since I do not own a truck, I purchase carbon offsets in order to bring my carbon footprint down to a neutral posture. Specifically, I use three programs to do so. In this installment of my blog, I disclose what the first program is and why I like it.

When Catrin and I began our carbon-neutral lifestyle, our first provider of offsets was Sterling Planet. It was a growing company which understood the concept of renewable energy credits well. Ultimately, we left Sterling Planet as it repositioned itself toward commercial customers who seek to offset large blocks of emissions such as at concerts and other such public events.

Quite by accident, I stumbled upon Krystal Planet. The company’s homepage may be found at http://www.krystal-planet.com

I really liked what I saw in Krystal Planet for three reasons:

1) It focuses exclusively on the construction of new green energy generating facilities.

2) It embraces a decentralized approach, meaning that it installs its technology in ways which foster growth of new, small facilities. One of the reasons we have allowed global warming to degenerate to such an extensive degree (no pun intended) in the United States is the fact that the electrical utility lobby is too strong and growing stronger. Small generating facilities often do no appear on the radar screen of large electrical utilities and thus are insulated from the effects of big lobbying dollars.

3) The commercial aspect of Krystal Planet's program is limited to a moderate pace of expansion. In other words, it acts as a charity for renewable energy, with minimal overhead and advertising conducted mostly by word of mouth. As a result, purchases of green energy certificates from Krystal Planet are tax-deductible.

The focus of my next thread will be NWF Wind Current, an alliance between one of America’s best environmental organizations and a leader in wind energy.

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler

When critics of renewable energy attempt to squelch the thirst for change which many of us have, they often point to the fact that the sun only shines during the daytime and the wind doesn’t always blow. Fortunately, technology has not stood still while fossilized critics continue to hurl objections from 40 years ago.

The unblemished success of the new water heater which Catrin and I use proves that the sun gives average consumers all the hot water they need without pollution and as for wind, the technology has evolved even further.

What is the Earth’s atmosphere?

It is, quite literally, an ocean of air which blankets the entire planet. In combination with the rotating core at the center of the world, the atmosphere allows us to derive heat and light from the sun without cooking ourselves.

What makes the wind blow?

Well, on the surface, the cause is the temperature differential between towns, regions and continents. Just a few hundred feet up though, the wind blows relentlessly because the atmosphere is in constant movement or, more accurately, the planet moves constantly and the atmosphere is dragged along with it, seldom at the same speed.

If the Earth stops rotating, wind will be the least of our worries.

Simply put, windmills have evolved to the point that they can generate electricity around the clock without even the slightest zephyr on the surface because they are elevated hundreds of feet off the ground.

Since the greatest demand for electricity occurs during the day when the largest numbers of businesses are open (called peak demand), we can satisfy those periods of demand by generating power with sunshine and then use wind for nights and weekends.

This is my main reason for supporting NWF Wind Current with my wallet. The URL is http://nwfwindcurrent.com

This wonderful alliance has a low financial entry point for those who would like to experiment with green power but not make a large early commitment and focuses the need for urgency right where it belongs, on polar bears.

Since about half of the population of the United States lives in coastal areas, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the climate crisis is killing polar bears today, right now, as you read this. The benefits of renewable energy credits are many but polar bears will see them the fastest.

By aligning itself with Wind Current, the National Wildlife Federation can provide the laser focus needed to remind all of us just how high the stakes are.

NWF Wind Current is a premier environmental organization doing what it does best, raising awareness and offering solutions with a broad array of benefits for everyone, people, plants and animals alike.

Being a customer of Krystal Planet theoretically cleans enough carbon from the atmosphere for Catrin and me to live carbon-neutral but the work of NWF Wind Current is so vital that we are more than happy to send money to them each month, too.

In my third and final post on offsets, I will tell you about Terra Pass.

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler

Here on Keyboard Culture, I have referred to the fact that some of America’s most important trading partners have made the adoption of renewable energy a part of their culture. It is engrained and will grow in all likelihood.

The good people at Terra Pass strive to do something similar: enable our countrymen to use transportation much the way they do today yet reduce their carbon footprint.

Krystal Planet and NWF Wind Current, as I have described in previous posts, provide more than enough carbon absorption for Catrin and me so that we probably don’t need to purchase more.

Why not do more, though? If we truly care about the climate crisis as much as we affirm, we should take extra steps.

Terra Pass gives us a wonderful way of doing so.

You can see all the details at http://www.TerraPass.com

Whereas NWF Wind Current takes an approach which resonates with environmentalists and people fond of the outdoors, Terra Pass is tuned more closely with popular culture. As a lover of contemporary music and modern cinema when I am not trying to save my home from the ravages of global warming, I can appreciate their approach.

Catrin and I use Terra Pass for special occasions, such as our upcoming trip to Australia in February to attend the International Solar Cities Congress. If you’d like to learn more, visit http://www.solarcitiescongress.com.au

My attendance at the 2006 Solar Cities event played a major role in my decision to run for Congress, so Catrin and I feel an understandable intrigue with how the 2008 gathering will affect me.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that we will fly far enough to circle the globe when all is said and done. That’s a lot of pollution (several tons of CO2 plus other nasty pollutants). We do not take trips like this often. In fact, it will be our first time south of the Equator.

Consequently, it doesn’t make sense for us to increase our monthly purchases of carbon offsets to compensate for one very long trip.

Terra Pass is the answer. It is available to us when we need it and with multiple levels of commitment tailored to the impact of each trip.

The other reason I like Terra Pass is its early but important penetration into conventional business and consumer channels. Expedia is my preferred online travel agency and Terra Pass shares an alliance with Expedia.

That is a wonderful initiative and I am convinced that it is one of the reasons that Delta Airlines decided to offer green tags to people who book flights through their own website.

In total, then, Chez Kroehler is carbon-neutral through a blended approach to offets.

We use Krystal Planet for general advocacy of renewable energy.

We use NWF Wind Current to help assure that the world’s endangered species are not forgotten as their homes melt or otherwise vanish and we use Terra Pass because, in the end, we are consumers with places to go just like everyone else.

