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

In my previous post, I explained that I am enthusiastic about geothermal energy. The good news does not end with the fact that this abundant resource is clean and renewable. No, it also can lead to stability in energy prices.

Because the fuel is expensive and must be extracted from the earth, the price we pay for conventional energy is volatile, subject to multiple market forces. When we add economic expansion and shifts between population centers, the result is inevitable, rising U.S. energy prices.

Nature has given us a clean solution which also can be quite inexpensive over the long term, geothermal energy.

Soil temperatures beneath the surface of the Earth are constant so we can use the unchanging conditions there to control the temperature of our own surroundings by routing our ventilation system through underground chambers. Applied cleverly, we also can generate electricity cleanly by exploiting the difference in temperature at the surface and deep below.

I love renewable energy. It is clean and, in some cases, free to harness. Which is the right answer for your situation, however? Without visiting your home, I cannot state for certain but what I can do is offer my perspective, which cares equally for keeping the earth green and providing you with the energy you need.

Every form of renewable energy has its advantages. I tend to prefer solar because of the relative ease of installation of the equipment to harness it and the vast untapped potential. As you may know, the world uses a mere fraction of 1% of the solar energy which strikes the surface of the Earth every day.

Solar doesn’t work everywhere, however. Likewise, geothermal has the ability to generate most of the electricity we need and keep our homes comfortable year round but it does not work in every situation. So, should we focus on solar energy or geothermal?

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!

During the month of April, I painted a financial picture for you, one in which the unified earth theory can be applied in the United States and elsewhere through adherence of the triple bottom line of sustainability. These crucial principles can help us respond to global warming better and faster than simply taking a step-by-step approach. However, there’s another benefit which we must consider. It has an environmental and humanitarian aspect.

You see, indigenous populations in the tropical rain forest, such as in South America, suffer greater and greater encroachment from city dwellers and farmers every year. This is caused by economic mismanagement on the part of local and state government but also pressure from industrialized nations to continue providing cheap imported goods while ignoring the principles of sustainability.

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.

In less than fifteen years’ time, the Internet has gone from being a commercial novelty, limited in use to the military and university system, to an integral part of global commerce and daily life for roughly a billion people. Extending its reach to the next billion will require enhancement and expansion of the backbone of the Internet. A key player in those efforts is Microsoft, particularly in the areas of software and data center design.

While far from being a green company (but working at it every day), Microsoft’s innovations in energy efficiency and the C-Blox container data center allow for greater flexibility in the choice of power source. For example, in Boulder, Colorado, the addition of C-Blox container data center design to supplement the processing power of Microsoft’s Virtual Earth hub increased energy efficiency by a factor of 100. Consequently, Microsoft was able to specify the use of 100% wind power not just within the C-Blox container data center but throughout the first floor of the facility.

The flexibility born of innovations such as the C-Blox container data center produces new opportunities for enhancement and expansion of the backbone of the Internet into areas ordinarily deemed impractical because of local weather conditions or other climatic concerns.

“Renewable fuels - sun, wind, geothermal - are free; they’re not traded on the global market so they are not subject to huge spikes in price. This is the kind of economic security American families want and deserve.”

- Hon. Al Gore

Former Vice President of the United States

July 17, 2008

Whew! The summer of 2008 has been an historic one and it’s only half-over!

Amidst all the bad news, people around the United States and on every continent are paying attention to Al Gore in numbers never seen, even when he was Vice President of the United States. Through the We Campaign which he founded and I featured here back in April, more than a million people have signed a new online commitment to fight global warming. Not bad for just a few months’ time!

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.

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

OK, so I repeat the message of carbon credits and carbon offsets regularly but let’s be candid. How practical is it for people to live carbon-neutral as I do? Well, I maintain that it’s quite easy but will admit that the task can be daunting at first. After all, it’s nigh on impossible to live in the industrialized world and not produce an excess of carbon versus a bucolic existence.

Might it be helpful to reduce the chore of determining one’s carbon output to something more manageable, at least at first? Yes, indeed, it would. So, today, I’d like to tell you about a wonderful new website from a wind power firm, WattzOn.com

While it is vital that we understand that most all of our choices, from the types of food we buy to the number of hours we spend in front of the television to how fast we drive our cars, affect our carbon footprint. However, in general terms, the easiest way for most of us to begin to grasp how to reduce it and still live a meaningful, comfortable existence lies in our energy footprint.

That’s why WattzOn.com is such a wonderful website and why it won Business Week Magazine’s best idea of 2008. That’s a very significant achievement and I add my applause to this important accolade.

The website is very easy to use and I encourage you to do so immediately. I will leave you with the telling quote from the WattzOn.com homepage.

“Climate change is a global problem but it’s individuals who will create the solution. WattzOn gives you tools to track your energy consumption, compare it to others’ and understand its consequences in order to discover how to reduce your role in climate change.”

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler