Industrial Revolution 2

Technology Review: Blogs: Guest Blog: Dispelling Carbon Capture’s Scaling Myth

Dispelling Carbon Capture’s Scaling Myth
Pipelines needed to deploy CCS technology pose little impediment, according to an overlooked national lab study.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
By Peter Fairley

PNNL estimates that CO2 pipeline build (red or blue) will look slim compared with natural-gas pipeline growth (yellow). [Larger image]
Credit: PNNL
Critics of carbon capture and storage (CCS) often deride the scale of infrastructure required for CCS to make a meaningful dent in global carbon emissions–not just in equipment to capture emissions at power plants (and other “point” sources of CO2), but also in pipelines to move the captured CO2 to storage sites. But an overlooked recent study by t

Here’s the article…

architecture 2030

Because investing in energy efficiency in buildings is the most effective way to create jobs and revive the economy (see Justification), Architecture 2030 recommends an investment of $171.72 billion ($85.86 billion each year for two years) in a plan that integrates a housing mortgage buy-down and an accelerated-depreciation program for commercial buildings with energy efficiency in buildings, specifically with the widely adopted energy reduction plan called the 2030 Challenge1. This investment will create 3.75 million direct jobs in the Building Sector, as well as 4.34 million indirect and induced jobs and over 350,000 jobs from consumer spending.

Of special note, tying the mortgage buy-down and accelerated depreciation to achieving specific energy reductions immediately creates the opportunity for a $1.6 trillion renovation market that does not currently exist. The immediacy and magnitude of this opportunity can turn the tide for the construction industry, as well as the nation.

The plan, called the 2030 Challenge Stimulus Plan (‘Plan’), would save consumers $142.33 billion to $200.88 billion2 in energy costs and mortgage payments over a five-year period, significantly reducing the risk of mortgage failure while increasing disposable income. Because the 2030 Challenge calls for buildings to be renovated or designed to reduce their fossil-fuel, GHG-emitting energy consumption in a range from 30% below that required by the IECC 2006 and ASHRAE 90.1-2004 code standards to carbon neutral3, the Plan will also reduce CO2 emissions by 481.13 MMT and energy consumption by 6.17 QBtu over the same five-year period.

Read the whole report…

We can all guess what he is going to be able to implement. As of now, just after the election, I think that the best place to start the discussion is with his New Energy for America plan.

In his mind and in the minds of his team members, this will be where they start.

Robert Pollin, Univ. of Massachusetts – Amherst Economics Professor:
To the house committee on pensions and jobs:

Energy efficiency (government) investments… Seems to be no brainers. We are dealing with known technologies. An example is retrofitting existing buildings… We can invest in retrofitting the public sector buildings starting tomorrow. There are 800,000 construction workers who have lost their jobs. We can put them back to work. We can get these projects going. They are relatively short term projects. And they will pay for themselves… on average, you’ll see a full return on your investment within about 5 years.

With respect to renewable energy. In regards will tax credits. We do know that renewable energy tax credits which you had stalled and now you’ve restored* are very effective. The market is very responsive… the last time you held back on the renewable tax credits and then increased them we saw a doubling, for example, in investments in wind energy. So those things are there before us.

I do think that the first priority… in the energy area … is energy efficiency. And you’ll get the most jobs. It will be done fast. The technologies are there. And you will fight global warming. You will increase energy independence. You will create a lever against future rises in the price of oil.

* He’s referring to the Renewable Energy Tax Credits extension that were blocked in the Senate after a republican filibuster.

Technorati Tags:
Sustainable Construction, Sustainable Economy, Green Jobs

Progressive Voter Guide to the Environment | Environment | AlterNet: “Progressive Voter Guide to the Environment
AlterNet. Posted October 17, 2008.

From climate change to fuel efficiency, a look at where the candidates stand on this year’s top 10 environmental issues.”

a href=”http://www.alternet.org/environment/101996/progressive_voter_guide_to_the_environment/” rel=”nofollow” target:”blank”>Progressive Voter Guide to the Environment | Environment | AlterNet

Technorati Tags:
Environment & Politics, Environment

Vestergaard Frandsen : LifeStraw®:

“LifeStarw® at a Glance Half of the world’s poor suffer from waterborne disease, and nearly 6,000 people – mainly children – die each day by consuming unsafe drinking water.

LifeStraw® water purifiers have been developed as a practical way of preventing disease and saving lives, as well as achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water by the year 2015.

LifeStraw® Personal and LifeStraw® Family are complimentary point-of-use water filters – truly unique offerings from Vestergaard Frandsen that will help people obtain safe drinking water at home and outside – paving the way for swiftly and effectively accomplishing the VF and MDGs.”

Technorati Tags:
Climate Change, Clean Water, Water Filtration