If more consumers do as we do, we will become part of the solution rather than the problem. That is an element of pop culture which all of us can find agreeable.

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler

In a previous thread, I mentioned how Austria, China and Germany, among other nations, have made the matter of adopting renewable energy one of culture and national pride. I just discovered that Starbucks operates a website based on a similar concept:

http://www.planetgreengame.com

While that company has a very long way to go before we can call it green, the aforementioned website can accomplish a great deal. I urge everyone to use it and learn about how our energy and transportation choices are linked directly to our carbon footprint.

As for Starbucks restaurants themselves, I recommend that they mirror in their purchasing of coffee beans the strong history of corporate stewardship they have toward charitable donations. If they adopt a policy of buying only 100% shade-grown, fair-trade coffee, I just might feel comfortable shopping at my local branch.

Until then, however, http://www.planetgreengame.com should be added to everyone's browser bookmarks/favorites. It is just that good.

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler

As part of their operating principle, "Don't be evil.", the technology company Google, through its charitable arm, has begun to offer its employees who drive plug-in hybrid vehicles the option of recharging while at work. This is an exemplary move on Google's part. My hat is off to them!

Alas, despite being the recognized leader in hybrid technology, Toyota has yet to see fit to release a plug-in version of its hybrid models. They need to understand that consumer groups and environmentalists want this to change. You can help.

There is a simple online petition which I encourage all of my friends to complete. It will send a clear message to Toyota that they must address this issue.

Plug-in hybrids reduce driving expenses by significant amounts and when other employers follow Google's lead, the demand for Toyota's products will expand.

The petition URL is http://ga3.org/campaign/toyota_plugin

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler
 

Here are two steps you can take to reduce your carbon emissions without undue hassle:

1) Institute a personal ban on incandescent light bulbs, purchasing only compact fluorescent or LED technology.

All of the major home improvement warehouse chains offer at least one good model of these bulbs, as do many hardware stores. If you do not have access to such establishments, try http://www.thebulb.com

2) Read http://www.lime.com for a comprehensive approach to clean, sustainable living.

If you prefer a more focused or offline approach, subscribe to The GreenGuide from National Geographic - the go-to source for green living. The address is http://www.thegreenguide.com

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler
 

The summer of 2007 has not been good in terms of further warning signs that our consumption of fossil fuels is heating the planet to dizzying zeniths. We have seen prolonged triple-digit heat waves covering half the continental United States at the same time and torrential East Coast flooding and rain systems.

How has this affected life in the Arctic Ocean?

William L. Chapman, who monitors the region at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign had the following to say earlier this month, “The melting rate during June and July this year was simply incredible...”

The melting of polar ice caps continues unabated. We must act today.

In this blog, I have advocated for carbon neutrality. There are various methods for achieving it as you will find by reviewing my earlier posts.

The key is to begin immediately and not relent until the carbon you produce through consuming, moving and simply living is at as low a rate as it would have been had you walked the Earth 200 years ago.

In my next two threads, I will lead you through two aspects of the quest for clean air and healthy polar ice caps which bear your attention.

Sustainable Justice For All!

Corbett Kroehler
 

As we close out one of the hottest and deadliest summer seasons ever in the northern hemisphere, we find new questions arising about the role which green tags, also called carbon offsets or carbon credits, can play in reversing the global climate crisis.

At the same time, we find that local cineplexes are showing not one but two films about life in our planet’s polar regions and the impact which global warming has on wildlife, “A Polar Tale” and “11th Hour”.

Since I have advocated that offsets can play a crucial role in a blended approach to conservation, this seems an ideal juncture to offer my carbon credit definition. Specifically, do I define such credits are good, good over the short term or bad?

The final days of the month of August will not be the same for my generation or the next on account of the unspeakable devastation which befell America’s Gulf Coast in 2005. However, even as the region takes small, painful steps toward recovery, we must remember some of the lessons which that disaster taught us.

Positive results? Yes, it’s true. Naturally, we don’t want any loss of life or property from wind storms but in terms of the planet’s atmosphere, hurricanes and other such tropical systems play an important role. Because the earth is round, sunshine heats the surface at different intensities each day and as the seasons change. Cyclones act as, in a way, blowing off steam to keep the atmosphere’s vital filtration system healthy. In short, hurricanes can have positive results.

In Friday’s post, I told you about the American Standard Green Envirohome. In the process of inviting the owners to speak at Green Earth Expo 2008, I had an amazing, 40-minute conversation with Nonnie Chrystal, pictured in Friday’s column. Wow! It’s not every day that I encounter someone with my passion and zeal for environmental issues, especially the holistic approach of not just consuming less but healing the earth whenever possible.

It turns out that the story in USA Today which led me to Nonnie in the first place only tells half the story. As I described in my last column, Nonnie’s and Mark’s family was impacted severely by the rapid-fire hurricanes of 2004. However, I came to learn that the devastation of the next year’s hurricane season hit them hard as well. In fact, Nonnie is an alumna of Tulane University in New Orleans and has strong ties to the Crescent City. That is why the arduous journey of designing and building the American Standard Green Envirohome, in collaboration with multiple companies and governmental bodies, is like a Hurricane Katrina Poem in Concrete and Steel.

Even at the peak of the hurricane season (which falls right now, as you read this), Florida is a wonderful place to live. The people are friendly and at no time are we far from the beach. The natural beauty which fills the Sunshine State comes with a price, however, high dew points and humidity during more than half the year. In addition to lots of perspiration and steady work for air conditioning repair technicians, Florida’s climate has another byproduct, mold.

In other parts of the United States which have 4 distinct seasons, mold is less of an issue and it usually affects clothing and luggage more than buildings. The solution can be as simple as storing those articles in the cellar until fall. For people like Nonnie Chrystal and her husband Mark, however, seaside Florida living can be moldy, just as it is for most every Floridian.

When I was growing up in New England, I used to chuckle at neighbors and members of our church who wintered in Florida. These snow birds struck me as not being fully in tune with their surroundings. I was wrong! The opposite was true!

Simply put, living comfortably in Florida involves climate control technology about half the year, much as it does in New England. By alternating halves, people can reduce their energy consumption significantly. Recently, I told you about Nonnie Chrystal and her husband Mark, creators and builders of Florida's Showcase Green Envirohome. Nonnie and Mark seek to continue living in Florida year-round, just as my wife Catrin and I do.

The term megacity is defined as a metropolitan center with at least 10,000,000 people. In the year 1950, the world had a single megacity, New York. Today, we have 15 and are headed for a great many more. This is significant to the question of global warming because the average city dweller uses 3 units of energy for every 1 unit produced whereas your average farmer who does not use an excess of mechanized equipment lives at roughly a 1:1 average.

In the United States, the average city dweller consumes 5 units of energy for every unit produced! In other words, we Americans do not live efficiently and the world is following our lead – not a good trend! It is for this reason that environmentalists point to reforming city lifestyles as one of the best ways to begin reversing the climate crisis. I concur fully but we must do more than teach the people to live greener and retrofit buildings to use less energy. We must control urban heat islands, too.

Your wait is over! For roughly a month now, I’ve teased you with morsels of information about the Green Earth Expo and its significance not just for Florida but all of North America and beyond. If you want to skip my rambling and jump right to the event website, just have a look at the links section of the left navigation pane of this page and click on www.globalgreenalliance.com

The Green Earth Expo aims to be the ultimate green living show. Its intent is to promote green living and commerce – so that everyone who wants to live green possesses the necessary information and has access to vendors of green products and services. Since Florida is America’s front line in the battle against rising seas and other effects of global warming, the emphasis of the first annual event will be on Florida businesses and Floridians but by no means will any attendees be denied entry.

Over the last 3 years, I have attended multiple energy expos, presenting or speaking at 3. The first time, I was nervous, to say the least, but I got through it and now I’m an old hand at it. I am the exception, though, and I know it.

Jim Griffin is the creator of the Green Earth Expo and the founder of Global Green Alliance. He got his start in trade shows and that’s where this amazing story begins. After working in that field for about 20 years, he moved home to Central Florida and took up work as a carpenter specializing in high-end custom interiors. In that work, he noticed piles of debris wood which littered construction sites. This worried him, as well it should have.

Catrin and I are movie buffs. While we enjoy contemporary music very much, our true pop culture passion is for modern cinema. The DVD players in our home see a fair amount of use but for us, the ultimate cinematic experience takes place at our local multiplex with 200 or more of our closest friends watching a 70-foot convex screen in unison.

The first Hollywood production which we saw dealing with the rubble of what once was the KGB was the film Terminal Velocity. If not for above-average performances by Nastassja Kinski and Christopher McDonald, this film would belong in the B movie pantheon. Well, it relates to global warming because it features a brief but important sequence in a giant wind power farm in the Mojave Desert. That was the first time I had seen such an array of wind turbines, whether in person or on screen.

A decade later, as I sat in one of the very fascinating break-out sessions of the Solar World Congress in Orlando, I saw a PowerPoint presentation about a design of a large photovoltaic power plant and listened as its merits were explained. As fate would have it, just a few weeks later, I saw the film Sahara which culminates the main story arc at a solar power plant of the same ilk!

In my previous post, I told you how the Interstate Traveler system will be effectively immune to cloud cover and seasonal changes in sunlight once the system is fully built throughout North America.

How can this be?

The answer to the question points to the genius of Justin Sutton. Every mile of rail will be covered with tens of thousands of square feet of solar collecting panels. What’s more, whereas a typical rail system only interconnects switch tracks and trestles, the Interstate Traveler interconnects the solar panels themselves by way of piping hydrogen from utility substation to utility substation.

Here’s what that means.

As you read this, I am in the midst of Justin Sutton’s second visit of 2007 to Central Florida. Working with this man is a joy. The more he tells people about the Interstate Traveler, the greater the excitement. He now has cities, states and nations lined up around the globe awaiting construction in their area.

So, what aspect evokes the greatest number of smiles? What really trips the most triggers when groups hear about the Hydrogen Superhighway? Until recently, I had trouble tracking it. A wholly unscientific tally of responses both verbal and otherwise seemed to point to a recurring rhetorical question: “How fast can you build the system worldwide?”

OK, so I have made the bold statement that it is, in fact, quite simple to build a solar panel large enough to produce hydrogen cleanly. Can I back it up? Fortunately, I don’t have to. Justin Sutton is the genius. All I have to do is give you a quick snapshot of the concept. Trust me. When I’m done, you will see that Justin derives a broad economic impact by using solar energy.

Dateline, Clearbrook, Minnesota

A ruptured pipeline which carries more than a million barrels of crude oil from Saskatchewan to the Chicago area caught fire while under repair last month. The result was sadly predictable: boom! I don’t wish to seem glib, especially since several people died, but can’t we come to grips with the root cause? Ruptured pipelines point to a fatally flawed, antiquated technology.

Last week, I told you about the need to shift some of our attention toward reforestation projects in California now that recovery from the devastating series of brush, forest and wild fires has begun. This moment also presents an excellent opportunity to explore the practicality of green building vs. traditional building in California and elsewhere.

The conversations I have had with builders and people engaged in the green building movement have led to a single answer to the question of practicality: done wisely, the price differential of green building vs. traditional building need be only about 10%. Of course, that statistic only indicates raw construction cost and in no way reflects the immediate savings in energy expenses which will result as soon as occupancy begins.

If the difference in cost of green building vs. traditional building is so narrow, why has it not become more prevalent? The reasons are varied. Some development companies claim that their customers seldom ask about green building practices and options. In other places, there is a lack of experienced civil engineers who can guide the process of building structures to green standards such as L.E.E.D.

2008 has been an historic year yet it barely has begun. Given that 2007 was the second-warmest year on record, the alignment of environmental and market forces to move us toward a more sustainable future could not be needed more urgently. Green building plans are an excellent way to begin addressing the vast challenges of a changing climate and in recent weeks they received a warm embrace from factions within California’s construction industry.

In the United States, energy for buildings (cooling, electricity, heating, etc.) accounts for 40% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Of that, homes are a significant contributor. Anything we can do to reduce those numbers can produce a dramatic and immediate benefit. However, until this month, collaborations between builders, real estate managers and environmentalists were rare to say the least.

In short, environmental considerations and practices were determined in corporate board rooms and environmentalists seldom were offered a seat at the table. Fortunately, the situation has begun to change and California has taken up a leadership role, especially in the northern region.

What changed? How have we progressed to having not just a genuine dialog between opposing camps but collaboration and alliances? The simple fact is that some of the opponents to California’s green building plan realized that there are green backs to be made in green building and switched sides of the argument.

I’d like to remain with the California theme which I have embraced this month and give you a bit of follow-up coverage at the same time. Electronic waste is a serious problem and one which must be tackled by the business community and government in tandem. I recently shared with you a handy website maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency for recycling of electronic waste through the Plug-In To eCycling program. The URL is:

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/plugin/partners.htm

Apple is not one of the companies listed. I found that surprising since it has a comprehensive program for recycling electronic waste as part of its larger environmental efforts. For that, Steve Jobs is to be commended, although there is almost always room to do more.

One example is in the design phase. At the risk of allowing this thread to become a commercial advertisement (I do not own Apple products), I would like to turn your attention to the recent announcement by Steve Jobs of the new MacBook Air.

In the quest to stop global warming, we all need to give a little. In recent posts, I have covered the importance of embracing commercial forestry operations which are sustainable because our need for wood products will not stop just because we have wrecked our atmosphere. Some of my allies in the environmental movement disagree with my stance. I understand their position.

Another group which may object to this thread is beach enthusiasts. You see, wind power is an important component in the blended approach which we need to take toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and, as a result, preserving our coast line from rising seas. However, no one solution works everywhere, wind power included. Hence, everyone must compromise a bit.

Arborists and those who cherish trees above all else in nature must come to understand that working forests can protect wildlife, help clean our air and provide wood at the same time, if done sustainably. A similar position is required of people who would like to see our coast line kept free from development.

Last month, the electronics giant Intel made a very large commitment to renewable energy by signing a multi-year agreement with Sterling Planet, the 2007 Renewable Energy Marketer of the Year, to offset more than 1 billion kilowatt hours of fossil-derived electricity. Wow! That is a very impressive achievement! Everyone involved is to be commended!

The arrangement between Intel and Sterling Planet was certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as making Intel the single-largest corporate purchaser of green power in the United States. Kudos all around!

Producing electronics involves a great deal of energy. The folks at Intel know this and take their responsibility seriously. While there’s room to do more, this most recent commitment by Intel left my mouth agape with its scope. Well done, folks!

In recent posts, I have tiptoed around politically sensitive topics. Today’s thread will be no different. However, I ask that you strive to remain focused on the environmental theme at the core of the story. Folks in the United Arab Emirates are building a new metropolis, called Masdar City. Green sustainable modular buildings are a central theme and many topographic design principles borrow from mutualism in the desert.

At the following URL, you will find some interesting coverage of Masdar City. I ask that you pay particular attention to the 5½-minute video. It contains some exaggerations about carbon neutrality and the achievement of a zero waste stream. Nevertheless, Masdar City will be an impressive metropolis when complete (assuming that it lives up to its own hype).

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/solar-city-to-rise-in-persian-gulf-why-not-arizona

The National Home Builders Association (NAHB) is one of the loudest and most influential voices in residential construction in North America. I have been pleased to see NAHB take important steps toward embracing green home building requirements. In fact, they were included in the New American Home 2006 project just a 30-minute drive from my home in Orlando. The finished product is pictured above and at the end of this thread.

If you would like to learn more, I encourage you to watch the video clip linked below. It was the promotional piece shown in advance of the 2006 builders show but remains informative on the question of green home building requirements and the construction industry. In short, the message of green building has begun to permeate.

http://www.buildersshow.com/documents/newamericanhome/newamericanhomemid.wvx

As a zealous environmentalist, though, I can’t allow the discussion to stop with one commendable home project, especially since residences are a large contributor to global warming through inefficiencies in energy use - and because the New American Home 2006 falls into the popular culture definition of McMansion.

Air pollution has no long-term benefits. There are short-term economic benefits to some because they have learned to turn a profit from directly or indirectly spewing air pollution into the atmosphere. It is a well-documented fact which no credible person would dispute that air pollution is bad for people and wildlife. What, though, is the effect air pollution has on the Earth’s ecosystem and what can we do about it?

The effect is broad but can be summarized concisely: air pollution, as a component of global warming, disrupts the ability of the atmosphere to regulate itself, leading to erratic weather patterns. In turn, these patterns impinge upon natural systems and we wind up with a big mess, including insect species where they don’t belong, melting glaciers, widespread famines and the list goes on.

Earlier this month, the world mourned and commemorated the 40th anniversary of a moment in global history, the soul-shattering assassination of the Reverend Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.

The occasion was marked by various public events and extensive coverage by the news media. I wouldn’t have it any other way. What was covered less, however, was the Dream Reborn Conference in Memphis, Tennessee. It took place in parallel with and in honor of Martin Luther King’s vision of national unity.

The vision of Van Jones and the Green For All Initiative is lovely. It focuses on bright futures, bright for the United States as we embrace the positive economic impact by using solar energy and bright because programs such as Solar Richmond help bring the long-term goal of color-blind economic opportunity which Dr. King helped foment to fruition.

In February of this year, my wife Catrin and I had the great pleasure and privilege of traveling to Adelaide, Australia for the third International Solar Cities Congress. Living in Florida as we do, we assumed that we could tolerate the arid summer weather which the state of South Australia had in store for us. We were wrong.

As it turned out, the damage to our planet’s ozone layer, which received so much attention during the 1980’s and was supposed to be ameliorated by the global ban on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), has left a lingering effect Down under, oppressive solar radiation. As a result, although we managed to arrange our schedule so that we saw many wonderful sites and sounds, we also spent much more time indoors than we originally had planned.

In the spring of 2007, a 2-mile-wide tornado sliced through the town of Greensburg, Kansas, leaving an unspeakable trail of destruction in its wake. If the survivors of that awful night had decided to pick of the pieces of what remained and move elsewhere, no one would have blamed them. Instead, they stayed put. In effect, they said that no tragedy, even the now-famous Kansas tornado, was enough to make them leave.

This tale of courage doesn’t end there, though. No, the survivors of the Kansas tornado of 2007 decided to do their part to reduce the frequency and strength of future killer storms. They drew a line in the fertile prairie soil and declared that Greensburg would be rebuilt green. The results have been impressive. Entirely new structures have been designed and erected to green building standards and the local John Deere dealership has embraced wind power.

The survivors of the Greensburg, Kansas tornado of 2007 know that global warming causes cyclones to form more frequently and achieve higher wind speeds. They also know that burning fossil fuels is a significant contributor to global warming. So, they made municipal recovery and atmospheric recovery part of the same plan.

I began this top 7 list series with an exhortation to choose a cause and apply it in your life. Since there are so very many humanitarian causes which are aided by the fight against global warming and its impacts, you really can’t go wrong in your selection, whether you believe in the science of global warming or not.

So, if my previous posts have driven you to choose a cause, great! Now, get on with it! Get going! If you haven’t chosen a cause, I will take an even stronger swing at you, citing a very specific example of an initiative which makes tree huggers like me smile and has very real humanitarian benefits.

When I’m done, you’ll see how wonderful it is and feel a bit intimidated, I hope, because with schools working to go green by aiding reforestation projects in conflict zones and with you sitting on the sidelines, the need for swift action should propel you off the couch.

Since becoming a professional environmentalist a few years ago, I have come to understand the profound ability to effect real change of the simple, 2-syllable question Why not?

Today, Spain is a world leader in encouraging its citizens to go solar because more than a decade ago, a newly-elected city councilman in the Mediterranean haven of Barcelona noted that few if any citizens harnessed the sun to heat their water. His response? Why not?

His question was answered with, “That’s not the way we do things.” yet he persisted. Over time, heating water with sunshine in a city with hundreds of sunny days per year simply made too much sense and it became standard procedure. Soon, it was the standard for the whole Spanish state of Cataluña and eventually, the whole country. Is there power in Why not? You betcha!

There are countless other examples in history. The Green Earth Expo, which just concluded its first event last month in Orlando, Florida, is a poignant one. The way it came into being began with the question Why not? and then morphed into a kernel of an idea when I asked Jim Griffin, Why don’t you have a global warming trade show?

The vast hall of the Orange County Convention Center which hosted the inaugural Green Earth Expo facilitated a heavy focus on solar power. It was a good thing, too! When Jim Griffin and I conceived the Green Earth Expo, we spoke at length about how silly it is that the Sunshine State does not lead the world in the adoption of solar.

At that moment (and during the countless planning meetings in which I participated with Jim and his staff), I failed to anticipate just how zealous the crowd at the Expo would be about the current status of solar power for residential use when the Expo finally occurred. The intensity was something to behold.

Jim and I were delighted that multiple solar contractors and installers from Florida participated as exhibitors, panelists and speakers at the Green Earth Expo. They did a very good job because the current state of solar power for residential use by far gathered the most interest at the event.

Wondering as to the extent? Well, allow me to give you a firsthand example.

Award-winning inventor Justin Sutton was a top-tier supporter, exhibitor and presenter at the Green Earth Expo. He told hundreds of new acquaintances about his solar-powered Interstate Traveler platform. Since I first shared my excitement about Justin’s work with you in November, global interest in the Interstate Traveler has grown and grown.

One region in which active dialog is underway even as you read this is the Far East. The Internet is run by computers which run on microprocessors, many of which are manufactured in Taiwan. Microprocessors are based on silicate technology, as are solar-electric power cells. Well, as the world’s largest solar power facility when fully constructed, the Interstate Traveler will consume a great deal of available solar power systems: 85,000 square feet of solar paneling per mile of rail. That’s a whole lot of solar!

The good news is that the vast population centers and vast rural expanses between cities in Asia make the region an ideal location for a solar-powered transportation platform such as the Interstate Traveler.

NOTE: Audio for this post is accessible at the end

Justin Sutton is full of bright ideas, no pun intended. He invented the Interstate Traveler – which is on track to break ground in 2009 – but as impressive as that revolutionary system is, it really is just the beginning of the good deeds he has planned for his countrymen and all of humanity.

The sun is at the heart of much of what Justin Sutton does. One might say that it fuels his genius. Well, one of the objections which global warming skeptics hurl at us true believers is that sun spots are to blame for increases in global average temperatures. In effect, they are saying that solar radiation explosions are the culprit, not the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation on a planetary scale and widespread ocean poisoning.

Basic geology explains away any correlation between solar radiation explosions and the pace at which our world is warming but the genius of Justin Sutton is that his inventions work no matter what happens to the sun. So long as it keeps shining at much the same intensity, we are in good shape. Moreover, the Interstate Traveler transports more people, provides more free hydrogen and provides more clean water if solar radiation explosions persist. In other words, he has us covered.

As you will come to understand by listening to the interview which he gave to me on May 31, shortly after returning home from a successful visit to Orlando for the Green Earth Expo, Justin Sutton has found a way to provide for many of our needs while boosting our economy. The running time of the telephone interview is almost 50 minutes and the topics have a wide range but I am confident that you will find it a fascinating listen.

“We don’t want to spend taxpayer dollars on fuels that make global warming worse.”

– Hon. Kitty Piercy, Mayor

Eugene, Oregon

June 23, 2008

Last time, I gave you my position on clean coal technologies. They are a myth. However, since no reasonable environmentalist can expect the world to abandon coal overnight, the most important thing for us to do is disseminate the truth about clean coal technologies and drive consumers of coal toward clean, renewable resources.

One area where the environmental community can obtain the fastest results is in educating government bodies. NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council, is a very influential organization doing just that. The quote above came in part as a response to their work.

"Okotoks can fairly call itself the greenest community in Canada, maybe the world."

– Stephen Harper

Prime Minister of Canada

The Drake Landing Solar Community, in Okotoks, Alberta has reached a highly commendable and very remarkable milestone in passive solar house design, blending geothermal heating in the summertime with year-round solar water heating. That may read like a mouthful but, in short, this 52-home solar community in Central Canada soaks up heat in the summer and uses it to keep families warm in the winter while using just the tiniest fraction of grid power and natural gas versus what it would through conventional design.

Now, we’re talking!

Last month, I told you about the Drake Landing Solar Community, which the Prime Minister of Canada dubbed the greenest community in Canada. It’s an impressive project and the fact that the 52-unit community sold out before construction was complete points us to an important question. What are the mortgage costs of a green home?

The answer is, the increase in the up-front costs (which affect the monthly payment) minus the amortized savings in the homeowners’ energy costs.

The formula may sound complex but its bottom line involves just two computations, both percentages. The rule of thumb within the green building industry is that a green home costs 10% more to build if the green attributes are included in the project from the outset. Hence, the mortgage costs of a green home will be about 10% higher when all is said and done. However, the average green home consumes well in excess of 10% less energy than its conventional counterpart.

Always Blowing

Wind power? What happens when the wind stops blowing?

The almighty cry of the renewable energy skeptic reveals an incomplete grasp of how our atmosphere works. It is an ocean. Rather than being comprised of water, though, it is an ocean of air, in constant motion. It is true that wind speeds at the surface often dwindle to a mere zephyr from time to time but a few hundred feet up, it never stops blowing.

Shoot! I still don’t buy it. Give me a coal-fired furnace any day! At least we know where the fuel is located!

Considering his background in oil and gas exploration, it may surprise you to know that I concur with billionaire T. Boone Pickens’ plan for liberating the United States from imported energy. Naturally, I dispute his position on the need for natural gas. In truth, hydrogen can do the job just fine if we embrace it properly.

However, America’s oil addiction is so great that the environmental community dare not allow perfect to be the enemy of good. Mr. Pickens is to be applauded for the bold position he has taken. While it is true that he stands to make billions off his media investment, he just as easily could have sat back and lived off passive income from his already vast fortune.

The nose-bleed prices which motorists around the world saw during the first half of 2008 owe their heights to causes geological, psychological and political. However, no matter where we place the blame, the simple fact is this: with Iraq still producing a mere trickle of oil and the Saudi royal family struggling to perpetuate the myth that it can remain one of the largest oil producers in the world, demand will continue to outstrip supply for many years.

As you well know, dear reader, high fuel prices have broad impacts on the modern world and can drive us, pardon the pun, to desperate acts. One of them is a modern form of alchemy, the migration to water injection for gas engines.

In the United States, Mischief Night comes every October 30, a night when otherwise upstanding citizens do foolish things in the name of foolishness, such as adding sand, sugar or water to the fuel tank of a neighbor’s automobile. Such naughtiness generally causes more inconvenience than damage but the parallels to water injection for gas engines are most apt.

After all, if adding water to a fuel tank can lead to engine failure, water injection can’t be much better, can it? Could the solution to record fuel prices be that simple? If we approach the problem backwards, we may find the answer. After all, automobile tailpipes often drip water. So, there must be water in gasoline, right?

In order to help you understand all of the ramifications of water injection for gas engines, I will engage in a full explanation of the role of gasoline in the modern internal combustion engine in my next post.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Power to the People

Last month, I told you about Defenders of Wildlife’s wonderful Your Lands, Your Wildlife initiative. One of its main goals is to help spread the word that many wonderful experiences occur on America’s natural lands every day so that more people will patronize them and so that the government of the United States will provide adequately for their maintenance and expansion.

Communing with nature is very important in combating natural deficit disorder but America’s natural lands are playing an increasingly important role in harnessing geothermal for electricity generation. That’s right. As of this writing, America’s natural lands comprise half of the real estate used for electricity generation from geothermal energy in the United States.

During the middle of the summer of 2008, several new or expanded projects in Nevada and New Mexico were announced which point to the bright promise of harnessing geothermal for electricity generation. One of the key lessons which this green energy technology can teach us is that, at the macro level, we really only have 2 truly renewable sources: the Earth and the sun.

Solar power comes directly from the sun. Wind power comes from the intersection of solar and terrestrial energy – the Earth’s core maintains an electromagnetic field around the planet which keeps the atmosphere from escaping into space and the heat from the sun causes the atmosphere to spin in all directions, giving us wind. All of the other sources come from those two.

Hydroelectric power occurs because the sun causes evaporation of the oceans which falls on the surface as rain which is transported by the wind. Biofuels come from agricultural crops which would not exist without the Earth and the sun. Well, you get the point.

So, if the planet is half of the equation in providing truly green sources of energy, it is appropriate that they should play a vital role in harnessing geothermal for electricity generation. That’s what I call fomenting the triple bottom line.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

My wife Cat and I live with the smallest carbon footprint possible for a modern couple residing in a city with poor mass transit and cycling options. One area in which we excel (as recently confirmed by an air conditioning salesman) is in conserving electricity. While our methods won’t work everywhere, they have proved quite effective for us. In fact, when annualized, our monthly electric bill never exceeds $90.

It wasn’t always that way, of course. In fact, we used to hover just above $100 per month. Then, we upgraded our home to a solar water heater. What a great decision! It is wonderful. We have had it for more than a year and our water always is hot and our electric bill consistently is $20 below what we used to pay. So, as we enjoy our monthly pastime of calculating electricity generating efficiency of our water heater, or the equivalent thereof, the number consistently tops 20%.

If you own your home or live in a complex which allows for upgrading to a solar water heater, I exhort you to give the possibility due consideration. As to the logistics of having a solar water heater on cloudy days, the unit has an electrical back-up. In our case, we have it set to the lowest possible temperature. Recently, during Tropical Storm Fay, we had no sun for more than 3 straight days. And our water? Mighty comfy the whole time!

Solar water heaters harness the sun very effectively and keep the hot water hot. To learn more about the installation process, check out my very first online video here at Keyboard Culture for a recap of how it went at the Kroehler household.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Green Jobs Benefit Everyone Who Breathes

I would like to congratulate Van Jones and the members of his coalition for the broad success of the inaugural Green Jobs Now Nationwide Day of Action. The gleeful passion with which the message of Green Jobs Now was received is further proof that citizens of the industrialized world are receptive to the notion that embracing a sustainable future does not mean suffering a reduction in quality of life.

Of long standing in the green jobs community is the wonderful organization the Apollo Alliance. Named for a grassroots initiative to call upon the President of the United States to declare a national initiative for clean energy just as John F. Kennedy did in launching the American space program, the Apollo Alliance gains strength with each passing day. Now that a pattern has emerged of announcements of groundbreaking renewable energy projects, including the massive wind farm off the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey (unveiled just a few days ago) the message of the Apollo Alliance is at the cusp of achieving critical mass.

For this reason, it is eminently appropriate that the Apollo Alliance has launched version 2 of itself, The New Apollo Program. Complete with compelling quotes and multimedia content, the New Apollo Program strikes me as containing the ideal blend of a pro-jobs, pro-environment, country-first group of themes.

Here are the key points:

1) Rebuild America Clean and Green

2) Make It in America

3) Restore America’s Technological Leadership

4) Tap the Productivity of the American People

5) Reinvest in America

Strong words! Best of all, even though it is targeted right at all levels of government in the United States, the strategy and tactics of the New Apollo Program can be copied in any nation.

Surf on over today to ApolloAlliance.org to learn more.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Since the beginning of scientific awareness of global warming, initiatives to reverse the climate crisis have carried with them a political charge, sometimes partisan but always controversial. However, numerous factors have aligned to chip away at the status quo and October has proved to be a watershed month in the move to bring the Sunshine State not only on par with such places as California and New York in investing public monies in green energy projects but trying to leapfrog ahead of them.

During a Columbus Day meeting of the Gainesville City Council, in the heart of the town which hosts the University of Florida, an unprecedented proposal for a feed-in tariff was announced. Designed to allow customers of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) to install photovoltaic systems for a guaranteed return per kilowatt hour, if enacted, the proposal would be the first of its kind in the United States and exceedingly rare around the world.

This stunning development, while encouraging, was only one of two gigantic announcements from government bodies during the same week. Two days after the GRU announcement, the Governor’s Action Team on Energy & Climate Change published its phase 2 report on how the climate crisis affects Florida as well as an appropriate action plan. It contains 50 separate policy recommendations and a separate suite of other recommendations as guidance to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in its development of a regulatory, market-based cap-and-trade emissions limiting program. Amazing!

You can read the entire document at

FlClimateChange.us

In light of the political climate in Florida, the recommendations of the Governor’s Action Team deserve an extra layer of accolades. I congratulate everyone involved for a job well done and look forward to assisting in the implementation of the policy recommendations. Likewise, the GRU board of directors deserves a round of applause from each of us for its bold proposal to advance solar energy in the United States!

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Last time, I told you about the alarming spike in mean temperature in the Arctic. I recommended that you watch the 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow. I hope that you have done so because I am about to use a plot spoiler to make a very important point.

A great many catastrophes occur in the aforementioned film but the bulk of the story is dedicated to the fact that a new ice age sets in within the span of a few days, preceded by the flooding of New York City. The instant deep freeze is caused by bore holes which open in the atmosphere, fissures which allow the icy cold of space to travel dozens of miles into our home, reaching the surface of the Earth.

The holes are facilitated in part by the rapid deceleration of our major ocean currents, including the North Atlantic Oscillation. This rapid deceleration is caused by broad, sudden shifts in salinity factors of our oceans. What could cause such shifts? How about cataclysmic melting of our polar ice caps? Yes, that would do it. And what, pray, tell, is happening today, as you read this? Our polar ice caps are melting at a rate even the loudest soothsayers of doom failed to predict just a few short years ago.

Now, I realize that you don’t come to my blog to read the worst-case scenario. So, allow me to brighten your day. The news is not all bad. However, I had to share some of the gloom with you in order to drive home a key point about tidal wave power. You see, in our quest to combat global warming, we must harness in a safe and sustainable way every source of renewable energy we have. Even if we poison and overfish our oceans so badly that they become lifeless, they still can help us but we must use them in the right way.

There are two schools of thought in the renewable energy industry when it comes to the best way of harnessing the motion of the oceans for electricity. The first school advocates the use of submerged propellers which are spun by currents. They claim that their way is better because the currents are swift and consistent. The second school advocates the use of buoys, either fully or partially submerged, because the oceans are in constant motion.

Neither school can claim the irrefutable argument but one offers the better choice. Next time, I’ll share the reason with you.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

photo courtesy of NOAA

credit: Oregon State University

Superconducting Cable Means Fewer Electrical Towers

This is it, my 100th podcast! Can you feel the excitement? I’d like to pause for a moment to thank the creators of Keyboard Culture and my fellow experts here in the community. Together, we form a powerhouse and make a real difference in sharing wisdom with our readers. After more than a year of posts and 100 podcasts, let’s circle back to the reason for the existence of my corner of Keyboard Culture, the quest to reverse global warming.

The simplest, fastest and arguably easiest way of reversing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming is a swift move toward energy efficiency. This means turning off the lights when we leave a room, setting the thermostat on our climate control systems a degree or two out of our comfort zone and maintaining our cars in proper working order with well inflated tires. However, those steps only will bring us part of the way. For real energy efficiency to happen, we need to overhaul the way we generate and transmit electricity.

If that weren’t enough, we must contend with a crumbling infrastructure which cannot keep pace with current demand – let alone provide reliable service for a growing population. The Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway can assist us with these challenges because it has at its core a very high capacity electrical transmission core and the Interstate Traveler Company does not want any money from taxpayers or the utility companies to build it.

So, not only will construction of the Interstate Traveler improve the capacity and reliability of America’s electrical grid but it will facilitate decentralized generation and lend itself both to heightened national security standards for energy and greater energy efficiency, thus helping to fight global warming at the same time.

Be sure to return here for the next installment when I provide you with my 22-minute telephone interview with Justin Sutton in which we cover energy efficiency and reforestation, the other exciting initiative which comes with a bonus from building the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

NOTE: Audio for this post is accessible at the end

In commemoration of my 100th podcast, I have provided you with introductory threads about the unique attributes of energy efficiency and reforestation as the best means to combat global warming. Last time, I laid out for you the fact that the Interstate Traveler has components of both, including through recent additions to the solar-powered hydrogen rail initiative.

Now, it’s time to hear from Justin Sutton in his own words. As follows is the abridged textual version of my third interview with this genius. At the end of the text, you will find the audio player to hear the telephone exchange in its entirety.

Mister Sustainable: Even under ideal conditions, high-tension wires lose 10% or more of the current flowing through them to heat and other inefficiencies. How efficient will the conduit cluster inside the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway be for transmitting high-voltage electrical service?

Justin Sutton: The Hydrogen Super Highway, or HyRail for short, hosts a redundant set of what is known as high-temperature super conductor cables, or HTSCs. They are called “High-Temperature” super conductors because of the unique metallurgy that enables super conducting properties at the temperature of liquid Nitrogen which is about -196 degrees Celsius – pretty is pretty cold stuff – but not nearly as cold as liquid hydrogen which is -252 degrees Celsius. The breakthrough innovation of HTSC was the creation of the unique metal that works at liquid Nitrogen temperatures, which has enabled the development of cables that can be charged with liquid Nitrogen and installed into conduits like our conduit cluster. Until this new metal was developed, the only way a super conduct could be made was in a laboratory using liquid Hydrogen which was next to impossible to make into a cable. These cables have the ability to distribute a massive amount of electrical energy with nearly zero resistance which enables the power companies to save the energy that is lost in traditional high-tension lines. What is more, the use of HTSCs enables the distribution of lower voltage which reduces the coronal discharge, or ambient electromagnetic energy the can light up florescent tubes at a distance.

Mister Sustainable: In his Pickens Plan, noted energy trader T. Boone Pickens advocates the broad adoption of wind power in the United States. Many leading environmental organizations have fallen in behind him but at present, the American electrical grid has several large gaps in areas which are ideal for the construction of wind power. Can construction of the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway along all 54,000 miles of Eisenhower expressway alleviate this problem and provide an electrical pipe for the gigawatts of wind energy which will come online in the next decade?

Justin Sutton: Yes! The National HyRail, which refers to the Hydrogen Super Highway built along the Eisenhower Interstate Highway network, can provide more than just the ability to distribute the power from wind farms. The National HyRail can buffer and store the energy produced until it is demanded by the customers our on the national energy grid. Even more beneficial to the Pickens Plan, the Conduit Cluster has the ability to provide a massive pipeline to store and distribute Natural Gas and other viable fuels to feed market demand as we transition away from fossil fuels in the coming decades.

Mister Sustainable: One of the greatest challenges facing the growth of the American economy is the need for new corridors for high-tension power lines through areas which already are populated. Can the Interstate Traveler eliminate the need for new power lines and/or eliminate existing lines?

Justin Sutton: Yes! The HyRail can certainly provide the distribution capacity demand of today’s market on into the future. Even more exiting, the HyRail system of systems creates a financially viable method to replace existing high-tension lines with a safe and resilient elevated rail that can distribute power down the established corridors while enabling the valuable real estate to become safe for public use. This will enable the power distribution companies to not only save money by reducing the energy losses to next-to-nothing, but also reap the benefits of safe and desirable land corridors for housing, shopping and entertainment.

Mister Sustainable: An aspect of the fight against global warming which receives inadequate attention is reforestation, the replanting of trees in order to sequester carbon naturally and help the atmosphere regulate temperature. A leading advocate of reforestation is the United Nations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the 10 Billion Acres project has begun to gain traction and its overarching vision includes a concept known as the Grand Arbor. You recently launched the Grand Arbor Carbon Sequestration Program within the Interstate Traveler Company. Would you elaborate on this, please?

Justin Sutton: The Grand Arbor Carbon Sequestration program is a very important program, perhaps the most important for the future of our global climate change issues. It has been known to science and historians that human activity has brought about the destruction of billions of acres of forests world wide over the last 500 years. This has created a terrible imbalance in the carbon/oxygen cycles of the natural ecosystems and, sadly, has destroyed the unique habit of countless species that are now extinct. The Grand Arbor Carbon Sequestration program employs the HyRail to create a constantly flowing supply of water to replant millions and millions of acres of trees in places where they have not stood for hundreds of years.

Beyond that, it is known that desertification has rapidly increased with the Sahara and the Gobi marching forward and relentlessly overwhelming once viable agricultural land. The Grand Arbor will not only enable the sequestration of millions of tons of carbon in the form of natural vegetation, but will also reclaim parched landscapes for future generations of people to enjoy an agricultural system that will work relentlessly for hundreds of years into the future.

Mister Sustainable: Another exciting project of yours is the Hydroponic Traveler. In addition to supplying desolate areas with an agricultural corridor, I understand that the Hydroponic Traveler can sequester about 24 tons of carbon per year for each mile of rail. Wow! How will this be achieved?

Justin Sutton: Yes, the Hydroponic Traveler is the key to halting the terrible desertification of lands that had once supported hundreds of thousands of people. As the core technology of the Grand Arbor Carbon Sequestration program, the ability to deliver Hydroponic grade solutions will enable the fortification of soils, and the creation of new compostable soils in areas that are parched and dry.

Listen Free Here

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler